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Alice Bag

Alice Bag

Photo: Denée Segall

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Quarantine Diaries: Punk Pioneer Alice Bag quarantine-diaries-punk-pioneer-alice-bag-making-homemade-masks-and-getting-fit

Quarantine Diaries: Punk Pioneer Alice Bag Is Making Homemade Masks And Getting "Fit For The Apocalypse"

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As the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic continues to rock the music industry, the Recording Academy reached out to a few musicians to see how they were spending their days indoors
GRAMMYs
Apr 4, 2020 - 9:41 am

As the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic continues to rock the music industry, the Recording Academy reached out to a few musicians to see how they were spending their days indoors. Today, punk rock trailblazer Alice Bag, who's prepping to release her upcoming album, Sister Dynamite, shares her Quarantine Diary.

[9 a.m.] I slept in. I'm usually up by 6 a.m., so I think I must've slept for a solid 10 hours. I usually sip some tea and watch the news, but today I can't do it. [My husband] Greg is awake. He's made coffee, biscuits, hash browns and is working on MorningStar sausage and eggs. I turn on "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" who will serve up some laughs with our breakfast.

After breakfast, I call the dentist to cancel tomorrow's appointment. The receptionist sounds relieved. She tells me they are closing for the week except for emergencies. I have a temporary crown to replace, a porcelain one that broke two weeks ago. The receptionist tells me to call back if the temporary [crown] breaks or falls off. I'm happy to wait. 

I hope to stay away from any type of medical office for the rest of the month. Last I heard, there is a "surge" coming, a wave of sickness about to hit. It sounds ominous. I feel like I'm in the Passover scene in The Ten Commandments, where a creepy mist rolls in for the kill.

I decide to rein in my morbid daydreams. I'll wash dishes and do some housework instead.

[11 a.m.] I tried working on some music, but I can't seem to focus. The fact that the sewing machine is in the same room as my keyboard and guitar is distracting. I decide to try my hand at making some masks for my husband and daughter, who occasionally go out for groceries. I look up tutorials on YouTube, but I soon discover that I don't have the right type of elastic. 

I try making a couple of pleated masks with quarter-inch elastic, but when my husband and daughter try them on, I can see their ears folding forward at an uncomfortable angle. They smile and tell me how much they like the masks, then hurry to take them off as soon as I walk out of the room.

Alice Bag

I take a break to clean two cups of pinto beans and leave them out to soak. I should have done this last night, but I forgot.

[Noon] I nearly forgot that I'd scheduled an interview. Calendar days mean nothing to me anymore. I need to start looking at the calendar again!

[1 p.m.] Finished my podcast interview, but now I'm too hungry to make lunch. We opt for leftover pesto pasta with vegan sausage. I used spinach instead of the usual arugula since no arugula could be found. It was still tasty.

Read: Quarantine Diaries: Catholic Action's Chris McCroroy Is Sleeping In & Celebrating His Band's Album Release

[3 p.m.] Now that I'm stuck at home, I've started working out to my favorite punk songs. I used to be an exercise instructor, but that was over 40 years ago. Now, I'm trying to do the sexagenarian version of The Fitness Marshall. My daughter and I watch and work out with Fitness Marshall on YouTube; it's fun, but I prefer punk music. 

I ask Greg to film me. I know my hair color has faded; my roots are showing and my bright orange hair has faded to the color of boiled shrimp. I don't look my best, but somehow I don't care. I need to get my body moving. I need some upbeat music and I'm sure there are others out there who feel the same way. Maybe I can be of some service to my community with these easy, silly workouts.

[4 p.m.] It's time to walk my dog. I used to really look forward to walking twice a day. I know I am still allowed to do it, but I recently had a bad experience where seemingly oblivious people get too close. We have narrow streets where I live. 

A couple of days ago, a few neighbors and their kid decided to stop and chat in the middle of the road with two other people. They were all clustered together, so I spoke up and asked if they could please clear a path so my dog and I could walk by. They did scoot over a couple feet for me to pass, but it was not 6 feet, and their lack of concern made me angry. If I'd been alone, I would have backtracked, but my old dog has arthritis and she refused to backtrack.

