(September 26, 2012)
Friday, November 23, 2012
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Richie in LA Times
(September 3, 2012)
For Richie Sambora, a hard-won road to 'Aftermath of the Lowdown'
The latest solo album from Bon Jovi's Richie Sambora, 'Aftermath of the Lowdown,' honestly tackles the guitarist's recent rough times.
The lowest moment of Richie Sambora's life was the night in 2008 when he was arrested for DUI with his then-10-year-old daughter Ava in the car.
Only a year after the Bon Jovi guitarist had left rehab for alcohol and pill abuse, he was pulled over in Laguna Beach after police saw him weaving on the highway in his Hummer. They booked and released him, and the Laguna Beach police described him as "quiet and cooperative and he didn't cause any problems."
The arrest capped a brutal year of personal trials: his divorce to actress Heather Locklear was finalized, his new relationship with Denise Richards faltered and his father died of lung cancer.
Most famous musicians would go out of their way to hide a night like that, or at least couch it in some traditional narrative of redemption on record. But on Sambora's new, unexpectedly bloodletting third solo album, "Aftermath of the Lowdown," he tackles that time in his life with plain-spoken, unsentimental rock music that doesn't whitewash or over-dramatize his failings.
"When I fell off that cliff, I realized who I was, unrelated to the band," Sambora said while on a sofa in the Palihouse lounge in West Hollywood. "I'd started to clean up five years ago, but I slipped, and made those amends. I'm lucky I wasn't a guy who lost his family or relationships."
It's a hard-won record from a very famous guitarist, one now recording for a scrappier, independent label — Silver Lake's Dangerbird Records. Their pairing is exceedingly unlikely, but "Lowdown" could show both parties in a new light: Sambora, the ferocious instrumentalist and tough-skinned songwriter, and a Dangerbird Records unafraid to follow its instincts all the way to the doorstep of '80s arena rock.
The first question about "Lowdown" — a collaboration that both Sambora and Dangerbird admit was unexpected — is how the two parties ever crossed paths at all. Dangerbird's Jeff Castelaz, better known for signing the shoe-gazey snarl of Silversun Pickups and the cosmopolitan soul of Fitz & the Tantrums, first heard about the record through Phil Cassens, a mutual friend and fellow cyclist who used to helm A&R at Virgin Records.
Though Sambora actually had a history well before Bon Jovi — he played the CBGB circuit and an earlier band, the Message, was signed to Led Zeppelin's Swan Song imprint — Castelaz acknowledges that a personal connection was probably necessary to deflect his natural skepticism about the album.
"Phil told me about his friend Richie who had a fantastic record, and that he hoped we'd have some common ground," Castelaz said. "But growing up, I was a janitor and swept garbage at an arena where Bon Jovi played. They were a rock 'n' roll hit machine, and my generation railed against those guys."
But slowly, the recordings started to win him over. And though much of Dangerbird's cool-kid audience will run screaming for the fire exits at the thought of buying an album from a Bon Jovi side project, it's easy to hear what turned Castelaz into a believer. "Burn that Candle Down" kicks off with a psychedelic fuzz barrage that the Black Keys would be happy to call their own. If the piano-plaintive yearn of "Every Road Leads Home to You" got misfiled under Coldplay or Arcade Fire, radio programmers would salivate to play it.
"This is nothing like Bon Jovi," Castelaz said. "They make quality rock music, but this is vulnerable and real about his travails. When he first played 'Every Road Leads Home to You,' it blew my … mind."
The album's not a contempo-indie rip-off, though — bluesy swaggers like "Sugar Daddy" and power-pop such as "Nowadays" definitely bear Bon Jovi DNA. Sambora's in-studio band comes with a rock pedigree: Members of Paul McCartney and Beck's bands played all over it.
Some song titles like "Learning to Fly With a Broken Wing" and "Taking a Chance on the Wind" are almost defiantly un-self-aware of their author's stadium-rock heritage. But one pass through Sambora's dark-night-of-the-soul ballad "You Can Only Get So High" shows a rare skill among today's self-conscious songwriters — singing about one's mistakes without glamorizing or wallowing in them.
