Friends of Bob April '07 Newsletter
It's seems like a perfect end-of-season show. Adrian Belew and The Bears-we know from experience-will deliver a high energy evening of pop: melodic,
harmony-drenched vocals; hook-driven guitar sounds; and a tight driving rhythm section delivering quirky Beatlesque songs. If you aren't familiar with
the Bears, then think Squeeze, XTC, Utopia, or those four moptops themselves for the sense of joyous guitar-based songs with catchy vocal hooks. And,
dagnabbit, one of the greatest guitar players in the world is going to be playing in a bar near you! Belew's greatness has won him work with Frank Zappa,
Paul Simon (on Graceland), King Crimson (on 3 albums and live), Talking Heads (live and on Remain in Light), The Tom Tom Club, David Bowie (live
and on Lodger), Nine Inch Nails, and Mariah Carey! He's put out a bunch of solo records and four albums with his hometown buddies, The Bears. Their
new album Eureka! is being released this month, and they are out on the road supporting it. It's every bit as strong as their previous albums. They had
such a great time when they played for us in 2002, not only did his agent contact us but the band called saying that they had talked so often about the
great crowd and great atmosphere of the Lafayette Brewing Co. Since they tour so infrequently, they wanted to play at LBC if it was possible. No
problem, we said: we've already put in an offer to your agent!
So we'll see you at LBC on April 29 for what is just about certain to be one of the great shows of the year. Then we take the summer off and will be
back in August or September with another slew of great evenings of music. Here's a reminder of what our 06-07 season presented: Aurelio Martinez &
Garifuna Soul; Lucy Kaplansky + Rachel Davis; Alejandro Escovedo + Mike Reeb; Sometymes Why; Dale Watson & His Lone Stars; James McMurtry
& the Heartless Bastards + The Brains Behind Pa; Cherish the Ladies; The Roches.
Plus, three of these bands-Aurelio Martinez, Sometymes Why, and Cherish the Ladies-performed to middle or grade school audiences the following
morning.
Sunday, April 29, 7:30 (doors 6:00)
Adrian Belew
&
The Bears
Lafayette Brewing Co., 622 Main, Lafayette
Adult $13 (advance) $15 (day of show)
from LBC, Von's Records, JL Records, & McGuire Music; by mail $15 -- Send your check to: Friends of Bob, PO Box 59, Battle Ground, IN
47920 Please provide your name, address, phone #, and e-mail address.
Although Adrian Belew has played with some of rock's biggest names over the years (Frank Zappa, David Bowie, Talking Heads, King
Crimson, etc.), he remains one of the most underrated and woefully overlooked guitarists of recent times. Like all great guitarists, Belew
has his own recognizable style/sound (one that admittedly tends to be quirky and off-the-wall at times), and is an incredibly versatile player,
as he's always found a way to make his signature style fit into a wide variety of musical genres: hard rock, funk, new wave, experimental,
Beatlesque pop, and more.
The '80s saw the emergence of several bands that gave a modern spin to the Beatles' more melodic moments -- namely Utopia (with
Todd Rundgren), XTC, and the Bears. The latter group is best known for its inclusion of journeyman guitarist Adrian Belew, and despite
issuing several fine albums over the years (on a very sporadic basis), the band remains relatively unknown outside of a small but devoted
following." by Greg Prato Allmusic.com
"Adrian Belew could be the superman of rock and roll…With his band The Bears, he played an infectious offbeat style of guitar-based pop that owed
equal debts to the Beatles distinctive vocal qualities and to the various progressive rock groups he has played with: Talking Heads, Frank Zappa, David
Bowie, and King Crimson, to name four." The Oregonian (Portland)
"With his ability to make the guitar mimic anything he observes or imagines-from elephant talk to ray guns to otherworldly alien babble-Belew is the
high priest of guitar onomatopoeia."
Guitar Player magazine
Please help us publicize this show by downloading a poster from our website: www.friends-of-bob.org
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FoB is fueled by volunteers. There are some-too numerous to mention individually-who occasionally or often prepare food, take tickets, or help
clean up, and there are some who have clearly defined responsibilities: George Bodner (board member and ticket-taking workhorse), Stewart Frescas
(board member/campus publicity), John Frigo (board member/graphic design of posters and tickets), Greg Fuchs (membership data/sorting, labeling,
and mailing of newsletter), Richard Fudge (president/booking and promotion), Lynn Hegewald/Don Staley/Keven Gipson (fund-raising), Dave
Hewitt (board member), Michael Lewis/Denise Wilson (merchandise stalwarts), Meredith Richmond (board member/artist hospitality coordinator),
Jeff Schwab (treasurer), Dave Smith (webmaster), Linda Swihart (secretary), Robyn Vogel/Sally Ross (hospitality stalwarts), Brian Wagner (board
member/volunteer coordinator), Rick Westerman (button maker).
