Kaedy's Blog

For Beatles and Hendrix Fans

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 07:43:21 -0500

I've heard good things about "Abby Road LIVE," and they're back at The Variety Playhouse Friday night. This time they'll be playing the ultimate psychedelic showcase -- the best of Sgt. Peppers and Magical Mystery Tour. Check out these four lads from Athens, GA. -- violins, cello and a horn section, too!

I like this review of the "Experience Hendrix" show that'll hitting the Fabulous Fox on March 27th. Susan Tedeschi has just been added to the show, by the way. If you've been wondering what to expect from the list-as-long-as-my-arm of great guitarists, read this and get your tickets while you can:

Hendrix tribute show is solid

by Larry Rodgers - Mar. 8, 2010 01:23 PM
The Arizona Republic

Guitar god Jimi Hendrix died four decades ago, but his music lived on through three hours of passionate performances at the Mesa Arts Center's Ikeda Theatre.

Players including former Hendrix bandmate Billy Cox, Aerosmith's Brad Whitford, Joe Satriani, Eric Johnson, Jonny Lang, Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Living Colour clearly were having a blast as they sampled gems from Hendrix's brief-but-brilliant catalog on Sunday, March 7.

Also joining in the fun, which included performances close to Hendrix's originals as well as creative interpretations, were Los Lobos' David Hidalgo and Cesar Rosas, Doyle Bramhall II, Double Trouble alumnus Chris Layton, pioneering blues man Hubert Sumlin and Ernie Isley, whose famous family provided a home from Hendrix early in his career.

There was not a clunker performance in the mix, and the sold-out Ikeda audience was appreciative of each artist's contribution.

Things started out at square one with Cox, who met Hendrix in the Army, and Isley playing funky takes on "Stone Free" and "Message to Love."

Isley, whose style is heavily influenced by Hendrix, told the crowd about learning from the master at age 11 "without even knowing it." Isley wailed as Cox smiled and swayed to the music.

Sticking closest to the Hendrix blueprint and pulling it off with a vengeance was Shepherd, whose flashy takes on "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" and "Let the Good Times Roll" brought down the house.

Aided by equally faithful vocals from Noah Hunt and solid bass by Scott Nelson, both of the Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band, the guitarist had most of Hendrix's riffs and stage moves down pat, including behind-the-neck playing and sexually-charged poses with his instrument.

Pushing the boundaries the furthest was Satriani, whose artsy version of "Third Stone from the Sun" included poetic spoken lyrics by Living Colour's Corey Glover.

Like Hendrix did in his late-'60s heyday, Satriani seemed to make his guitar talk. Satriani's duet with Living Colour's Vernon Reid on "Foxey Lady" was intense.

Lang provided the evening's most over-the-top vocals when he teamed with Whitford on a raging "Fire." Lang also put his own stamp on "The Wind Cries Mary," with soulful singing.

Whitford, who plays in the shadow of Joe Perry in Aerosmith was impressive when he took the spotlight in Mesa.

Johnson came closest to harnessing the spacey effects that Hendrix pioneered in impressive versions of "Bold as Love" and "Are You Experienced?" However, a little more volume on Johnson's lead work would have helped matters.

The Los Lobos duo and Bramhall joined Sumlin, who played with Howlin' Wolf, on a rollicking jam on "I Should Have Quit You."

Rosas, who got his start playing in East L.A., had some fun with the lyrics about "going down to Mexico" in the show-closing "Hey Joe."

It was encouraging to see fans of all ages, from teens to baby boomers who witnessed Hendrix's career launch firsthand, in the Mesa crowd.

The show and that crowd made it clear that Hendrix's magical music will never die.

L.A. Bound For Leo V, Tegan, and Baby Margot

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 07:45:04 -0500

I had a fun, super-busy weekend. Loved meeting some nice new and old friends all weekend in Cumming at my Goodyear remote Saturday, and at the benefit for Sunshine with some amazing jams at the Hard Rock's Velvet Underground room yesterday!

I'm psyched about taking some time off later this week for vacation in L.A. For the first time I will be meeting my brand-new Great-Niece, Margot, who is 3 months old. She lives in Denver, but her mom and dad are bringing her out to L.A. to meet her little cousins Leo and Tegan for the first time, too. Margot has had quite an adventurous life so far. My favorite pics of her are from when she was barely a month old at a Denver Nuggets game. She attracted the attention of the Nuggets mascot (looks like a big wildcat of some cartoonish kind) with her tiny pink and white "Go Nugs" t-shirt, and he picked her up and walked her around on the court for the fans and players to greet. She even made it onto the Jumbo Tron! The pictures are a hoot! This blog mention will be ho-hum for her after that. I'm sure I'll have plenty to be telling you about when I get back -- my River Chatty-Hoochie Sister, Deb Reece, will be filling in for me starting Wednesday morning...