Alice Bag

Alice Bag suits up to walk her dog

[5 p.m.] The pinto beans have been soaking for six hours, so I chop some brown onion, add a little cumin and seasoning salt and set them to simmer on low heat.

[6:30 p.m.] Start the brown rice, wash the avocado and slice it up.

[7 p.m.] For dinner, we eat bean burritos, salsa, brown rice and avocado slices and watch "Family Feud." When I was living in Nicaragua in the 1980s, I learned that a person could survive on a diet of rice and beans and that together, they make a perfect protein. The avocado and salsa is just icing on the cake. 

[7:30 p.m.] After dinner, I try to talk my family into learning to swing dance. They play along for about five minutes before remembering they have something else to do.

[8:30 p.m.] We wash dishes and clean the kitchen. I take a shower before putting on pajamas.

[10 p.m.] News and a cup of ginger tea. It's not lavender chamomile, but it'll do. I'm all out of my favorite tea. My husband says I shouldn't watch the news before bedtime. He knows doing so will only make me worry or have nightmares.

[11 p.m.] I lay in bed and look through a See's Candies catalog. I read every description and circle all my favorites. I will dream of truffles and Dark California Brittle. Sweet dreams everyone.

If you wish to support our efforts to assist music professionals in need, learn more about the Recording Academy's and MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund.

If you are a member of the music industry in need of assistance, visit the MusiCares website.

Quarantine Diaries: Kimberly Nichole

Kimberly Nichole

Courtesy Photo: Kimberly Nichole

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Quarantine Diaries: Rock Singer Kimberly Nichole quarantine-diaries-rock-ballerina-kimberly-nichole-binge-watching-x-files-and-singing

Quarantine Diaries: "Rock Ballerina" Kimberly Nichole Is Binge-Watching 'The X-Files' And Singing The Blues

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As the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic continues to rock the music industry, the Recording Academy reached out to a few musicians to see how they were spending their days indoors
GRAMMYs
Mar 29, 2020 - 10:14 am

As the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic continues to rock the music industry, the Recording Academy reached out to a few musicians to see how they were spending their days indoors. Today, rock singer-songwriter Kimberly Nichole, who recently released a stellar cover of The White Stripes' "Seven Nation Army," which was featured on the new Netflix drama series "Self Made," shares her Quarantine Diary.

[8:20 a.m.] Another sunny, beautiful day in North London! I put on some gospel, wash my face, do a sea moss mask and brush my teeth. Then I make a cup of soursop tea with a slice of lemon.  

[9:00 a.m.] Meditate and read my daily affirmation out of "Acts of Faith," then journal while listening to Fela [Kuti]—perfect way to get some inspiration, physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually.

Quarantine Diaries: Kimberly Nichole

[9:30 a.m.-ish] We're allowed to do an outdoor daily exercise, and I take a brisk walk with my dog, Hendrix, while listening to Jimi Hendrix—totally appropriate!!!.

[10:00 a.m.] Get back home, take off my outside clothes and throw them in the washer. Wash the hell out of my hands and sanitize Hendrix's leash, Hendrix—yep, her cute, little paws get washed down!—and the house keys. 

Read: Recording Academy And MusiCares Establish COVID-19 Relief Fund

[10:20 a.m.] Take a good, hot shower and pick out an outfit for the daily blues videos I post on Instagram. On a normal day/evening, I'd be performing at The Box Soho or doing another gig in Europe or the U.S. To make up for it, I post daily videos of me singing my favorite blues tunes in a full look—with makeup! Hello! [Laughs.]  

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-SGwWUHR1K

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A post shared by Kimberly Nichole (@kimnicky)

[11:15 a.m.] Dress Hendrix in one of her cute hoodies and film the blues video and upload it! 

[12:20 p.m.] Make a light lunch, a salad, since I plan to fry fish for dinner—yummy! I eat it in our back open space to take in some of the sun—vitamin D!—and vibe to Brittany Howard.