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Do the Dues!!! Membership dues are by the calendar year-2007 dues are due! Your donations are crucial!!!
Dues pay for this newsletter and provide a safety net for when admission charges don't cover expenses. Please help us keep the music coming. Become a
Friend of Bob! Dues are $10 per person. If you can make a donation above the $10 we would greatly appreciate it, and since we are a 501[c][3] not-forprofit organization, donations above the dues are tax-deductible and really assist us HUGELY in what we're trying to do. The following people
have recently sent in their 2007 dues.
Gail Biss
Steve Borghi
Patrick Burnett
Nancy DiMatino
Mr. & Mrs. W. H. Friday
Allan Gross
Jennifer Higginbottom
Allen & Aimee Jacobsen
Anne Knupfer
TJ Gall & Associates
Mark W.A. McGill III
KJ Nutt & Friends Hair Salon
Lynn Rihn
Trudy & Michael Roe
Leroy & Rona Schwarz
Greg Seiters
Jim Siebecker
Jim & Liz Solberg
John Spigle
Beth Strickland
Brian Wagner
Mary & Dale Whittaker
Tam & David Wilensky
Annette Williams
Steve & Heather Wolf
Like to join?
Go to How Can I Help? at
www.friends-of-bob.org
Please consider a tax-deductible gift to FoB.
www.lafayettebrewingco.com: 4/13 Creepin' Charlie & the Boneyard Orchestra, The Half Rats, & The Madeira; 4/21 Unknown Hinson + Double A
Daddies; 5/12 Wanda Jackson + Moonshine & the Rotgut Gang; 5/17 PMG
www.knickerbockersaloon.com: 4/7 Moonshine Mason; 4/13 Black Roof Country ; 4/14 Vivid Blue; 4/20 Rich Hardesty ; 4/21 J.T. Hickman & Kelly
Eisenhower; 4/27 Jeremy Vogt Band; 4/28 The Insomniacs
Zooleggers, 644 Main
Downtown Records: www.myspace.com/dtrecords
JB Beverly and the Wayward Drifters w/ the Double A Daddies; Sunday, April 8; 7:00 pm; $7; Pete's on the Levee
www.waywarddrifters.com
www.tippecanoechambermusic.org : Spring Song, Duncan Hall, 4/29, 3:00 pm
More local music news at
www.lafayettemusicleague.com
allmusic.com review by Sean Westergaard The Bears The Bears The debut album from the Bears is a solid slice of great guitar-driven pop tunes.
Although Adrian Belew was seen nominally as the frontman, this was truly a band; four friends who had known each other for years, playing for pure
joy. Songwriting duties were shared, with each member contributing at least one track, and they also wrote several together as a team. The tunes are tight,
smart pop gems, distinguished from so many other bands by the wild antics of Belew's guitar. Although he doesn't have the immediately identifiable tone
of Belew, Rob Fetters is no slouch on guitar himself, and their playing styles complement each other nicely. Belew and Fetters share the lead vocal
duties, and their vocal harmonizing is up to the standards set by Lennon and McCartney. The rich upright electric bass of Bob Nyswonger and the crisp
drumming of Chris Arduser anchor the band perfectly, as Belew and Fetters sing and play their hearts out. You can tell that this was a band that really
enjoyed playing together (especially in a live setting), and that comes across loud and clear, even on a recording.
allmusic.com review by Greg Prato Car Caught Fire The Bears
Beneath all the quirkiness, Adrian Belew is quite a pop tunesmith, especially
evident by his work with the Bears. While fans figured they'd heard the last of them in the late '80s, the band unexpectedly got back together shortly after
the dawn of the 21st century -- issuing their first studio release in 13 years, "Car Caught Fire." And the group picks up exactly where they left off -putting their modern spin on a post-Beatles power pop style. Don't get me wrong, Belew's eccentricity still shines through on the material (as well as his
guitar expertise), especially "Caveman," but if it's expertly crafted, melodic pop songs you're after, Car Caught Fire has its fair share, especially "Life in
a Nutshell" and "What's the Good of Knowing." It may have taken an extraordinarily long time for the Bears to issue their third proper release, but Car
Caught Fire was well-worth the wait.