Good Stuff With Me This Weekend!

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 06:43:09 -0500

Saturday from noon - 2p, I'll be with The River Crew in Cumming, 5949 Bethelview Road, for the Grand opening of the new Goodyear Auto & Service Center. We'll have all kinds of fun things going on for you and the kids -- food, River prizes, drawings and much more. So if you're in the neighborhood looking for a good deal on Goodyear Tires (or just some good folks to hang with!), come by to see us before 2p.

Sunday from 1-6p in the Velvet Underground Room at The Hard Rock downtown, there's a special benefit for an old friend of mine named Sunshine. Sunshine's been working with the Atlanta music scene for as long as I can remember, and has recently had a devastating illness. The music community is giving back to her, and it's your chance to see a wonderful, eclectic group of musicians this weekend. I hope to see you -- music starts at 2p, and for more info go to the facebook link above. The musicians include:

Francine Reed
Sonny Emory and State of the Art
Caroline Aiken
Ike Stubblefield
The Mike Veal Band
Charlie Wooton
Tomi Martin
Tim Settimi
Andy Irwin
Peter Stroud (Sheryl Crow)
Joey Huffman (Hank Williams Jr., Matchbox 20, Soul Asylum)
Chris Hicks (Marshall Tucker Band)
Steve Taylor
Jeff Thomas
Mike Martin
Rick Richards (Georgia Satellites, JuJu Hounds)
Samantha Stroh
Kerry Denton
Barry Richman
Nigel Dupree
Mac Crawford
and more...

Fabulous Show at The Fox This Week

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 06:20:58 -0500

Last night was opening night and media night for the electifying "Spring Awakening." This show won 8 Tonys in 2007 including the award for Best Musical, and you'll understand why once you see it. I was reminded, while in NYC recently seeing another Broadway show, how much I enjoy seeing a new show that I don't know much about -- it's a great discovery when it's a good one! All I knew about Spring Awakening was that the music rocks and that it is for mature audiences due to the language and sexual content. People in some cities have been so shocked that they've walked out of this one. I didn't find anything very shocking -- maybe a little embarrassing, but pretty tame compared to most movies we see. I did see a powerful, sometimes stunning, show. The stage setup is mesmerizing -- beautiful, unusual lighting and a scaled-down set that is very effective. The small orchestra with a big sound is onstage the entire time as is the chorus -- they are in bleachers on either side of the stage. My friend and I noticed that there were lots of people onstage in the bleachers that were wearing modern clothes (the show is set in the late 1800's) and that didn't perform. We correctly assumed they were fans of the show. Folks in the know order these tickets in advance. Bottom line, if you don't mind adult themes, see this show -- the music and the performances are simply great! It runs through Sunday at The Fabulous Fox. I couldn't find an AJC review this morning, so here's one of a show last month in Charlotte from The Charlotte Observer to give you a bit more:

'Awakening' is bold and bracing

By Lawrence Toppman
Theater Critic

Posted: Wednesday, Feb. 03, 2010

Some wag once defined relativity this way: When you spend an hour kissing a sweetheart, it seems like a minute. When you spend a minute on a hot stove, it seems like an hour. On that scale, one year of high school in the musical "Spring Awakening" must seem like the kind of geologic time in which glaciers move from one landmass to another.

The setting is Germany in 1891, as it was in the Frank Wedekind play of the same name. Yet the adolescents here seem trapped in an unending period of loss, longing, confused emotions, repressed feelings and suppressed sexuality.

Anyone who has passed through such a firestorm will find it vividly revived by this national tour. The final "Song of Purple Summer" reminds us that those who can endure parental abuse, cruelty from classmates or teachers and overpowering depression may see the ice inside themselves thaw at last. But winter will be long and hard before that happens.

Composer Duncan Sheik and playwright/lyricist Steven Sater divide our sympathies a bit more evenly than Wedekind (who, if I'm not mistaken, stares down from a small photo mounted on the back wall of the set, which is a vast brick schoolroom).

Not all the adults here are venal. The young people can be silly and self-pitying. But the message is the same: If you crush natural curiosity and desires to create a false sense of order, you can damage a child permanently.

If the show has a hero, it's the rash but open-minded Melchior (Matt Shingledecker, a confident understudy who took the lead Tuesday and did a sensitive, powerful job).