Kimberly Nichole

Read: Quarantine Diaries: Electro-Pop Virtuoso Lou Canon Is Watching 'You've Got Mail' & Waving To Her Nephew From The Window

[1:00 p.m.] Attend a Zoom NA meeting—one day at a time!

[2:30 p.m.] Wash dishes and sanitize the kitchen counters. Take out the fish for later. Brittany is still jammin'!  

[2:50 p.m.]  Binge-watch "The X-Files" until it's time to cook dinner. Hendrix is sleeping, and I'll eventually doze off for a quick nap. Maybe after dinner I'll write some music.

Kimberly Nichole

If you wish to support our efforts to assist music professionals in need, learn more about the Recording Academy's and MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund.

If you are a member of the music industry in need of assistance, visit the MusiCares website. 

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Lisa Loeb

Photo courtesy of Lisa Loeb

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Quarantine Diaries: Lisa Loeb quarantine-diaries-lisa-loeb-celebrating-25-years-stay-i-missed-you-watching-rupauls

Quarantine Diaries: Lisa Loeb Is Celebrating 25 Years Of "Stay (I Missed You)" & Watching "RuPaul's Drag Race"

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The GRAMMY-winning '90s mainstay is also releasing a new music video featuring Michelle Branch, "Doesn't It Feel Good"
GRAMMYs
Sep 23, 2020 - 8:22 am

As the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic continues to rock the music industry, GRAMMY.com reached out to a few musicians to see how they were spending their days indoors. Today, GRAMMY-winning indie-pop/rock favorite Lisa Loeb shares her Quarantine Diary. Lisa Loeb's latest studio album A Simple Trick To Happiness is out now. Watch Lisa's new video, "Doesn't It Feel Good" featuring Michelle Branch and directed by Jessa Zapor-Gray, exclusively on GRAMMY.com below. 

[7:00 a.m.] I start off the day early before the kids get up, to feed my 19-year-old diabetic Tortie cat and give her insulin, drink a strong coffee (Lisa Loeb Wake Up! blend, of course, perfect flavor and strong with milk and sugar), Ezekiel Bread toast with almond butter and super fruit jelly, and a walk outside before the day begins. The sun shines pink through the window at the top of the stairs at my house in Los Angeles. You can see the sunscreen on my nose, because it’s early and I always wear my sunscreen, but was probably too tired to notice I didn’t finish blending.

[7:45 a.m.] I make the kids breakfast, something like bagels or pancakes, fruit, bacon, yogurt, and hope that they eat it before they get into their virtual classes.

[9:30 a.m.] while my 8-year-old, Emet, has a break, I take a tap class—distanced, in the back yard, with masks. I love walking, dance classes and strength training, most of which is happening online, but I finally moved the tap class into the back patio with a couple of like-minded moms. Connecting with humans, safely, set to music, really lightens things up. 

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GRAMMYs

[1:00 p.m.] After I make lunch, the kids go back to their virtual school. I stay in earshot of my son while trying to scoot into my office to answer a million emails and stay on top of the myriad projects I have going on: a new family friendly children's album, new songs for a new grown-up album, voice-over auditions, fan club vinyl signing of my 25th anniversary no. 1 song, "Stay (I Missed You)," which was also GRAMMY-nominated!

[4:00 p.m.] Later, after the kids are done with their school, I change clothes, turn on the bright lights, set up the gear, and start pre-recording events and concerts. There are so many virtual events happening all over the country: from voting events to women’s cancer and lupus, I’m honored to play all of them, and people have been reaching out to musicians a lot. Sometimes the events are live, but often they’re prerecorded, so I’ve become a pro with lighting, makeup, hair and audio, and really trying to get our wi-fi up to speed—literally. 

Sometimes I have fan club events online, watch-alongs, or live concerts, including two concerts in which I’ll be playing my entire Tails album acoustically on Sept. 26 on the LoopedLive app, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of its release. Here I am pre-recording a TV appearance for a Ziggy Marley duet that will air on the Kelly Clarkson show, then I’ll finish up with an appearance for a Hallmark special to honor Hero Dogs. 