Gossip rags have detailed Sambora's DUI, his divorce and his rehab stint after slipping in his Jacuzzi and succumbing to painkiller addiction for his shoulder injury. But when he sings "Empty bottle, preach the gospel / another shot ain't coming close to saving me," over a classic-country slide guitar, it's a reminder that those things happened to a real person, one with a story a lot of regular fans can relate to.
"I had cleaned up my act about 85% five years ago," Sambora said. "But I was naive. I just wanted to drink as a stress reliever, and I slipped again. When I write, I'm speaking about me, but I'm sure that's a lot of people's [problem] as well."
"Lowdown's" abject sincerity — from a guy who has every right to go on hot-tub autopilot at this point in his career — is a big part of its re-inventive, trends-be-damned sincerity.
Sambora's still committed to Bon Jovi, a day job that he describes as a "mothership — you just get on and it goes." But after the band wrapped up its 2011 arena tour and is currently between album cycles, it's clear that "Lowdown" is his passion project and he can't wait to play it out live. After a few of the worst years of his life, Sambora feels like "Lowdown" is a song of experience — and innocence as well.
"I'm still learning; I still have a guitar teacher and a vocal teacher," Sambora said. "I've tried to maintain my innocence as a musician and be able to tell my story, and I'm realizing it's kinda everyone's story."
source
~ Hath
For Richie Sambora, a hard-won road to 'Aftermath of the Lowdown'
The latest solo album from Bon Jovi's Richie Sambora, 'Aftermath of the Lowdown,' honestly tackles the guitarist's recent rough times.
The lowest moment of Richie Sambora's life was the night in 2008 when he was arrested for DUI with his then-10-year-old daughter Ava in the car.
Only a year after the Bon Jovi guitarist had left rehab for alcohol and pill abuse, he was pulled over in Laguna Beach after police saw him weaving on the highway in his Hummer. They booked and released him, and the Laguna Beach police described him as "quiet and cooperative and he didn't cause any problems."
The arrest capped a brutal year of personal trials: his divorce to actress Heather Locklear was finalized, his new relationship with Denise Richards faltered and his father died of lung cancer.
Most famous musicians would go out of their way to hide a night like that, or at least couch it in some traditional narrative of redemption on record. But on Sambora's new, unexpectedly bloodletting third solo album, "Aftermath of the Lowdown," he tackles that time in his life with plain-spoken, unsentimental rock music that doesn't whitewash or over-dramatize his failings.
"When I fell off that cliff, I realized who I was, unrelated to the band," Sambora said while on a sofa in the Palihouse lounge in West Hollywood. "I'd started to clean up five years ago, but I slipped, and made those amends. I'm lucky I wasn't a guy who lost his family or relationships."
It's a hard-won record from a very famous guitarist, one now recording for a scrappier, independent label — Silver Lake's Dangerbird Records. Their pairing is exceedingly unlikely, but "Lowdown" could show both parties in a new light: Sambora, the ferocious instrumentalist and tough-skinned songwriter, and a Dangerbird Records unafraid to follow its instincts all the way to the doorstep of '80s arena rock.
The first question about "Lowdown" — a collaboration that both Sambora and Dangerbird admit was unexpected — is how the two parties ever crossed paths at all. Dangerbird's Jeff Castelaz, better known for signing the shoe-gazey snarl of Silversun Pickups and the cosmopolitan soul of Fitz & the Tantrums, first heard about the record through Phil Cassens, a mutual friend and fellow cyclist who used to helm A&R at Virgin Records.
Though Sambora actually had a history well before Bon Jovi — he played the CBGB circuit and an earlier band, the Message, was signed to Led Zeppelin's Swan Song imprint — Castelaz acknowledges that a personal connection was probably necessary to deflect his natural skepticism about the album.
"Phil told me about his friend Richie who had a fantastic record, and that he hoped we'd have some common ground," Castelaz said. "But growing up, I was a janitor and swept garbage at an arena where Bon Jovi played. They were a rock 'n' roll hit machine, and my generation railed against those guys."