He encourages anxious Moritz (Taylor Trensch, equally good in goofiness or rage) to follow his sexual desires. Melchior also tells naive Wendla (touching Christy Altomare) to seek tenderness instead of violent sensations, but both story lines lead to trouble. The person likeliest to succeed here is crafty Hanschen (creepy Andy Mientus), who can hide his beliefs and rise to prominence by playing any game required.

Sheik and Sater treat songs as interludes where action stops and characters speak directly to us. That makes the modern pop music less disconnected from its setting: Songs roil around as violently or sweetly as the kids' feelings do. (For once, a cast really does look like it's been recruited from high school, especially the girls. And the onstage instrumentalists are a tight band.)

This tour replicates the Broadway direction of Michael Mayer and choreography of Bill T. Jones, and I wondered whether they had something larger than adolescent angst in mind.

The stomped segments of the dancing sounded a bit like the thunder of jackboots to me, and Hanschen's über-Aryan blondness - he's a Draco Malfoy lookalike - suggested sneering Germans we've seen in photos from the Third Reich.

Any students in this group who reached adulthood would be in their late 50s when Adolf Hitler was elected chancellor of Germany in 1933. Could Mayer and Jones be implying that, when someone in power stamps down individuals and demands unthinking obedience to authority, the Nazi Party is the likely result?

Recent Clapton/Daltry Setlist

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 06:55:30 -0500

If you've got your tickets for Clapton/Daltry tonight, I know you're psyched! I would love to be there, but will be seeing another hotly anticipated show -- the opening night of "Spring Awakening" at The Fox. So if you're going to the concert, I'll want to hear all about it tomorrow -- please give me a call or e-mail me with details. My good buddy Kirk Anderson sent me a set list from a recent Clapton show in Pittsburgh -- thought you might like to have it so you can plan your beer or bathroom run ;)

Eric Clapton

Goin' Down Slow

Key to the Highway

Tell the Truth

Old Love

I Shot the Sheriff

Driftin' Blues

Nobody Knows You When You're Down Out

Running on Faith

Badge

Little Queen of Spades

Before You Accuse Me

Wonderful Tonight

Cocaine

Encore: Crossroads

Roger Daltrey

I Can See for Miles

The Real Me

Days of Light

Freedom Ride

Give Me a Stone

Mannish Boy/My Generation/Young Man's Blues

Baba O'Riley

Cabbage Patch Kiely

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 09:08:46 -0500

A long-time listener of mine, Tammi Cross, sent me a very special gift last year after she heard me talk about my cancer diagnosis on the air. Tammi has worked at BabyLand General Hospital, birthplace of the infamous Cabbage Patch Kids, since it began. She figured that sending me her very own collectible "Dash Riprock" doll might put a smile on my face. Boy, did it! I can still remember wondering what could possibly be in the big box from Cleveland, GA, and chuckling when I unwrapped my doll's sweet face. Her note that accompanied my unusual gift touched my heart, and Tammi has kept in touch with me during the toughest time in my life, always lifting my spirits.

I am now further honored by having a collectible Cabbage Patch Doll named for me, and she'll be raffled off in May to raise money for The American Cancer Society's Relay For Life! "Little Kaedy" has my eye and hair coloring, and I thought it would be cool if she could be bald and have a wig that matches my "Bridgette" because kids who have had chemo (or whose Mom's have) would certainly relate to that-- well, it took a little extra time but the Cabbage Patch artists somehow made that happen! I haven't seen her yet, but I will meet my namesake this coming Tuesday morning as Tammi and others will be here for photos of us together for the campaign. Tickets will be available for $5 each to anyone, and the drawing will be held in Cleveland in May at the start of White County's Relay For Life. As soon as I get all the details, I'll pass them onto you here.

Whew!

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 06:51:37 -0500

Well, it wasn't so bad. Another milestone behind me, my mammogram results were great! It wasn't that much more uncomfortable than mammograms usually are. So I am relieved and happy to report the good news.

I celebrated last night with some co-workers at Maggiano's for the 2010 Grant Presentation with "It's The Journey," the founders of the "Atlanta 2-Day Walk for Breast Cancer." One of the wonderful things about this organization is that the money it raises stays in Georgia. I was touched to be a part of the special evening as ITJ's director, Linda Schneider, asked me to be a guest speaker. It was the night where ITJ presented checks from the money raised last year to a long list of reipients, including my new friends at Piedmont Hospital where I'm doing the PINK program. Other recipients were the American Cancer Society, The Center for Black Women's Wellness, the Grant Park Clinic, and The Young Survival Coalition Atlanta Affiliate. The River will be getting more involved with It's the Journey as they gear up for The Atlanta 2-Day October 2 and 3.

