The Black Crowes are back again on their 2009 tour, “Stuck Inside Utopia”. Touring alongside them is the Levon Helm Band, who opened up for the Crowes just this past month in Boston, New York, and Atlantic City.
The Black Crowes just released their newest album, “Before the Frost…”, on Sept. 1. The band recorded the album at Levon Helm’s own personal studio in Woodstock, NY. It features 11 tracks all performed and recorded live in front of an intimate fan-based audience. It follows up last year’s album, “Warpaint”, which was recorded at Levon Helm’s Woodstock barn as well.
The drummer of the long-standing folk country band, Levon Helm takes pride in his timber-framed home built studio located alongside a forest lake in the Catskill Mountains. For over forty years, Helm has hosted a long list of musicians in his barn studio, including his own band. The Levon Helm Band takes part in a tradition every year called the “Midnight Ramble”, where they set out to play a whole night of music for the fans. They’re set to play their next “Ramble” on Oct. 10. You can purchase tickets for this one night event here, or you can get a taste of the band’s music here.
Many bands, concert venues, and festivals seem to be going green lately. Performers are starting to become increasingly aware of the importance of sustainability, reducing carbon emissions, and fairer treatment of the land and animals on our planet. Companies, bands and concert venues that can be considered “green,” are those that do their best to offset their energy use 100% and to use sustainable products. They are recognizing the impact their tour buses, amps, and spotlights are having on the environment and they are also recognizing the impact of their fans and how they feel about these issues.
Sustainable festivals include Bonnaroo, TN, Clearwater, NY, and Rothbury, MI. Our local Philadelphia Folk Festival even does its share by recycling aluminum cans, discouraging waste, and using water stations to reduce the use of bottled water. The Rothbury Festival gives priority camping sites to attendees who don’t bring cars, use 100% recycled paper for their posters and tickets, and use solar power for amps and lighting.
There are also quite a few bands who are trying to reduce the negative impact they can have on the environment and make others aware of their responsibility to live sustainably. Cloud Cult, Barenaked Ladies, Jack Johnson, Thom Yorke of Radiohead, KT Tunstall, Green Day, U2, Pearl Jam and The Roots are just a few of the many bands that are participating in eco-friendly practices. These bands use 100% recycled material for posters and tee-shirts, donate money to charities, plant trees to offset their carbon emissions, support organizations like the Natural Resources Defense Council, and take part in many other activities to try and be more environmentally friendly. Some bands even use old jewel cases to distribute their CDs instead of having more made.
Lost Gold Records is also trying to help reduce waste by going digital with our music catalog to significantly reduce the amount of CDs we produce. When we do have to make a CD, we use stickers instead of shrink-wrap on our jewel cases. Lost Gold Records knows it is important to do the little things like recycling at the office and advertising online instead of using fliers helps to decrease waste. Bands and other members of the music and entertainment industries need to realize the impact we have on the environment by living and entertaining sustainably.
Luciano, Jamaican roots reggae singer, scored his first big hit in 1993 off his debut album “After All” with the single “Shake It Up Tonight”, a cover of the R&B classic by Cheryl Lyn. In that same year it became the number one reggae hit in the United Kingdom.
Luciano has continued to release hits throughout the 1990s in the reggae variety including “Its Me Again Jah”, “Your World and Mine”, “Lord Give Me Strength”, and “Sweep Over My Soul”. These songs restrain from delving out the usual dancehall beats of the time, and rather commit to relaying a more honest and spiritual message. In 1997, he released the single, “Messenger”, which in turn became his new nickname, or as he is sometimes referred to as “Jah Messenjah”.
Luciano was born on October 20, 1964, in the small rural community of Davey Town, Jamaica. Originally given the name Jepther Washington McClymont, Luciano was the seventh of nine children. As he grew older in the 1980s, Luciano moved to Kingston in hopes of beginning a music career. He fluctuated between recording companies for several years while making a living as an upholsterer. During this time his first producer and mentor, Homer Harris, suggested that he change his given name to give him more of a stage presence.
Luciano continues to release albums today through LionI Records and has received a variety of awards and nominations for his work. In 2001, Luciano’s “A New Day” was nominated for a Grammy award for Best Reggae Album. On October 15, 2007, he received the Jamaican Order of Distinction for his influential role in the reggae music scene.
In addition to songs of his own, Luciano’s albums also feature a variety of covers of popular artists including Nina Simone’s “Sinnerman”, Cat Stevens’ “Peace Train”, and John Lennon’s “Imagine”.
In tribute to the recent passing of Michael Jackson, Luciano has released a cover of the single, "We Are The World" under DMusic Records and LionI Records. Through the collaboration of Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, the 1985 hit showcased over 40 popular recording artists of the time in efforts to raise money for hunger and AIDS relief charities in Africa. Luciano has taken this enduring tune and transformed it into his own personal style of a soulful reggae solo.
The Black Crowes just released their newest album, “Before the Frost…”, on Sept. 1. The band recorded the album at Levon Helm’s own personal studio in 
