Jason Mraz Live in KL March 4th 2009

2 good news in 1 day. Wordplay master Jason Mraz is landing at our shores March 4th. His official website states a confirmed gig at Stadium Negara.

First Mogwai. Now, Mraz. Oooh my fingers are still crossed for Sigur to crash the party.

Here’s the link to the info.

Here’s his official page. Check out the tour section.

Mogwai live in Malaysia, Jan 21, AND Singapore, Jan 23

‘Tis the season to be jolly indeed. And the best thing is, Malaysian fans do not need to hold it against the Singaporean fans for being better off, and they do not need to fake an MC to get across borders only to return to the country in the middle of the night for work the very next day. And don’t worry, Singaporeans, you do not have to cross the borders over to our side any time soon either.

Yes, word is out: Mogwai is visiting both Malaysia and Singapore. In light of their sixth and latest album, The Hawk is Howling, the “monsters” are on the move and they are set to swing by our side of the world to scare the bejeezbus out of us.

Tickets go on sale on Boxing Day, and although the price may be a little steep, (and don’t you Malaysians start on the petty fact that Singaporeans have it good on a weekend) but it is not everyday Mogwai comes play live, so tighten up your Christmas belts and grab a seat before they are sold out.

Details are as follow:

Mogwai live in Malaysia
Date: January 21, 2009 (Wednesday)
Time: 8PM
Venue: Tuborg Stage, Hall 5, KL Convention Centre
Tickets:
RM128 (early birds – on sale from 26/12 till 8/1)
RM148 (presale – on sale from 9/1 till 19/1)
RM168 (at the door)

Tickets are available at all Rock Corner outlets.
For advance bookings, ring up Soundscape Records at +6 016 336 9089, or email ticketing@soundscape-records.com.

Mogwai live in Singapore
Date: January 23, 2008 (Friday)
Time: 7.30PM
Venue: Esplanade Concert Hall
Tickets:
S$55, S$65, S$85 (early bird S$75), S$100 (early bird S$90)

Tickets go on sale on Boxing Day, 26/12 at 9AM, and early bird offers end on 12/1.
You can get your tickets at sistic.com.sg, call them at +65 6348 5555.

Looks like 2009 is off to a good start.

An ode to the great Wainwright-McGarrigle family

When you grew up being the black sheep of the family, sometimes you take note of the happier families around you and how every note in their every move harmonises with one another’s. Be it a loud laugh over a meal in McDonald’s, or linking arms and clasping hands on a shopping loiter, or even something as simple as reminiscing the senile grandma mistaking sugar for salt and your dinner soup turns sweet for the night. You can hate these families all you want for being cookie-cuttered and all-American (or whichever country you come from), on good days, you cannot deny feasting on their love and happiness and making yourself smile for a little while longer.

Now, the Wainwright and McGarrigle family may not be the all-smiling family you see on detergent TV commercials, but they have something coursing through their veins thicker than salted fries, joining limbs and honest mistakes – music.

Kate McGarrigle is the mother of the Canadian-American brother-sister extravagant Rufus Wainwright and Martha Wainwright, and former wife of the long-time folk singer Loundon Wainwright III. She has also two sisters who are songwriting singers too – Anna, whom Kate shares the limelight of the Kate & Anna McGarrigle duo with, and Jane.

While families plan shopping trips together and going to Japan together, The Wainwrights and McGarrigles sardine themselves in a recording studio, along with more musically savvy family members and friends, and come up with a couple of albums together.

With Rufus’ distinguished tenor that has breathed contemporary operatic rain clouds on Across the Universe and Complainte De La Butte, and Martha’s densed and versatile vocals, from one end’s folky Year of the Dragon, to the other’s rock ballad Set Fire to the Third Bar. Loudon’s, which is a more matured Rufus’ in the face of heavy shoe-tapping folk and blues, and Kate and Anna’s timeless sweetheart voices, the family manage to bring out the best of legendary Irving Berlin’s precious What’ll I Do? Though the lyrics may be an everyday affair, the family manage to speak it perfectly for every person out there who has ever missed a lost loved one, be it a father or a son, a mother or a daughter, a husband or a wife.

