Looking for a cool place to get a tattoo, see some pin up girls, check out some classic cars, get married on the Queen Marry and catch some great Americana music this summer? Then head over to the Iron-N-Ink Tattoo and Kustom Culture Festival in Long Beach, CA June 6-8.

On the bill is Wayne Hancock, The Blasters, Dale Watson, Rosie Flores, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Junior Brown, The Lonesome Spurs and much more.

The man is a mad genius in a world of tin-eared fools. Pehdtsckjmba people, pehdtsckjmba.

Via the 9513 and Stillisstillmoving.com

Dallas based terrestrial roots-music/classic-rock/country-music radio station Lone Star 92.5 offers some great live performances by the likes of Steve Earle, Chris Duarte, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Jason Isbell, Back Door Slam, Todd Snider and Billy Joe Shaver on their feature the Full Throttle Garage.

Charlie Daniels has invited Shooter Jennings to open a series of Daniels’ Volunteer Jam concerts this year. April 11-12 in Harris, Mich. the bill also features .38 Special (which includes Donnie Van Zant, of the country duo Van Zant.)

The origial Volunteer Jam took place in 1972 was suppose to a one-off showcase of Daniel’s friend’s which just happed to be the best Southern Rock bands of the time which including the Allman Brothers Band and the Marshall Tucker Band.

If your in the 5 boroughs next Tuesday head on over to the Rockwood Music Hall to catch singer/songwriter Joe Whyte and his band. Whyte won’t be playing these parts until May so ya’ll head on over!

Tuesday, March 11
Rockwood Music Hall
196 Allen St., NYC
8pm
FREE!!

The New York Times has a nice piece on something I’ve seen first hand. the rising popularity of Roots Music here in New York. The city that gave you the smoky Greenwich Village folk clubs from the 60’s seems posed to offer the same proving ground for roots and Americana music.

From the article: “There’s another generation of people who want to hear music that’s accessible, that’s not a prefab product, that’s lyric based but not preachy,” said Adam Levy, a guitarist and singer-songwriter who has played on all of Ms. (Norah) Jones’s albums. “If there’s a roots movement in New York now, I think of it in those terms.”

Austin’s Yard Dog Gallery will host a showing by El Paso resident and renowned singer/songwriter and painter, Tom Russell.

The majority of the paintings in the show pay tribute to a group of jazz musicians from Juarez, Mexico.  They were premier musicians who played in the top night spots of Juarez in its heyday, even backed Frank Sinatra and Peggy Lee, but lost their lives when their bus went off a cliff in 1953.

Opening reception is Friday February 15th 6:30 – 8:30 PM
Tom will play a few songs at the opening.  Afterward, he will be playing at the Cactus Café.

Yard Dog
1510 S Congress Ave
Austin, TX 78704
512.912.1613

Okay, so the Grammys didn’t completely blow, just about 97% did. There were some greats - Aretha, Tina, John Fogerty, Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard, some damn good - Foo Fighters, The Time, some suprises (Amy Winehouse was good and seemed SOBER!) And then there was the crap, well that would make my hand cramp to write it. Some stand outs for me:

Best Contemporary Folk/Americana Album: Steve Earle - Washington Square Serenade [New West Records]

Best Traditional Folk Album: Levon Helm - Dirt Farmer [Dirt Farmer Music/Vanguard Records]

Best Southern, Country, Or Bluegrass Gospel Album: Ricky Skaggs & The Whites - Salt Of The Earth [Skaggs Family Records]

Best Bluegrass Album: Jim Lauderdale - The Bluegrass Diaries [Yep Roc Records]

Best Country Instrumental Performance: Brad Paisley - Throttleneck from: 5th Gear [Arista Nashville]

Best Country Collaboration With Vocals: Willie Nelson & Ray Price - Lost Highway from: Last Of The Breed [Lost Highway Records]

Best Country Album (and best on camera slam of Kanye West!): Vince Gill - These Days [MCA Nashville]

Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals: Robert Plant & Alison Krauss - Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On) [Rounder Records]

Best Historical Album: Woody Guthrie - The Live Wire [Woody Guthrie Publications]

And Uncle Tony, you were robbed! Next year, man….