Adrian Belew:
Born Robert Steven Belew on December 23, 1949, in Covington, KY, Belew's first instrument of interest was the drums, as he soon kept the
backbeat in his high school's marching band. But not long after his discovery of the Beatles, Belew picked up the guitar, teaching himself how to play
and to write original songs.
Spending the remainder of the '60s and early '70s honing his skills, Belew opted to change his first name to Adrian in 1975 (for the simple reason that
it was a name he'd always admired), as he joined a Nashville, TN-based cover band, Sweetheart, the same year. The group performed in '40s-era suits and
became a popular local attraction -- resulting in Frank Zappa checking out a show in 1977. With an opening for a guitarist in his touring band, Zappa
invited Belew on the spot to come and audition for his band, which Belew eventually landed. It was during Zappa's lengthy 1978 U.S. tour (documented
in the concert movie Baby Snakes) that David Bowie came to see a performance, which resulted in Belew being invited to join Bowie's touring band
when the Zappa tour wrapped up. Once more, Belew accepted, touring the world alongside Bowie and appearing on his 1978 live recording, Stage, and
1979 studio effort, Lodger.
Once more, just as Belew's latest gig was about to wind down, he received an offer he couldn't refuse from another artist. Through guitarist Robert
Fripp, Belew met renowned producer Brian Eno, who in turn introduced the guitarist to the Talking Heads, who were in the middle of recording their
classic 1980 release Remain in Light. Belew was invited to lay down guitar for the songs, which led to his participation on the album's supporting tour
(which a portion of the live compilation The Name of This Band Is Talking Heads showcased). Belew also contributed to the Talking Heads' offshoot
project, the Tom Tom Club, appearing on their self-titled 1981 debut album, as well as their hit single "Genius of Love" (although he wasn't given a
songwriting credit originally, it became known years later that Belew helped co-pen the tune with the others). It was during The Tom Tom Club recording
sessions (in the Bahamas) that Belew also began work on his first solo album, issued in 1982 as Lone Rhino.
Predictably, it wasn't long before Belew was offered his next gig, this time with a newly reconstructed King Crimson. Belew, who handled lead
vocal duties in addition to guitar, was joined by Crimson vets Robert Fripp (guitar) and Bill Bruford (drums), in addition to session ace Tony Levin
(bass). With the group eschewing their previous prog rock leanings in favor of a more "modern" sound (akin to the Talking Heads), the '80s version of
Crimson issued three outstanding albums: 1981's Discipline, 1982's Beat, and 1984's Three of a Perfect Pair (during which time Belew found the time to
issue a second solo release, 1983's Twang Bar King). With Crimson on hiatus once more by the mid-'80s, Belew focused on further solo work (1986's
Desire Caught by the Tail, 1989's Mr. Music Head), session work (most notably, Paul Simon's mega-hit Graceland), and also served as a
member/producer of a new group, the Bears (1987's The Bears and 1988's Rise and Shine).
The '90s continued to see Belew keep a busy schedule, as he hooked up once more with his old pal David Bowie, who named the guitarist musical
director for his massive 1990 Sound and Vision tour. Also during the decade, Belew issued several more solo releases (including 1990's Young Lions,
1992's Inner Revolution, 1994's Here, and 1996's Op Zop Too Wah, the latter two of which Belew played all the instruments), in addition to guesting on
other artist's recordings (Nine Inch Nails' The Downward Spiral and The Fragile), and producing others (Jars of Clay). After a near-ten-year hiatus, King
Crimson reunited, resulting in the 1995 album THRAK and supporting tour. Belew has shown little signs of slowing down in the 21st century, as he
continued to tour and record with Crimson (2000's ConstruKction of Light, 2003's The Power to Believe), issued a third recording with the Bears (2001's
Car Caught Fire), and is hard at work on compiling an extensive box set of rarities from throughout his career, to be titled Dust. 2004 saw rehearsals
with the newest King Crimson lineup, additional recordings by the Bears and the completion of 3 (!) solo albums to be released in 2005. The first and
third of these (Side One and Side Three) have Primus bassist Les Claypool and Tool drummer Danny Carey lending a hand while Side Two is more of a
completely solo affair, with just a couple guest spots.
Biography by Gary Prato for allmusic.com
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T-SHIRTS Our thanks again go to the Village Shirt Works and its owner Duncan Meyer who made our new FoB t-shirts at cost, thus donating
his company's time to FoB as a very successful fund raiser. We still have a few t- shirts ($15) and golf shirts ($20) left. If you are interested in buying
one, contact fob@insightbb.com, telling us your size, and we'll let you know what we have.
If you prefer not to receive further emails from Friends of Bob, please let us know at fob@insightbb.com