At Home in Hespeler

One likes to believe in the freedom of music.

Rush – Spirit of Radio.

Playing for a tribute band is not necessarily the most creatively fulfilling activity for a musician. Andrew Lipke is keyboardist/guitarist/multi instrumentalist for the best Led Zeppelin tribute band on the circuit, Get the Led Out. The band travels the US in a proper rock star tour bus, travelling with a crew, a full lighting rig and enough guitars to open a guitar store. Up to five nights a week, they give two hour shows with note perfect renditions of Led Zeppelin classics and deep cuts. 

But there’s to more Lipke than keyboard player extraordinaire playing other peoples songs, and he spends his time at home at home in Pennsylvania producing, playing with the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia and Pittsburg Symphony or singing God Bless America at the Phillies game. Last year, Lipke released the first of a series of albums based on the novel Siddhartha by Herman Hesse. Hesse’s novel had an immediate impact on Lipke and he says he “always knew it would be the inspiration for something I would create.”

Lipke may be a Zeppelin devotee playing in a Zeppelin band, but Siddhartha owes very little to Led Zeppelin, even if opening track, The One does start off with a drone that Jimmy Page would approve of. 

I love the second and third tracks, Erased, which has a New Radicals pop groove to it, and Head Down Vagabonds, which defies comparisons, save a hint of Christmas Vacation in the melody. 

Then there’s I’m Gone which is on the first round ballot of this years Grammy Awards in the “best arrangement, instruments and vocals” category. Even if Lipke doesn’t make the final ballot, that’s quite a nice recognition, and well deserved: the arrangement on  I’m Gone is beautifully orchestrated and ends with a harpsichord plus choral voices outro. 

Get the Led Out are coming to Mississauga on Dec 9, their first ever show outside the US. It is a must see band, and know when you see them your not just hearing the best music, played by high caliber musicians, but in at least one case, a Grammy caliber musician.

for certified professional guitar repair in Cambridge Ontario: Brian Gardiner Guitar Repair

Uncategorized Andrew Lipke, Get the Led Out, Grammy

All the fluffy news about those nutty celebrities

Good news for Charlie Sheen. He has passed, according top reports, two drug tests since his home-based rehab began. He is feeling good, and ready to work.

So good, and so ready, in fact, that he went to work. Turned up at the set and, surprise, it was locked up tight:

…I was banging on the stage door, going, ‘Hello?’ and I don’t know what happened, I guess they’re closed. Nobody told me. I just figured I was supposed to go back to work because I‘m ready…

Did I mention he passed two drug tests?

Karma, meet Justin Beiber: Justin – karma: Young master Beiber had the weekend set up just perfect. A new docu-flick, Never Say Never, on Friday, preceding the Grammy’s on Sunday. Top the box office, two big awards and on Monday morning, Beiber arrived in the BIG time. He sets ‘em up, and then he knocks ‘em down…

Or get’s knocked down: Monday morning everybody was talking about fellow Canadian’s Arcade Fire, who did win big at the Grammys’ and Just Go With It, the 1 star Adam Sandler, Jennifer Aniston flick, which was #1 at the box office.

Consolation prize was a Brit award Tuesday for International Breakthrough act, beating – gasp – the Glee cast.

Arcade Fire, conversely, enjoyed a good karma weekend, thank you for asking. The Montreal rockers won a major Grammy for album of the year. They celebrated with a small, private party at their LA hotel’s rooftop patio. They then jetted to London for the Brit Awards, where they won best international album and best international group.

Congratulations to a group of real musicians, making real solid rock music. Lets hope they are the beginning of a trend, not a one-off “talent beats pretty” event.

Karma Juice: A report from the National Enquirer says unconvicted murderer OJ Simpson was beaten unconscious by white supremacists at the Nevada prison he now calls home. Simpson allegedly was talking about his relationships with white women when the prisons Nazi element took offence.

Now what is that saying about picking sides when Nazi’s and OJ Simpson are fighting? Oh yea, c’mon lightning.

Poppa Montana, Billy Ray Cyrus, is speaking out about his daughters recent run of wild behaviour: three tattoos; an underage 18th birthday Party at a bar; a video of her smoking a big bong. The problem, says Miley Cyrus’ dad is her handlers.

This is an 18 year old girl, so I don’t want to make fun. We’ve all seen the path another semi-wild 18 year old ended up on in Lindsay Lohan. So here’s what Papa Billy had to say:

The damn show (Hannah Montanna) destroyed my family. I’d take it back in a second. For my family to be here and just everybody be okay, safe and sound and happy and normal would have been fantastic. Heck yea, I’d erase it all in a second if I could.

I’m scared for her (daughter Miley). She’s got a lot of people around her that’s putting her in a great deal of danger. I know she’s 18, but I still feel like, as her daddy, I’d like to help.”

She seems to be, in truth, acting like a pretty normal 18 year old, or at least, not outrageously unlike an 18 year old, and Billy Ray Cyrus sounds exactly like a worried dad should. While it’s agreed the danger can become more pronounced in a big star like Cyrus, as of yet it doesn’t seem to be anything more than sowing a few wild oats.

Lets all hope it never become more.

Uncle Leo (1922-2011)

Farewell to Seinfeld’s Uncle Leo, aka Len Lesser, who died this week age 88.

Among his other roles, Lesser was three times in Get Smart, including his turn as Luden, in The Decoy. He gets the great line at around 4:30 in the video below, “No torture? What do you have against torture.”

RIP Len Lasser.

Fluffernutter Adam Sandler, Arcade Fire, Billy Ray Cirus, Charlie Sheen, Get Smart, Glee Cast, Grammy, Hannah Montana, Jennifer Aniston, Just Go With It, Justin Beiber, Len Lesser, Miley Cyrus, Never Say Never, OJ Simpson, Seinfeld, Uncle Leo