Oh Canada

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 06:01:25 -0500

Did you see the Olympic closing ceremonies last night? I didn't catch too much, but did happen to see the end with Neil Young (singing "Long May You Run" again -- just like on Conan's last show -- a great one, but I guess now it's got to be the "cool" anthem for anything coming to a close,) William Shatner, Catherine O'Hara, and Michael J. Fox. The latter 3 were extolling the virtues of their beautiful homeland with the quirky brand of humor they're known for. I really like Catherine O'Hara, but her line with the accompanying picture about people peeing in the snow made me wince -- I'm sure some thought it was hilarious, but it surely didn't belong with the Olympics. It all felt a bit off to me. How about the gold medal hockey game, though? The shot of our team standing on the ice watching the Canadian celebration was so sweet and sad... a heartbreaker for the USA, but that indomitable spirit while playing is what it's all about!

I'm having my first mammogram since my surgery this morning -- I've been warned it's going to be a pain and I'll be happy to have it over and done with. Thanks to Carol G, RN, Amy, Sharon H and Lisa F for your great suggestions and best wishes!

Good For Your Belly!

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 05:58:47 -0500

The River's Webmistress, my friend Dee, is involved in something very cool this weekend -- "TribalCon 2010: World Class Musicians and Dancers Coverge," and it's on through Sunday at the Holiday Inn in downtown Decatur. See, Dee is also a Belly-dancer! TribalCon is the SE's largest tribal bellydance conference, and it sounds like a blast -- dance, music, great shopping (I hear the jewelry is wonderful!), and entertainment all in one place. There's even dance and music instruction. Saturday night's show will feature performances by all the instructors, several live music acts, and Dee's dance company. Check it out if you're looking for something unique and fun to do -- go to www.tribalcon.com for more info . And if you're interested in taking a belly dancing class you can find out more by going to Dee's dance company's site, http://majidaanwar.com/awalim_presskit.html.

This Is Going To Hurt...

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 06:50:19 -0500

Okay, I've been warned. My docs say that the first mammogram following my surgery is going to be a bee-yatch! My appointment to be squashed is Monday morning. It's funny because I never really thought about it in the scheme of things to expect with my treatments, and noone had mentioned it to me. So I'm going to put it out there to those of you who have been through this before -- is it that bad? Let's face it, mammograms are unpleasant enough but I'm really not looking forward to this one. My Rad Doc suggested that I take Advil twice daily for a week leading up to it so I am doing that. Any sharing of experience with this would be greatly appreciated!!

I "Heart" New York!

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 08:01:09 -0500

I got home late Sunday night from my trip to NYC. It was the best time I've ever had there -- my brother Mark had perfectly planned 5 days and 4 nights full of seeing family and friends, great meals, shows, and entertainment! The city is usually quite expensive, but you can find some great deals right now on hotel rooms and shows if you really look. We stayed in Times Square, so we very seldom had to take a cab anywhere. Saw "Billy Elliott," and just loved it! I was surprised Elton John's music wasn't more memorable, but the dancing and acting were fantastic. There are lots of kids in the cast and their talents just blow you away! Also saw another Tony winner, "In the Heights," and thought it was terrific. I knew very little about it before I saw it and I had forgotten how much fun it is to "discover" a show you've never seen before. Great music and cast! I don't know these kids from the "High School Musical"s but my teen-aged niece and nephew Lucy and Sean do, so they knew of the lead actor Corbin Bleu (please, can that possibly be his real name?!) We happened to catch him and the rest of the cast at the stage door as we were leaving, so Lucy got nice pics and autographs. I was so proud of my friends John and Anthony with their show "When Joey Married Bobby" playing to a packed house the night we saw it. And Letterman was a blast! I've never seen a taping of a show like that, and to get to see someone I've been a huge fan of for so many years work "live" was a wonderful treat! We had great seats in the balcony. I can't believe how large the studio looks on TV because it's really very small. Only a dozen or so rows on the floor and less than that in the balcony. Since I'm always so warm, I thought the cold temperature in his studio that everyone always complains about was perfect. His band is really the bomb! They played several songs in their entirety to get the crowd revved up. I'll tell you, since tickets to the show are free you could plan a great trip to NYC around that -- so much to do, so much to see! I'll be back sooner than later!

