The27Club.net» Josh & Eric

Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore split up after 27 years

Josh & Eric — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 13:57:33 +0000

Spin magazine reports “Sonic Youth super-couple Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore have split up after 27 years of marriage — and the future of the band they’ve played in together since 1981 is unclear.”

Apparently the band is fulfilling its current obligations, which includes five dates in South America. After that fans of Sonic Youth’s noise rock is unclear.

The couple has asked for privacy and respect and will not comment any further at this time.

Radio Free Europe discusses Amy Winehouse and the 27 Club myth with The 27s creators

Josh & Eric — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 03:40:49 +0000

In the wake of the death of soul singer Amy Winehouse, Salome Asatiani of Radio Free Europe’s Georgian Service talks to us about this mysterious coincidence and the phenomenon of rock stardom, with its stereotypes, cliches, and hard realities.

Listen to the interview here

Read our thoughts on Amy Winehouse’s death here

Start reading The 27s Free Preveiw here!

Hed of the Week: “27 Club Goes From Reel to Real”

Josh & Eric — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 00:27:03 +0000

Erica Dunton on the set of her movie The 27 Club

Here’s a recent a 27 Club coincidence brought to our attention by NY Daily’s Joe Neumaier who as a movie critic notes that the “27 Club Goes From Reel to Real.”

“It doesn’t have the same scope, but next Friday, the indie comedy-drama “The Perfect Age of Rock ‘n’ Roll” will open in a few theaters in New York and L.A. The movie stars Kevin Zegers as a once-hot rocker recovering from a setback who goes back to his hometown to escape sleazy managers and record execs, assess life, get drugs out of his system and set off on a road trip with the former bandmate Jason Ritter he treated badly.
The movie’s title, and a theme in the movie, is how rock stars famously die at 27, from the Rolling Stones’ Brian Jones to Hendrix to Joplin to Morrison. And, one week ago, sadly, Amy Winehouse joined the “27 Club.”

For the record, we’d like to remind both the flick’s producers and Joe Neumaier that our friend Erica Dunton’s movie The 27 Club (starring Joe Anderson) hit the indie circuit four years ago to much acclaim. You should check it out and let us know what you think.

Thoughts on Amy Winehouse’s Death

Josh & Eric — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 06:08:42 +0000

“Artists and writers experience two to three times the rate of psychosis, suicide attempts, mood disorders, and substance abuse than do comparably successful people in business, science, and public life”.—Study by Dr. Arnold M. Ludwig, psychiatrist at the University of Kentucky Medical

Being a true artist is far from easy. The stretch limo quickly becomes a fishbowl. The press. The pressures. Sex, Drugs, and Rock & Roll, right? “Time to go on stage.” You’re sitting in the green room backstage in some city. Thousands of fans waiting in front of the stage. You might’ve had too much of something. You go out there because you have to. It’s your job. Perform. “My fans are there to see me. I love them. Where’s the stage?” You go out there and sing. You stumble up to the microphone. Your mind is mushy; it’s like a dream. You know the song, but somehow it’s lost in translation. Your fans boo. You try another verse and they keep on booing.

Singer Amy Winehouse Dead at age 27

Josh & Eric — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 19:28:10 +0000

At 3:54pm, singer and songwriter Amy Winehouse was found dead in her London apartment at age 27. We are currently getting as much of the details together from leading media resources. We’ll keep you updated as we learn more…

27 Years – Minnesota Rock

Josh & Eric — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 04:39:08 +0000

We were recently alerted to a Minnesota rock group crafting excellent sounds and throwing down epic live performances. 27 Years is a dynamic rock group equally influenced by the 27 Club as we all are. Their bio states: “The band name, 27 Years, is a testament to the great musical heroes of the past who left this world 27 years young.”

Rest assured, they’re not trying to reproduce age old rock or slick cover tunes. 27 Years may be named after their fallen idols but even Jim Morrison once said, “Each generation wants new symbols, new people, new names. They want to divorce themselves from their predecessors.” 27 Years hopes to be and do just that.