Leonard Cohen may have Adam Cohen to continue the musical legacy in the family, Bob Dylan with Jakob Dylan, Elvis Presley with Lisa Marie Presley, and Tim Buckley with Jeff Buckley – or not, since the younger Buckley isn’t around anymore – but compared to the Wainwright-McGarrigle, the latter is a powerhouse of musician manufacturer.

Download What’ll I Do? from The McGarrigle Hour HERE. And here be the Frank Sinatra’s version instead, because apparently the Wainwright-McGarrigle’s version is not available.

The Power of an Epiphany

The one thing that draws me into music is it’s ability to change spirits. The flesh as we all know is weak, but the soul, the soul is like an unstoppable train if you feed it with the right motivation.

Singer/songwriter Ray Lamontagne is living proof of this. His enchanting songs and raspy voice is a product of motivation. Dubbed as Jesus with a guitar, Ray’s music transcend borders and bridges distances. As with all form of greatness, they all start from very humble beginnings.

Ray’s story is an inspiring one. He grew up in a broken household, single parent and all. In school, he was too absorbed in reading fantasy novels and getting into fights resulting in poor results and ultimately a bleak future. As an adult, he took a full time job working in a shoe factory working 65 hours a week.

One day, he was woken at 4AM for an early shift at the factory by his radio alarm clock. The song playing at that particular moment was Stephen Still’s Treetop Flyer. It was at that very moment he experienced an epiphany and decided that he wanted to be a singer/songwriter.

10 months later, Trouble was borned. And the rest as they say, pun fully intended, is history.

To fully appreciate the charisma of Ray Lamontagne, we must first understand Stephen Stills and his epic acoustic track, Treetop Flyer.

Watch and appreciate how music, changes the soul and ultimately, brings meaning to life. I know I sound a tad bit dramatic but that’s how I like to live my life.

Clear eyes, full hearts. Happy December folks.

Because the universe always wins

Don’t you just hate it when the universe does not see eye to eye with you? You decided to shut yourself in your room this weekend to make yourself write something because seriously, enough procrastinating, it is time to make your dreams a reality. But the universe scoffs and says, “pfft, yeah right, that ain’t gonna happen, buster.” What are you to do?

Heck, that lady on the road will not even give way to you even though you have decency to turn on your signal and raise your hand. You just want to yell at the top of your lungs, even though you know it is not going to make any difference.

Sometimes, you just want to drop life down on the floor and scream up to the sky, “Fine! You win, universe.”

But at times, when the universe decides to walk alongside you, isn’t that the best feeling in the world?

Like, how good it felt to be able to score front row seats at the Death Cab concert, and not only that, had Ben Gibbard singing right in front of you, where – if you chose to – could have easily grabbed the hem of his pants if you stretch your fingers real far.

Or how about that time when you were one of the lucky ones to catch Damien Rice in concert, and he decided to take up your request. And not only that, he had parked himself right in front of you, took off his earplugs and microphone, and sang to you and only you. Just because he was not familiar with the song and did not want to embarrass himself singing in public. Who would have thought you would get that end of the bargain?

I know Adele would know what I am talking about. She is like an underdog that the universe has decided to spend the rest of his life with. She was only a teenager when she was picked up for a record deal via MySpace. She was also lined up to perform on the same Saturday Night Live episode as Sarah Palin, and because of Palin’s appearance, about 14 million people tuned in to that episode, and Adele got that end of the bargain.

Now, it is one thing to have Ben Gibbard singing right in front of you, and Damien Rice singing your request in the most personal way. Ask any aspiring musician out there, and their wish will always be to perform with their music influences. Even if you get to open for their concert, you would already consider it a blessing. But imagine this, having it the other way round: as in, your music influence supporting your headlining concert. That was what happened to Adele, and she had Damien Rice supporting her concert at Union Chapel back in the beginning of November. Just makes you want to jump off a cliff, doesn’t it?

OK, I know I might have put Adele in a bad light with the whole right-time-right-place person, but I guess she did not get to be where she is today if she is not good herself. So, how about giving her the benefit of the doubt and check her out. Like it or not, the universe is right sometimes.

Download Hometown Glory from her album 19 HERE.