NYC Bound!/Free Screenings For Men

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 06:27:15 -0500

I'm thrilled to be traveling to NYC after my show today. I always love staying in the city. I have several family members who live there and we have a cool week planned. My brother Mark had the winning bid on tickets for the Letterman show at an auction last year after I had my cancer diagnosis. We had to wait until after my treatments were done to go, so we've finally gotten our tickets for Thursday night -- Scarlett Johansen is the guest (it could be worse.) I was hoping Clapton and Beck would be special musical guests since they are at Madison Square Garden for two shows including one Thursday night, but no such luck from what I can tell. I'm excited for our winner Heather Hillier who'll be at that Clapton show -- tickets are $250 a pop! Since Letterman tapes in the afternoon, we're seeing the Broadway show "Billy Elliott" (with music by Elton) afterwards. On Friday, we'll be heading off-Broadway to see my friends' play that just opened a couple of weeks ago, "When Joey Married Bobby." You may know John Gibson and Anthony Morris from their hit, record-breaking comedy here, "Peachtree Battle." They've opened their hilarious show "Veranda" off-Broadway and re-titled it "When Joey Married Bobby" for the NYC crowd. It's getting rave reviews, and 9 Kielys will be in the 2nd row to cheer them on on Friday. I know I'll have lots to tell you about on Monday when I'm back. My River "ChattyHoochie" sister, Deborah Reece will be filling in for me on the air.

Here's one for the guys -- on Monday, Feb. 22 from 9a - noon and 1p - 4p, there will be free prostate screenings at the Radiotherapy Center of Georgia at 311 Philip Blvd, Lawrenceville, 30046. For more info, call 770-995-3000 or visit www.rccancercenters.com/lawrenceville.

EC's Crossroads Fest

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 07:08:19 -0500

The Clapton tour is BIG -- we're sending a lucky winner to NYC to see his show this Thursday night at Madison Square garden with Jeff Beck, he's here at the Gwinnett Center on March 9th with the amazing Roger Daltry, and his Crossroads Guitar Fest this year will be HUGE! The one-day festival is happening June 26th at Toyota Park in suburban Chicago and benefits Clapton's Crossroads Center in Antigua. The artists performing with EC are The Allman Brothers, ZZ Top, Jeff Beck, Steve Winwood, BB King, and many more.

We had an All-Star Atlanta musician's line-up like that Saturday night at The Peachtree Tavern for little Lana Turner, a 3 year old with Stage 4 Neuroblastoma. Featuring Drivin' 'n' Cryin', the night was a huge success and thanks to everyone who came out to support the precious cause!

Drivin' 'n' Cryin', Caroline Aiken, Yacht Rock, & More Sat. Night

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 05:36:11 -0500

If you remember the good ol' days of terrific rock clubs in Atlanta, you'll want to be at The Peachtree Tavern Saturday night at 8. Great live music for a wonderful cause, the benefit is featuring many of my musical friends since the '80s: Bruce Smith, B.B. Queen, Caroline Aiken, Joey Huffman, Mack Crawford, Danny Chauncey, Steve Stone, and more representing some of the best southern rock bands EVER -- The Swinging Richards, Mother's Finest, Drivin' 'n' Cryin', Molly Hatchett, .38 Special, and ARS to name a few. The FUN Yacht Rock Review will also be performing. I'm helping emcee the event -- tickets are ONLY $15 and are going fast for the show to benefit The Lana Turner Cancer Fund. Lana's the 3-year-old niece of a friend of mine -- the little girl was diagnosed with Stage 4 Neuroblastoma late last year. I hope you'll join me for what is sure to be a memorable night of live music with good friends. If you can't be with us, you can still donate to the fund for Lana. Go to www.atlantahasaheart.com for all the details.

Ha Ha's For Ta Ta's/Super Game, But Few Super Commercials

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 06:57:48 -0500

My girlfriends and I are going to check out a fun show at The Punchline tonight featuring several Georgia comedians. It's "Ha Ha's For Ta Ta's," where the proceeds from the ticket sales go to The GA Cancer Foundation. Michelle Thomas is a stand-up comedian who started "Ha Ha's..." to benefit a number of breast cancer programs, and the money she raises stays in the areas where the comedy events are held -- very cool!! Tickets are only $20 for a evening of laughs starting at 8 pm with four comedians tonight, so join me if you can! You can get your tickets in advance at www.punchline.com. Also, please check out www.hahasfortatas.com to find out more about Michelle's great organization.

Loved the game last night, but most of the commercials were pretty lame. Thought the Letterman one with Jay and Oprah was great!