We think all it takes is a quick listen to ’5 Knives’ from their high energy concept album to see what we mean.

Check em out here: www.27yearsrock.com/ we’re sure you’ll agree…

Jim Morrison (finally) pardoned for 1969 Indecent Exposure Conviction

Josh & Eric — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 03:54:18 +0000

March 1, 1969 the Doors walked out onto the Dinner Key Auditorium’s shifty stage. The Miami ‘concert hall’ was more aptly described as an old airport hangar who’s 8,000 seat venue was oversold by 5,000 tickets. As The 27s describes, “Mr. Morrison was already drunk from a long day spent in airports and on planes, and he took to the scene like a bothered hornet.”

What occurred next has gone down as music legend. (Read the full account at the end of this posting). In the end, Jim’s wrongful arrest caused not only Morrison and the Door’s career to suffer, but any band that assimilated with them.

Well, this past Friday (December 10th) Jim was given a posthumously pardon from Florida’s state clemency board.

A complete statement by Gov. Charlie Crist of Florida, which was read by the governor during the clemency board meeting, appears below:

Remarks by
GOVERNOR CHARLIE CRIST
to the Florida Board of Executive Clemency
Tallahassee, Florida

December 9, 2010

James Douglas Morrison – we know him as Jim Morrison – appealed the judgment and sentence he received after being convicted 40 years ago of two misdemeanors. However, he died before his appeal could be heard.

Because he us unable to state his case for clemency before this board today, I offer to do so for him.

The charges against Mr. Morrison stemmed from his alleged actions at a now-famous 1969 musical performance by The Doors in Miami. During the trial, the prosecution attempted to prove that Mr. Morrison indecently exposed himself, simulated indecent acts, and uttered profanities.

Mr. Morrison admitted to using some of the alleged profanity; however, he denied the other charges.

During the trial, some witnesses testified they saw the alleged acts for which he was charged; however, many others testified they observed the entire concert and never saw them. In fact, so many witnesses corroborated Mr. Morrison’s testimony that the judge eventually stopped the defense from presenting any more – because their collective testimony became, what is known in legal terms as, “cumulative testimony.”

Nevertheless, a jury convicted Mr. Morrison. The judge then sentenced him to six months of hard labor.

Much controversy surrounds this conviction, and not only because many witnesses testified they did not see Mr. Morrison expose himself.

Controversy also exists because Mr. Morrison was not arrested until four days after the concert. A case was brought against him only after newspaper articles recounted the alleged events at the concert, based on a complaint filed by an employee of the state attorney’s office who attended the concert.

In addition, Mr. Morrison may have been improperly prevented from presenting evidence of “community standards” of other rock performances of the era. Such testimony would have offered cultural context for the allegations against him.

Perhaps most importantly, Mr. Morrison himself did not exercise his right to remain silent. Instead, he forcefully denied the charge that he exposed himself on stage.

Mr. Morrison appealed his judgment and sentence; however, he died before the appeal was heard. His death prevented him from exercising his right to a direct appeal, a right given to every American by the United States Constitution. If his appeal had been heard, a reviewing court could have resolved the controversies surrounding his conviction.

In addition, at the time of Morrison’s death, a convicted defendant who died before his appeal was heard was entitled to have the conviction dismissed so that he was again presumed innocent. This doctrine, known as “abatement ab initio,” wiped the slate clean – as though the conviction had never taken place. A pardon corrects the fact that Mr. Morrison is now unable to take advantage of the presumption of innocence that is the cornerstone of the American criminal justice system.

The words of an appellate judge, penned a decade before Mr. Morrison’s trial, provide insight into the question before us today: When death prevents the accused from appealing his judgment, the conviction is “a nullity” and “[j]urisdiction to determine the issue of guilt or innocence is now assumed by the ultimate arbiter of human affairs.”