But slowly, the recordings started to win him over. And though much of Dangerbird's cool-kid audience will run screaming for the fire exits at the thought of buying an album from a Bon Jovi side project, it's easy to hear what turned Castelaz into a believer. "Burn that Candle Down" kicks off with a psychedelic fuzz barrage that the Black Keys would be happy to call their own. If the piano-plaintive yearn of "Every Road Leads Home to You" got misfiled under Coldplay or Arcade Fire, radio programmers would salivate to play it.
"This is nothing like Bon Jovi," Castelaz said. "They make quality rock music, but this is vulnerable and real about his travails. When he first played 'Every Road Leads Home to You,' it blew my … mind."
The album's not a contempo-indie rip-off, though — bluesy swaggers like "Sugar Daddy" and power-pop such as "Nowadays" definitely bear Bon Jovi DNA. Sambora's in-studio band comes with a rock pedigree: Members of Paul McCartney and Beck's bands played all over it.
Some song titles like "Learning to Fly With a Broken Wing" and "Taking a Chance on the Wind" are almost defiantly un-self-aware of their author's stadium-rock heritage. But one pass through Sambora's dark-night-of-the-soul ballad "You Can Only Get So High" shows a rare skill among today's self-conscious songwriters — singing about one's mistakes without glamorizing or wallowing in them.
Gossip rags have detailed Sambora's DUI, his divorce and his rehab stint after slipping in his Jacuzzi and succumbing to painkiller addiction for his shoulder injury. But when he sings "Empty bottle, preach the gospel / another shot ain't coming close to saving me," over a classic-country slide guitar, it's a reminder that those things happened to a real person, one with a story a lot of regular fans can relate to.
"I had cleaned up my act about 85% five years ago," Sambora said. "But I was naive. I just wanted to drink as a stress reliever, and I slipped again. When I write, I'm speaking about me, but I'm sure that's a lot of people's [problem] as well."
"Lowdown's" abject sincerity — from a guy who has every right to go on hot-tub autopilot at this point in his career — is a big part of its re-inventive, trends-be-damned sincerity.
Sambora's still committed to Bon Jovi, a day job that he describes as a "mothership — you just get on and it goes." But after the band wrapped up its 2011 arena tour and is currently between album cycles, it's clear that "Lowdown" is his passion project and he can't wait to play it out live. After a few of the worst years of his life, Sambora feels like "Lowdown" is a song of experience — and innocence as well.
"I'm still learning; I still have a guitar teacher and a vocal teacher," Sambora said. "I've tried to maintain my innocence as a musician and be able to tell my story, and I'm realizing it's kinda everyone's story."
source
~ Hath
Happy Thanksgiving
On Thanksgiving I will stop to give thanks that my family is safe and healthy, especially because I realize that, following the tragedies of this year, it is all too real a possibility that they might not have been.
~ Gov. Bobby Jindal (Louisiana)
Wishing all my American friends a wonderful, family-filled, happy Thanksgiving day. For my non-American friends, I wish for you a wonderful, family-filled happy Thursday :)
~ Hath
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
JBJ Fox Interview
From Fox LA:
Frankly, I'm surprised that Jon talked about this at all. I thought he'd for sure file it under "it's none of your damned business".
~ Hath
Frankly, I'm surprised that Jon talked about this at all. I thought he'd for sure file it under "it's none of your damned business".
~ Hath
In an interview with Fox 11's Entertainment Reoprter Courtney Friel, rocker Bon Jovi talked for the first time about his daughter's recent heroin overdose and subsequent drug arrest.
"What I do for a living seems glitzy and glamorous but if you don't take it too seriously it's a great way to make a living," he said. "And then life goes on. Things happen."
He added, "This tragedy was something that I had to face too so we'll get through it. And people's warm wishes for my family and I have been really reassuring. So, we're good"
JonBon at Microsoft Sharepoint Conference in Vegas
(November 13, 2012)
Microsoft reserved the entire Mandalay Bay Beach for the SharePoint Community as Jon Bon Jovi and The Kings of Suburbia took the stage.