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There’s usually a number of Cameo shout-out requests that have come in at this point for birthdays, anniversaries, or just uplifting message, and I try to squeeze them in before I make dinner for the kids. Or if I’m smart, order in Thai food!

[7:30 p.m.] After dinner, Emet watches part of an Avengers movie with my husband, Roey. I cuddle with my daughter, Lyla and our aforementioned cat, Sweetie McGee, while we eat ice cream with chocolate chips and watch "RuPaul’s Drag Race." 

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GRAMMYs

[8:30 p.m.] Then it’s up to bed to brush teeth, get in the PJs and read with each kid, if it’s not too late, and then time to finish up some work, clean the kitchen and get in bed to read. I’m an avid reader, and during the distancing orders, I’ve been able to read more than ever. Then, time for sleep, and to set the alarm for the next day to see what it will bring.

Making Heads Or 'Tails' Of Success: Lisa Loeb Celebrates 25 Years Of Her Major-Label Debut Album

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Rufus Wainwright

Rufus Wainwright

Photo: Barbara FG (Cleared for any usage with credit)

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Rufus Wainwright & More On Their Favorite Venues sacred-spaces-rufus-wainwright-yungblud-keb-mo-and-others-reflect-independent-venues

Sacred Spaces: Rufus Wainwright, YUNGBLUD, Keb' Mo' And Others Reflect On The Independent Venues And Clubs That Changed Their Lives

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As the majority of the live concert industry across the world remains on pause, GRAMMY.com chatted with a handful of artists about their cherished concert memories at some of their favorite clubs and venues
David McPherson
GRAMMYs
Aug 3, 2020 - 6:00 am

Though it's been more than 50 years since Café Au Go Go closed, Blood, Sweat & Tears frontman David Clayton-Thomas still recalls the cultural significance of this famed NYC basement bar. Formerly located at 152 Bleecker St. and operating from 1964-1969, the Greenwich Village hotspot hosted everyone from Cream, with Eric Clapton, to Jimi Hendrix.

"It was the place to be in those days," Clayton-Thomas reflects. "That is where Blood, Sweat & Tears started. We became the house band for a couple of months while recording our first album at CBS Studios on 52nd Street. We would work the club at night and record during the day. It's hard to forget a club like that. It will always be a part of my wonderful memories of New York."   

It's not a stretch to say that the resulting Blood, Sweat & Tears self-titled 1968 album, which has sold 10 million copies worldwide and won the GRAMMY for Album Of The Year in 1970, would exist today without the band's experience at this small yet renowned club. 

Clayton-Thomas' story illustrates exactly how independent music venues are more than four walls. Within the confines of these cramped clubs is a shared cultural history and community: collective stories of unforgettable nights watching your favorite bands and artists perform. The spirits of these artists—some long gone—are forever etched in the wood and ingrained in the stain-filled dance floors.

Exterior of Café Au Go Go in NYC in 1965

Exterior of Café Au Go Go in NYC in 1965 | Photo: Don Paulsen/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the live music ecosystem, already hit hard by rising real estate prices, gentrification and urban sprawl, entered crisis mode. Seminal clubs across North America, from L.A.'s historic Troubadour to Toronto's legendary Horseshoe Tavern, lie silent. 

Like concertgoers, club and venue owners, too, are eagerly awaiting the return of live music. In the interim, these entrepreneurs do what they can to keep their businesses afloat: Some launched GoFundMe fundraisers, while others turned to social media, patrons and local and federal government for financial support. The politicians are starting to hear these pleas. 

Earlier this month, the U.K. government announced a £1.57 billion (approximately $2 billion) aid package for the arts, culture and heritage industries. In the U.S., a pair of senators introduced a relief bill: the Save Our Stages Act. The Recording Academy is also endorsing a pair of solutions: the RESTART Act and the Mixed Earner Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Act.     

The sad reality: Without the leniency of landlords and the passing of stimulus acts by governments, many iconic clubs and independent venues will not survive the financial fallout caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Even with these lifelines, the outlook could be grim. According to a survey from the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) last month, which surveyed nearly 2,000 music professionals across the U.S., 90 percent of independent venue owners, promoters and bookers said they will have to close permanently within the next few months if they do not receive financial relief from the government. 