In this case, guilt or innocence is in God’s hands, not ours. That is why I ask my colleagues today to pardon Jim Morrison.

(Excerpt taken from The 27s, written by Eric Segalstad.)

After “Light My Fire,” the requisite crowd pleaser, Jim urged the crowd to come up on stage. “Let’s get on up here! No limits! No laws! Come on. COMMMME OOOON!” Dozens of people crawled up. Off mike he asked some of the kids if they wanted to see his cock. He unbuckled his belt while Ray, John, and Robbie watched in shock and fear.

The stage became rapidly tumultuous. Hundreds of camera flashes documented what ensued. Road manager Vince Treanor held up Morrison’s pants by the waistband—he says the singer didn’t attempt to pull the pants down. The promoters rushed to the stage; one of the brothers attempted to take the microphone, but Jim pushed him away; the other retaliated by flipping him into the audience. Not missing a beat, Jim led the crowd in a chaotic whirlpool around the dark, filthy hangar. “It was Dionysus calling forth the snakes,” Ray Manzarek described years later, referring to a myth about the Greek god of wine and intoxication.

A few days after the Doors’ disastrous Miami show, a young reporter for the Miami Herald wrote an article about the concert that claimed Morrison had exposed himself and incited a riot. The reporter’s vendetta gained momentum after he quizzed the city’s police chief on what he planned to do about the rock star’s sordid antics. Ignited by the inquiries, the chief summoned the troops, and the incident quickly reverberated.

Miami’s self-styled moral protectors protested the Doors’ performance with a “Rally for Indecency” that was attended by the city’s archdiocese and comedian Jackie Gleason. President Nixon took the time to send a letter of support.

At the end of March ’69, the FBI contacted Morrison’s lawyer with a warrant signed by a federal judge for his arrest. Jim had left the state before any charges had been filed, yet the warrant cited interstate flight. Never mind that not one of the innumerable cameras that went off when Jim supposedly exposed himself actually captured anything indecent. Driven by lust for re-election and national notoriety, the Dade County prosecutor wanted to set an example, but Jim’s lawyer knew what to do. By prior arrangement Jim was booked by the FBI office in Los Angeles and released a few minutes later on $5,000 bail.

With a new direction in life, Jim didn’t worry too much about the non-legal repercussions from what supposedly happened in Florida—he left that to the rest of the Doors machinery. A flood of cancellations followed a dire warning by the Concert Halls Management Association. Radio stations dropped The Doors from airplay for the remainder of the year. Unfortunately the anti-Doors campaign affected other bands as well.

In mid-March, the Grateful Dead’s management was informed that the group’s upcoming show in Miami was canceled because the local promoters believed the two bands were of the same ilk. A few months later Janis Joplin was busted for profanity in Tampa, Florida. During the show the police demanded that the audience sit still in their seats. When the request went unheeded a policeman walked up on stage and blew a foghorn during “Summertime.” Janis flipped, and after the show she oozed with profanities toward a backstage cop. The blowout earned her two indictments for “vulgar and indecent language.” The affair was eventually settled with a fine, but it had a negative impact on her bookings as well.” (To continue reading, pick up a copy of The 27s today!)

The Art of Dethkills features The 27 Club

Josh & Eric — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 16:59:04 +0000

Juxtapoz Magazine online just announced a few details about the upcoming Dethkills exhibition happening in LA’s Chinatown.

From Juxtapoz…: “Dethkills is Bobby Alderman and Chris Wolford, two good friends who have been making art together for years – they’re legit offspring of the DIY movement in the L.A. area. From humble beginnings doing graffiti and screen printing clothing for friends and bands, they have taken their talents and focused more specifically in the last few years on painting intricately detailed, larger than life artwork. Their trademark raw, black & white style explores different “wet-in-wet” washes and dry brush painting techniques.”