Setlist (the order may not be right, and I'm sure I'm missing some songs)
Anyone there? What songs did I miss? Anyone find any other videos? If I find more, I'll update this post :)
~ Hath
Microsoft reserved the entire Mandalay Bay Beach for the SharePoint Community as Jon Bon Jovi and The Kings of Suburbia took the stage.
Setlist (the order may not be right, and I'm sure I'm missing some songs)
- Ain't Nothin' But a Party
- You Give Love a Bad Name
- Bed Medicine / Old Time Rock 'n' Roll / Shout
- Wanted Dead or Alive | Wanted-2 | Wanted-3 | Wanted-4
- Under Pressure | Pressure-2 | Pressure-3
- Baba O'Reilly
- The Letter
- Livin' on a Prayer | Prayer-2 | Prayer-3
Anyone there? What songs did I miss? Anyone find any other videos? If I find more, I'll update this post :)
~ Hath
Jon & Dorothea Out-and-About
In NYC yesterday.
You Jonny girls can have your man-envy, I have purse-envy :)
~ Hath
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You Jonny girls can have your man-envy, I have purse-envy :)
~ Hath
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Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Richie Sambora: Philanthropy Award
From Hollywood Today:
The Association of Fundraising Professionals, (AFP) Greater Los Angeles Chapter, hosted the 27th Annual National Philanthropy Day Luncheon Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, Beverly Hills California on Wednesday November 14, 2012. Hundreds of philanthropists, founders, fundraisers and non-profit community leaders attended to support outstanding celebrity and community philanthropists. Richie Sambora was honored with Special Celebrity Philanthropist Award.
Richie Sambora Grammy award winning musician, iconic rock group Bon Jovi with over 130 million albums sold worldwide, over 2800 concerts in over 52 countries in three decades; was awarded Special Honor Celebrity Philanthropy recognition. He performed at the Music Box – Henry Fonda Theater for a special concert to raise emergency funds for Hurricane Sandy relief effort for the Red Cross and has vowed to match all the proceeds raised. Richie Sambora featured the release of his third solo album, Aftermath of the Lowdown.
Richie Sambora rock-star, and philanthropic advocate, originally from New Jersey expressed his concerns of effects from Hurricane Sandy. He spoke candidly about his mothers home in Point Pleasant, New Jersey being completely under seawater on the bottom floor. His family and their community was affected by the hurricane. He was raised with positive encouragement to show up and if in a place to lend to lend help. He lends his name and notoriety to assist several non-profit charitable causes, Laguna Legacy, and Midnight Mission, where he was also recently honored with the Golden Heart Award for his philanthropic work with the Midnight Mission, in addition, Sambora has worked with US troops, and supported The American Cancer Society, Memorial Sloane-Kettering Cancer Centre, donated vehicles purchased medical equipment for individuals and communities in need .
Richie Sambora recently completed an 18 and half month tour around the world played in 52 countries. He mentioned they brought down concert ticket prices in certain areas so everyone could afford to attend the concerts globally. He remarked about seeing many changes in his thirty years of touring around the globe and said that America is the best country in the world, and Asia and Europe look to America as the role model. He explained that what happens in America has a ripple effect in the world, that America is leader in westernizing the globe. He spoke candidly to the crowd of nearly 500 guest his heartfelt speech filled with his inspiring dedication to philanthropy help raise awareness moved the crowd honoring him.
You can read the whole article here.
~ Hath
JBJ PolyPrep Benefit
The New Jersey born singer performed a private benefit concert at Poly Prep Country Day School on Friday (November 9th) to cap a week of fundraising that gathered nearly $700,000 for school families and teachers affected by the superstorm.Read the rest of the article here.
The school has campuses in Park Slope and Dyker Heights, but draws students from all five boroughs, New Jersey and Long Island, spokesman Malcolm Farley said.
About 50 students and 11 faculty were directly affected by the hurricane. One Poly Prep family in Breezy Point "narrowly escaped" the floods and fires that ravaged that area, and the school's baseball coach, who's also a 1992 alum, suffered significant damage to his house in the Rockaways, Farley said.