As the majority of the live concert industry across the world remains on pause, GRAMMY.com chatted with a handful of artists, including Rufus Wainwright, YUNGBLUD, Keb' Mo' and others, about their cherished concert memories at some of their favorite clubs and venues.

Rufus Wainwright

Venue(s): The Troubadour and Coronet Theatre in Los Angeles, Calif.; McCabe's Guitar Shop in Santa Monica, Calif.; The Town Crier in Beacon, N.Y.; Ursa, owned by his sister Martha Wainwright, in Montreal, Quebec 

Rufus Wainwright

Rufus Wainwright performs in Austin, Texas | Photo: Barbara FG (Cleared for any usage with credit)

Self-isolating these days at his home in Los Angeles finds GRAMMY-nominated singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright spending time practicing more, especially the piano. "I've been able to dive into the technical forest," he tells GRAMMY.com. Before the pandemic hit, he was on tour and starting the promotion cycle for his newest album, Unfollow The Rules, which he released last month via BMG. He booked gigs at many clubs, including The Troubadour, to promote the record. Then he had to cancel them. 

"The Troubadour, for me, is especially poignant," Wainwright says. "I performed there a couple of times over the years, and I've seen many shows there. We were set to play there at the beginning of this tour. This album is very much influenced by the history of Laurel Canyon [in Los Angeles], songwriting and Hollywood, and we had this symbolic show booked at The Troubadour to emulate some of the grand history that occurred in that venue. Sadly, that opportunity got ripped away when the pandemic struck." 

Read: Beginnings And Endings With Rufus Wainwright

Other touchstone venues for Wainwright in the L.A. area include: The Coronet Theatre, now Largo At The Coronet, where he regularly performed early in his career and McCabe's Guitar Shop on Pico Boulevard in Santa Monica, where the artist played a series of shows before the pandemic hit. 

"I am familiar with the smaller-venue situation mainly because my parents started out playing in coffeehouses in the 1960s and '70s," Wainwright says. "Places like the Caffè Lena in Saratoga Springs, [N.Y.], and The Iron Horse Music Hall in Northampton, Mass., are all part of the really vital, socially important folk music movement my parents [Loudon Wainwright III and Kate McGarrigle] were a part of in the 1960s. For a lot of artists, these venues are like a trampoline that can catch your fall when you aren't necessarily the flavor of the month. I grew up witnessing this dynamic, and I started out in smaller venues. To dominate that dynamic is really important and harder than you think. A lot of big artists cannot play a small venue … it's too scary and too intimate, but I love them!"  

YUNGBLUD

Venue(s): The Crowndale in Camden Town, London, England; The Lock Tavern in London, England; The Electric Ballroom in Camden Town, London, England

YUNGBLUD performs at the Electric Ballroom in 2019

YUNGBLUD performs at the Electric Ballroom in 2019 | Photo: Matthew Baker/Getty Images

Born in Doncaster, Yorkshire, British rocker YUNGBLUD left home at 16 and moved to London. "I ran away because the north of England is not a place for a kid in lipstick playing rock 'n' roll," he says. Once settled in the south, he discovered the live music mecca of Camden Town, north of England's capital. 

"These venues shaped what I am as an artist today," he says. "I remember walking into Camden Town for the first time and my mind exploded; it was everything I ever wanted. It was Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory. I had a golden ticket to everything I read about: The Libertines, Amy Winehouse, etc. I used to skive off work to get coffees and go to Camden for hours, telling my dad I had been mugged! 

Read: Yungblud Talks Turning His Tour Postponement Into An Online Rock & Roll Variety Show

"Camden was really a big turning point in my career," he continues. "I've played every tiny venue in Camden, from The Crowndale for 10 people to a sold-out show at The Lock Tavern where Amy Winehouse played early in her career and who is a massive inspiration to me. She taught me being you is good enough. Later, I played the Electric Ballroom to 1,500 people. The Camden Assembly, formerly The Barfly, is where my guitar player [Adam Warrington] and I really connected and when we figured out we were going to play music together for the rest of our lives, bonding over our love of Joy Division, Blur, N.W.A, Foo Fighters and David Bowie.