“Their work has evolved from live painting events they’ve done over the years for band performances, charity auctions, and other promotional parties. When they teamed up to play a band’s show, they’d incorporate the name of the band somewhere in the painting as well as their art collective name, Dethkills. Their paintings now are filled to capacity with different Dethkills typography – the words are drawn in with sharpie and work to compose a larger image that is painted in, over the text, with varying degrees of opaque layers of water and black latex paint. The subliminal words create a gritty texture for the image. Their name is everywhere, so don’t ever look for a signed piece – they all are, over and over again.”

“Along with an awesome huge 4 panel painting that feels like a Rorschach of the divine (see above), the show will feature iconic portraits inspired from “The 27 Club.” The infamous group consists of artists who have died way before their time. Jim Morrison, Dash Snow, and Jimi Hendrix are only a few of the talented artists who all died at 27 years old. Most never even hit their prime, but left amazing contributions in their wake. The crazy thing is how much these personalities inspired a lot of our generation, including Dethkills. The homage is fitting and well done.”

We at the27club.net could not agree more. Most everyone of us regards not just the music and creativity of say Jimi Hendrix or Kristen Pfaff as incredibly inspirational, but it was also how they lived their lives. When Eric and I began working on The 27s book, we both were constantly confronted by the legacy of these cats who had lived only 27 years. Most people will never achieve even close to what one year gifted the spirit of Alan Wilson, but it should be a pedestal we all reach for.

Mad respect Dethkills. Keep that fire burning and thanks to Juxtapoz for turning us all onto Bobby and Chris’ incredible works.

SHADES OF GREY new works by DETHKILLS

opening reception:
Saturday, November 13 · 7:00pm – 11:00pm

RSVP at shadesofgrey@dethkills.com

POVevolving Gallery

939 Chung King Road

Los Angeles, CA

*The first 100 people at the exhibit will receive a handmade one-of-a-kind Dethkills photozine, with silk-screened cover and silk-screened insert, that showcases the process and progression of each piece in the show from beginning to end.
*DJ Set by The Blackouts featuring Ako & Atiba Jefferson with special guest.

Robert Johnson Centennial Concerts

Josh & Eric — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 14:16:29 +0000

(From Antimusic.com):

Blues At The Crossroads: The Robert Johnson Centennial Concerts, a very special tour is set to launch in San Francisco on Jan. 28, 2011 and the accompanying studio recording will be released in early 2011.

The projects commemorates the 100th Anniversary of legendary bluesman Robert Johnson’s birth with exhilarating collaborations between Big Head Todd & The Monsters, living Bluesman legend David “Honeyboy” Edwards, Hubert Sumlin, and Cedric Burnside & Lightnin’ Malcolm. With Edwards on board, Blues At The Crossroads has a direct connection back to the legend, as Edwards was in attendance for Johnson’s last live performance the night Johnson passed away.

“We both wanted to create a blues show that was not just another blues show, but a show that was truly unique,” said Blues at the Crossroads co-producer Ron Hausfeld, who is producing the tour with Ted Kurland Associates’ Jack Randall. “We want people to walk away saying, ‘Wow…that was cool…I’ve never seen anything like it.’”

Before the tour hits the road, Blues At The Crossroads musicians meet this fall at Ardent Recording Studios in Memphis to put this epic collaboration to tape. The studio recordings will be released in early 2011 in conjunction with the tour.

Blues At The Crossroads picks up the thread of Johnson’s legacy in Mississippi, at the junction of US Highways 61 & 49; the very crossroads where, as legend has it, Robert Johnson’s burning desire pushed him to make his deal with the devil – giving up his soul to write the baddest-ass blues the world had ever heard. One of the most famous Delta blues musicians, Johnson has influenced a broad range of musicians for generations with his songs, vocal phrasing and guitar style – in particular his landmark recordings from 1936-1937 that display a remarkable combination of singing, guitar skills, and songwriting talent. Eric Clapton has called Johnson “the most important blues singer that ever lived” and described Johnson’s emotive vocal delivery as “the most powerful cry that I think you can find in the human voice.” Johnson was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as an “Early Influence” in their first induction ceremony in 1986. Johnson’s shadowy, poorly documented life and death at age 27 in 1938 have given rise to much legend.