Setlist (not necessarily in this order):
Someday I'll Be Saturday Night
Old Habits Die Hard
Not Running Anymore
Livin' on a Prayer
Who Says You Can't Go Home
Superman Tonight
Here Comes the Sun
~ Hath
Because We Can: North American Dates Announced
Bon Jovi 2013 "Because We Can - The Tour" North American dates. Pre-sales for some of these start today (thanks for the notice) with the majority of the public sales starting December 3.
~ Hath
Feb 09: Uncasville, Conn. (Mohegan Sun)
Feb 10: Washington, D.C. (Verizon Center)
Feb 13: Montreal (Bell Centre)
Feb 14: Montreal (Bell Centre)
Feb 17: Toronto (Air Canada Centre)
Feb 18: Toronto (Air Canada Centre)
Feb 20: Ottawa, ONT (Scotiabank Place)
Feb 21: Pittsburgh (Consol Energy Center)
Feb 27: Atlanta (Philips Arena)
Mar 01: Tampa, Fla. (Tampa Bay Times Forum)
Mar 02: Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. (BB&T Center)
Mar 05: Charlotte, N.C. (Time Warner Cable Arena)
Mar 06: Nashville (Bridgestone Arena)
Mar 09: Cleveland (Quicken Loans Arena)
Mar 10: Columbus (Nationwide Arena)
Mar 13: St Louis (Scottrade Center)
Mar 14: Louisville, Ky. (KFC Yum! Center)
Mar 16: Oklahoma City (Chesapeake Energy Arena)
Apr 02: Calgary, Alberta (Scotiabank Saddledome)
Apr 03: Edmonton, Alberta (Rexall Place)
Apr 05: Winnipeg, Manitoba (MTS Centre)
Apr 07: St Paul, Minn. (Xcel Energy Center)
Apr 10: Austin, Texas (Frank Erwin Center)
Apr 11: Dallas (American Airlines Center)
Apr 13: Kansas City, Mo. (Sprint Center)
Apr 14: Des Moines, Iowa (Wells Fargo Arena)
Apr 16: Denver (Pepsi Center)
Apr 17: Salt Lake City (EnergySolutions Arena)
Apr 19: Los Angeles (Staples Center)
Apr 20: Las Vegas (MGM Grand Garden Arena)
Apr 23: Glendale, Ariz. (Jobing.com Arena)
Apr 25: San Jose, Calif. (HP Pavilion)
Jul 12: Chicago (Soldier Field)
Jul 24: East Rutherford, N.J. (MetLife Stadium)
Jul 25: East Rutherford, N.J. (MetLife Stadium)
The tour will also hit the following cities, with additional details to come:
Buffalo, N.Y.
Jacksonville, Fla.
Lubbock, Texas
Memphis, Tenn.
Milwaukee, Wis.
Philadelphia
Portland, Ore.
Raleigh, N.C.
~ Hath
Feb 09: Uncasville, Conn. (Mohegan Sun)
Feb 10: Washington, D.C. (Verizon Center)
Feb 13: Montreal (Bell Centre)
Feb 14: Montreal (Bell Centre)
Feb 17: Toronto (Air Canada Centre)
Feb 18: Toronto (Air Canada Centre)
Feb 20: Ottawa, ONT (Scotiabank Place)
Feb 21: Pittsburgh (Consol Energy Center)
Feb 27: Atlanta (Philips Arena)
Mar 01: Tampa, Fla. (Tampa Bay Times Forum)
Mar 02: Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. (BB&T Center)
Mar 05: Charlotte, N.C. (Time Warner Cable Arena)
Mar 06: Nashville (Bridgestone Arena)
Mar 09: Cleveland (Quicken Loans Arena)
Mar 10: Columbus (Nationwide Arena)
Mar 13: St Louis (Scottrade Center)
Mar 14: Louisville, Ky. (KFC Yum! Center)
Mar 16: Oklahoma City (Chesapeake Energy Arena)
Apr 02: Calgary, Alberta (Scotiabank Saddledome)
Apr 03: Edmonton, Alberta (Rexall Place)
Apr 05: Winnipeg, Manitoba (MTS Centre)
Apr 07: St Paul, Minn. (Xcel Energy Center)
Apr 10: Austin, Texas (Frank Erwin Center)
Apr 11: Dallas (American Airlines Center)
Apr 13: Kansas City, Mo. (Sprint Center)
Apr 14: Des Moines, Iowa (Wells Fargo Arena)
Apr 16: Denver (Pepsi Center)
Apr 17: Salt Lake City (EnergySolutions Arena)
Apr 19: Los Angeles (Staples Center)
Apr 20: Las Vegas (MGM Grand Garden Arena)
Apr 23: Glendale, Ariz. (Jobing.com Arena)
Apr 25: San Jose, Calif. (HP Pavilion)
Jul 12: Chicago (Soldier Field)
Jul 24: East Rutherford, N.J. (MetLife Stadium)
Jul 25: East Rutherford, N.J. (MetLife Stadium)
The tour will also hit the following cities, with additional details to come:
Buffalo, N.Y.