"When I think about Camden, that spirit, and every show I've played in the clubs there, I remember why I'm here and what I'm doing it for … it's all about the passion!" 

Colin Linden

Venue: The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern
City: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Opened: 1947

Colin Linden (R) with Robbie Robertson (L) performing at the Legendary Horseshoe Tavern in approximately 1989

Colin Linden (R) with Robbie Robertson (L) performing at the Legendary Horseshoe Tavern in approximately 1989 | Courtesy Photo: Colin Linden

These days, Canadian blues artist Colin Linden lives in Nashville, Tenn., but Toronto is where he cut his teeth. The GRAMMY-nominated songwriter and producer grew up fast, sitting in as an underage teen with local legends like Willie P. Bennett and David Wilcox at small clubs around town. Today, Linden figures this is the longest time he has gone without a gig in his 48-year career. "I feel a real need to connect with people," Linden says. 

Toronto's legendary Horseshoe Tavern is Linden's seminal venue. He still has a scar on his forehead from a time he played The Shoe in the mid-1980s and bounded off the stage a little too recklessly. And in the early 1990s, he played there frequently with a secret band, which included Bruce Cockburn, called Bambi And The Deer Hunters. 

"It is the place where I started playing as a kid and kept on playing over many years," Linden recalls. "It was an important venue long before I ever set foot in there. It's a place where I've had a lot of laughter and a lot of tears. When I think about the Horseshoe Tavern, I think about so many things. I remember sitting in the back alley in booker Peter Graham's car, playing him my demo and talking over my mistakes. I really wanted a gig there." 

The most memorable night for Linden at this venue happened on March 13, 1989, when he shared the stage with The Band members Rick Danko, Garth Hudson and Robbie Robertson. "That was such an amazing night," Linden thinks back. "I remember Robbie getting offstage and asking me, 'How can you guys hear anything?' I realized he had not been on a stage in more than 10 years and forgot how loud it gets in a club!"

Keb' Mo'

Venue: Harvelle's
City: Santa Monica, CA
Opened: 1931

Harvelle's

Harvelle's | Photo: John M. Heller/Getty Images

Harvelle's, a popular West Coast blues club with a long history, is where Kevin Roosevelt Moore started playing in 1992 before he was known as Keb' Mo' and before he had a record deal. His first audition to play the historic venue failed. Later, he landed a gig at the club through a friend who needed a guitarist. After that, Moore played the venue regularly for years. One Tuesday, Moore was performing when television producer and composer Chuck Lorre was in the audience; an introduction led Moore to land the theme song for the popular CBS sitcom, "Mike & Molly."

"It's very important to maintain the local watering holes of our country," Moore, who this year took home a GRAMMY for Best Americana Album for his 2019 album, Oklahoma, explains. "For me, Harvelle's is the place where I figured out who I was. Harvelle's is where I became 'Keb' Mo'.' If not for Harvelle's, I, and many other artists I know, would not be where we are today. It's so important to make sure these local places that feed the community—socially, culturally, and artfully in a musical way—remain open. When you take away the starting point for musicians, you take away the connection. It's the local pubs and the local dives that make us who we are.

Watch: Keb' Mo' Reflects On The Journey To His 'TajMo' GRAMMY Nomination

"Even today, Lady Gaga, Bruce Springsteen, etc., all want to do a dive [bar] tour because the dives are what's happening," he continues. "It's about connecting to the people. It's raw, it's honest and it's genuine. The place you have to be most genuine of any place is in a dive, because when you play a fancy theater, everyone comes to see you and is expecting something. In a dive, no one gives a crap about you, so you have to go to them and figure out how to connect and reach them. In a way, playing a dive is way more difficult than playing a concert. Harvelle's and all the dives, coffee shops [and] restaurants of the world are very important to creating that connection and community within the music business." 