Blues At The Crossroads: The Robert Johnson Centennial Concerts tour schedule is as follows:

Tour Dates (additional dates to be announced soon)

Date City, State Venue

Jan. 28 San Francisco, CA Regency Ballroom
Jan. 29 Costa Mesa, CA Orange County Performing Arts Center
Jan. 30 San Diego, CA (2 shows) Anthology
Jan. 31 Santa Barbara, CA Campbell Hall / UCSB
Feb. 01 TBA
Feb. 10 Ann Arbor, MI Hill Auditorium / U of M
Feb. 11 Chicago, IL Orchestra Hall
Feb. 12 Kansas City, MO Uptown Theatre
Feb. 13 Meridian, MS Riley Center / MSU
Feb. 16 Chapel Hill, NC Memorial Hall / UNC Chapel Hill
Feb. 17 Washington, DC Strathmore Performing Arts Center
Feb. 18 Boston, MA Berklee School of Music
Feb. 24 Ridgefield, CT The Playhouse
Feb. 25 Princeton, NJ McCarter Theatre
Feb. 26 Blue Bell, PA Montgomery County Community College
Feb. 27 New Bedford, MA Zeiterion Theater
March 4 Milwaukee, WI Potowatomi Casino
March 5 Omaha, NE Holland Performing Arts Center
March 6 Minneapolis, MN Orchestra Hall
March 7 TBA TBA
March 8 Urbana, IL Krannert Center – Tyrone Festival Theatre

Additional dates to be announced.

40 Years Gone: Remembering Janis Joplin

Josh & Eric — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 20:58:46 +0000

As we close in on October 4th, 40 years since Janis Joplin left the world behind, the web is overflowing with friends and fans paying tribute to her. One who knew her best was John Till, guitarist and former member of the Full Tilt Boogie Band, the same band backing Janis during those final days.

Speaking recently with TheRecord.com‘s Joel Rubinoff, John had this to share:

“We lived in the Landmark Motor Hotel together (as a band). We’d go out to movies and restaurants and hang out in bars and there was a lot of sitting around the pool and talking about things like Vietnam and the Kent State massacre.

“I can’t describe how happy and what a good friend she was. It wasn’t an employer-employee relationship, because that’s the way Janis wanted it.”

“Forty years hasn’t done anything to ease the sadness,’’ he says softly. “I watch her on YouTube and I just shake my head. She was just so great.’’

(You can read the full article here)

Hollywood has been teasing a biopic for years, and starlet, Amy Adams recently confirmed to Variety she’s the one.

“I’m feeling excited, scared – all of the things,” Adams said, adding that she was a huge fan of Joplin, who died in 1970 at the age of 27.”

After much speculation as to whether a film will ever happen, (Renee Zellweger was tentatively cast in the early 90′s, followed shortly by artist Pink and Zooey Deschanel), if the current rumors are true, not only will Adams star as the blues mama, but the director will be Fernando Meirelles, the Oscar-nominated Brazilian director of the gang-violence flick “City of God.” Crazy, yes, but that certainly leaves a lot to be expected.

While we won’t exactly hold our breath, we will be as excited as the next fan to see Janis re-introduced to an entire genre of fans who know here name, but little else.

Until then, we’ve got a few goodies to share with you while we all enjoy the end to summer and the new season falls upon us…

1st, we have Janis performing “Cry Baby” in 1970 before an entranced Toronto crowd

2nd, we have her in full swing pouring out “Summertime” during the Cheap Thrills Recording Sessions

Lastly, we’ll check a more intimate version of “Me & Bobby McGee” from the first take she ever made of it. Its a beauty…

Get out there and enjoy it friends and be sure to toast a high one for our gal. Cheers Pearl!