Jacksonville, Fla.
Lubbock, Texas
Memphis, Tenn.
Milwaukee, Wis.
Philadelphia
Portland, Ore.
Raleigh, N.C.
12-12-12 Concert for Hurricane Sandy Relief
As reported by Fuse:
In the wake of Hurricane's Sandy devastation, The Madison Square Garden Company, Clear Channel Media and Entertainment and The Weinstein Company have organized a benefit concert to aid the victims of Hurricane Sandy called 12-12-12 (A Concert For Sandy Relief), scheduled to take place on—yes—December 12. Now Fuse is beyond thrilled to reveal the beginnings of the event’s epic lineup.
Get ready for a night featuring Jon Bon Jovi, Billy Joel, Alicia Keys, Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, Roger Waters, Kanye West and The Who.
Proceeds from the concert will go to the Robin Hood Relief Fund, who provide money, material and know-how to local organizations that are serving families and individuals in the regions hardest hit by the storm.
So set your calendar: 12-12-12. And for the most up-to-date information on the benefit, visit www.121212concert.org.
~ Hath
In the wake of Hurricane's Sandy devastation, The Madison Square Garden Company, Clear Channel Media and Entertainment and The Weinstein Company have organized a benefit concert to aid the victims of Hurricane Sandy called 12-12-12 (A Concert For Sandy Relief), scheduled to take place on—yes—December 12. Now Fuse is beyond thrilled to reveal the beginnings of the event’s epic lineup.
Get ready for a night featuring Jon Bon Jovi, Billy Joel, Alicia Keys, Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, Roger Waters, Kanye West and The Who.
Proceeds from the concert will go to the Robin Hood Relief Fund, who provide money, material and know-how to local organizations that are serving families and individuals in the regions hardest hit by the storm.
So set your calendar: 12-12-12. And for the most up-to-date information on the benefit, visit www.121212concert.org.
~ Hath
Not Running Anymore
Not sure how long it will be up, but Kiwi found this on SoundCloud, and sent me the link.
Not Running Anymore (from Stand Up Guys soundtrack). You may remember Jon played this at the Napa event (video below).
Enjoy!
~ Hath
Not Running Anymore (from Stand Up Guys soundtrack). You may remember Jon played this at the Napa event (video below).
Enjoy!
~ Hath
Celebrities Fore Kids Classics
From The Palm Beach Post
The 2012 Larry Laoretti & Tico Torres Celebrities Fore Kids Golf Classic, hosted by pro golfer Larry Laoretti and Bon Jovi drummer Tico Torres, will be held Nov. 26 at Medalist Golf Club in Hobe Sound. The event will be dedicated to the memory of long-time host, baseball Hall of Famer Gary Carter, who died in February. The tournament will feature celebrities playing with amateurs to raise money for families with children who have cancer. For information, visit www.celebritiesforekids.org or call (772) 781-7943~ Hath
Monday, November 19, 2012
Jon Bon Jovi on Skavlan
Jon Bon Jovi guests on the Norwegian talk show "Skavlan", and talks about superstorm "Sandy" and the devastation to his home town. With him is also Robbie Williams, Karl Ove Knausgård, Martin Kellermann and Dawn French. Filmed when Jon was in London.
~ Hath