Sarah Jarosz

Venue: The Cactus Café 
City: Austin, Texas
Opened: 1979

Sarah Jarosz

Sarah Jarosz performs at The Cactus Café in approximately 2006 | Photo: Steve Oleson

At 29, New York City-based American Roots singer-songwriter Sarah Jarosz has already won three GRAMMYs. (Her newest album, World On The Ground, released in June, features production from five-time GRAMMY winner John Leventhal.) Jarosz shares her love for The Cactus Café, one of the storied music clubs situated on the campus of the University Of Texas At Austin in her hometown. The venue has hosted a who's who of Texas songwriting legends and bands over the years, from Townes Van Zandt and Guy Clark to The Chicks and Nickel Creek.

Read: Sarah Jarosz Graduates to GRAMMY Winner with 'Undercurrent'

"Since I'm not able to play shows on the road right now, I've naturally turned my thoughts to some of the first venues I began playing in," Jarosz says. "I have a particular fondness for The Cactus Café. That's the first club I remember my parents taking me to as a little kid, even when it was way past my bedtime. I remember the smell of the coffee brewing, the clinking of the glasses at the bar tucked into the back corner, the warmth of being surrounded by kindred spirits and music-lovers. 

"Venues like The Cactus are sacred spaces," she adds. "For the hour or two that you're inside them, the outside world disappears, and musicians and listeners alike find solace in the energy and the sounds."

Jane Bunnett

Venue: Jazz Showcase
City: Chicago, Ill.
Opened: 1947

Jane Bunnett performs at Jazz Showcase in Chicago, Ill.

Jane Bunnett performs at Jazz Showcase in Chicago, Ill. | Photo: Jim Funk

Jane Bunnett, 63, is a soprano saxophonist, bandleader and three-time GRAMMY nominee. The most recent ensemble the Toronto artist assembled is the all-female, GRAMMY-nominated Afro-Cuban jazz group, Jane Bunnett & Maqueque. 

She holds a special place in her heart for Chicago's Jazz Showcase, started by Joe Segal in 1947. Legends from John Coltrane to Miles Davis have played this historic club. Today, you'll still find the 94-year-old NEA Jazz Master Segal hanging around, but his son, Wayne, runs the day-to-day operations. 

The first time Bunnett tried to sit in and play at Jazz Showcase in the late 1980s, Joe refused to let her play. Flash ahead a decade. Bunnett was back in the Windy City for the Chicago Jazz Festival. After her set, musician Ira Sullivan introduced her to Joe, who didn't recall the incident. Amends were made. In the last five years, the club has become a regular anticipated stop for Bunnett & Maqueque; they were scheduled for another gig there this spring before the pandemic hit.

Read: 'Bitches Brew' At 50: Why Miles Davis' Masterpiece Remains Impactful

"I've got incredible memories of playing that room," Bunnett says. "Right behind the bandstand is a beautiful 10-by-12-foot photograph of Charlie Parker. I remember the first night I'm up on that stage, it was such a joyous moment. Joe sat right in front of my percussionist and just stared. I looked around the room at all the paraphernalia and history and just soaked it in. There I was with a bunch of young Cuban kids in their early 20s who didn't have a clue of who many of the artists pictured on the walls were."

Sierra Hull

Venue: The Station Inn
City: Nashville, Tenn.
Opened: 1974

Sierra Hull (R) performs with Justin Moses (L) at The Station Inn in Nashville, Tenn.

Sierra Hull (R) performs with Justin Moses (L) at The Station Inn in Nashville, Tenn. | Courtesy Photo: Sierra Hull

At 28, bluegrass/roots artist Sierra Hull has already released four full-length albums. Her most recent, 25 Trips, released in February on Rounder Records, is the follow-up to her GRAMMY-nominated 2016 album, Weighted Mind. 

"It's easy to take for granted that a venue like The Station Inn will always be there," she says. "It's a staple of the Nashville community and a musical home for so many of us. I've been deeply inspired by the concerts I've seen by both legends and peers there, and have played the stage myself countless times over the years. It's the type of venue that is perfectly small and intimate yet with a history that makes it feel larger than life. 

Read: Sierra Hull Takes Her Place In Bluegrass History, Talks Legacy & New Music At Wide Open Bluegrass

"It really breaks my heart to know that venues we all love are struggling and could potentially go under during this pandemic. I hope and pray they can survive this for the sake of our community and the need we all have to gather together in places with so much history and meaning."

Ondara

Venue: Cedar Cultural Center
City: Minneapolis, Minn.
Opened: 1989

Cedar Cultural Center

Cedar Cultural Center | Photo: Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post via Getty Images

Ondara, previously known as J.S. Ondara, grew up in Nairobi, Kenya, listening to a lot of rock music before moving to the U.S. in 2013. His debut album, Tales Of America, released in 2019, received a nomination for Best Americana Album at the 2020 GRAMMYs. In May, the singer-songwriter released his follow-up, Folk N' Roll, Vol 1: Tales Of Isolation, an 11-song collection written and recorded by Ondara, in less than a week, while in lockdown in Minneapolis. The compositions speak to our times and collective quarantined experience. A direct response to the global pandemic, the album serves as therapy for Ondara. 

Before moving from Africa to America, Ondara had never been to a concert. His first show was at the Cedar Cultural Center, a Twin Cities live music hot spot for the past 30 years. It changed his life. 

Read: Kenyan Singer/Songwriter J.S. Ondara On Telling His Own 'Tales Of America' With Debut LP

"I was new to America, and I had spent some time with music unsuccessfully," he recalls. "Nothing was working out, so I decided to go to school. Halfway through my second semester, a friend invited me to a show to see Seattle singer-songwriter Noah Gundersen. I had a completely spiritual experience at that concert. I dropped out of school the following day and went back to focusing on my music and making my debut record. It was life-changing. The novelty of [it] being my first concert, along with my internal turmoil of my desires to be a musician being stifled, all played a part in the experience. It left a lasting impression. I honestly can't wait until I can be in a room full of people again and sing right in their faces." 

4 Independent Record Stores Across The U.S. Weigh In On Their Struggle To Survive During COVID-19

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Burger Boogaloo 2020

Redd Kross performing at Burger Boogaloo in 2017

Photo: Erika Reinsel

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Burger Boogaloo 2020 Lineup: Bikini Kill, More burger-boogaloo-2020-lineup-bikini-kill-circle-jerks-john-waters-more-announced

Burger Boogaloo 2020 Lineup: Bikini Kill, Circle Jerks, John Waters & More Announced

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The initial lineup for the festival, taking place July 2020 in Northern California, also includes Carbonas, Plastic Bertrand, Bleached, Alice Bag and others
John Ochoa
GRAMMYs
Dec 10, 2019 - 11:23 am

Summer 2020 may feel like it's an eternity away, but the slew of lineup announcements for next year's summer festival season is already starting to heat up. Today (Dec. 10), Burger Boogaloo, the quirky rock festival in Northern California, has announced the initial lineup for its 2020 edition. The two-day event, taking place July 11-12 at Mosswood Park in Oakland, Calif., will include highly anticipated performances from recently reunited punk legends and riot grrrl pioneers Bikini Kill, who are performing for the first time in the Bay Area in 25 years. Hardcore punk icons Circle Jerks and Atlanta punks Carbonas are also confirmed for the festival, marking the first Bay Area show in a decade for both acts.

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The Burger Boogaloo 2020 lineup also includes Plastic Bertrand, in their debut Bay Area show, Bleached, Flipper, Chicana punk luminary Alice Bag and others. Additional acts will be announced in early 2020.

Read: Pussy Riot Announce 2020 North American Tour

Two-time GRAMMY nominee and infamous cult film director/writer John Waters returns for his sixth consecutive year as the festival's host.

In addition to the lineup announcement, Burger Boogaloo, which celebrates its 11th year in 2020, is currently offering a Holiday Ticket Special, which includes discounted general admission and VIP weekend passes while supplies last.

To view the full lineup and to purchase tickets for Burger Boogaloo 2020, visit the festival's official website.

Here Are The Nominees For Best Rock Album | 2020 GRAMMYs

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