Arroyo Seco 2017 Preview

Southern California gets a little country at Arroyo Seco Weekend, June 24th & 25th, with the parkland & shady oaks of Brookside:

SATURDAY, JUNE 24th

Sycamore Stage The Meters, 7:25 PM Topping the Sycamore Stage on Saturday at Arroyo Seco are The Meters. The New Orleans group made their own music in the sixties & seventies, but also backed the likes of Dr. John (QRO photos), Robert Palmer, and Allen Touissaint. And along with the likes of James Brown, they introduced funk to the wider world.
Charles Bradley & His Extraordinaires, 6:05 PM The ‘Screaming Eagle of Soul’, Charles Bradley is one of the many great soul singers to emerge from Brooklyn’s DapTone Records, which also brought the world Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings (QRO live review) and Budos Band (QRO album review), but Bradley more than stands on his own, from festivals (QRO photos at a festival) to hotels (QRO photos at a hotel) to Marvel’s Luke Cage to topping the bill at the one-and-only Apollo Theater (QRO photos)!
Broken Social Scene, 4:50 PM Since being part of the indie-rock ‘Canadian Invasion’ over a decade ago, Toronto’s Broken Social Scene (QRO live review outdoors) have also become one of the most sought-after festival bands (QRO photos at a festival) in the alternative music arena (QRO spotlight on), whether indoors at industry showcases (QRO photos at a festival) – including the at home in Toronto (QRO photos at a Toronto festival) or outdoors at more traditional fests (QRO photos outdoors at a festival), to the point where they’re headlining (QRO photos headlining a festival). Fronted by singer/guitarists Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning (QRO interview), this giant collective includes The Apostle of Hustle (QRO spotlight on), Andrew Whiteman (QRO interview), musical mad scientist Charles Spearin (QRO interview) of Do Make Say Think (QRO photos at a festival), and a rotating female vocalist spot that’s included Emily Haines (QRO solo album review) of Metric (QRO live review), Leslie Feist (QRO live review), Elizabeth Powell (QRO interview) of Land of Talk (QRO spotlight on), and more. While the previous releases were ‘BSS Presents:’ albums focused on Drew (Spirit If… – QRO review) and Canning (Something For All of Us… – QRO review), 2010’s Forgiveness Rock Record (QRO review) was a return to the Broken Social Scene (QRO photos outdoors at a festival), and their live show (QRO live review outdoors) has included everything from Forgiveness songs like “Meet Me In the Basement” (QRO video) Spearin’s fascinating Happiness Project (QRO review) to the old ‘hits’ like “K.C. Accidental” (QRO video) and “Fire Eyed Boy” (QRO video) – as well as numerous guest stars (QRO photos). 2017 looks to be a big year for the band (QRO photos at a festival), with the new Hug of Thunder coming out in June, a packed touring schedule (QRO photos), and more – including more on stage, as there’s gonna be tons for the guest-packed new album (QRO photos at a festival), as they come to Arroyo Seco.
Also: John Mayall, 3:35 PM – QRO photos at a festival Haley, 2:30 PM Baskery, 1:20 PM
The Oaks Stage Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, 8:30 PM One of the best-selling artists of all time, Tom Petty (QRO photos) has been active since the seventies and “Breakdown”, keeping it up through the eighties and nineties, when a whole new generation found him in such hit singles as “Free Fallin’”, “Into the Great Wide Open”, and “Mary Jane’s Last Dance”. His popularity has never wavered (QRO photos), he’s even done acting (like as a future version of himself in Kevin Costner’s The Postman…), and he comes to headline Arroyo Seco behind 2014’s Hypnotic Eye, his first full-length since 2010’s Mojo (QRO review), and a big tour with his Heartbreakers (QRO photos).
Alabama Shakes, 6:50 PM Actually from Alabama, throwback rock ‘n’ rollahs Alabama Shakes (QRO photos at a festival) are well loved from their numerous, energetic live shows (QRO photos), which got them a slew of Grammy nominations in 2013 and again last year, with a well-earned headlining spot on the festival circuit (QRO photos at a festival) – even just played NYC’s Fleet Week (QRO photos)!
Dawes, 5:25 PM The up-and-coming Americana indie outfit (QRO photos) that’s come up, Dawes (QRO photos at a festival) hail from Los Angeles’ Laurel Canyon (QRO photos outdoors), out last year with fourth release We’re All Gonna Die – and neither do they (QRO photos). They come to Arroyo Seco (QRO photos at a festival) after serving as opener & backing band for Conor Oberst (QRO photos together at a festival).
LĪVE, 4:10 PM You remember Live as a hit nineties act, with their album Throwing Copper and “Lightning Crashes”. More recently, singer Ed Kowalczyk split with the band in 2009, a new singer was recruited & new album released, but last year Kowalczyk returned for the full Live experience.
Preservation Hall Jazz Band, 2:50 PM New Orleans’ Preservation Hall has been preserving the iconic city’s jazz tradition not just in the Big Easy but also around the world thanks to the Preservation Hall Jazz Band (QRO photos), who having been bringing Dixieland to other lands since the founding of the hall back in the sixties. Also: Jade Jackson, 1:35 PM
Willow Stage William Bell, 6:35 PM Roy Ayers, 5:15 PM – QRO photos outdoors Jeff Goldblum & The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra, 4:00 PM The Bennie Maupin Ensemble, 2:40 PM Avery*Sunshine, 1:30 PM

SUNDAY, JUNE 25th

Sycamore Stage The Shins, 7:50 PM The Shins (QRO photos) are back! The Shins are back! The band (QRO live review) that caused Zach Braff (and the world) to fall in love with Natalie Portman in Garden State had one of the most-anticipated & best-received records of 2007 in Wincing the Night Away (QRO review). Then the band (QRO photos) left label Sub Pop, and soon started losing members around main man James Mercer, who eventually put The Shins on hold to work with Danger Mouse as the middling Broken Bells (QRO album review). But Mercer & whoever makes up the rest of The Shins (QRO photos at a festival) came back, reclaiming their indie crown with 2012’s great Port of Morrow (QRO review), and again played big stages (and big shows, like Austin City Limits – QRO live review on Austin City Limits) and big festivals (QRO photos at a festival). Mercer took time off for another, better, Broken Bells record (QRO review), but returned this year for another great Shins record, Port of Morrow (QRO review) and are perfect for Arroyo Seco (QRO photos at a festival).
Andrew Bird, 6:30 PM Chicago multi-instrumentalist Andrew Bird (QRO live review) plays everything from guitar to whistle, but is best known for his impressive violin work (QRO photos), which manages to be both timely and timeless (QRO photos) on such albums as Armchair Apocrypha (QRO review) and more, up to last year’s Are You Serious. Bird (QRO photos) is a great addition for a festival (QRO photos outdoors), or anything else: he even did the whistling in The Muppets.
Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, 5:15 PM Rivaling Sean Lennon (QRO photos at a festival) and Jakob Dylan (QRO live review) in fatherly shadows to get out of, Willie Nelson’s son Lukas (QRO photos of them together at the elder Wilson’s 80th birthday celebration) has established his own country name with his band, Promise of the Real (QRO photos).
The Revivalists, 4:00 PM New Orleans seven-piece Americana rock band The Revivalists (QRO photos at a festival) were last year named one of Rolling Stone’s “10 Bands You Need To Know.”
Alice Smith, 2:55 PM Jazz-soul singer Alice Smith (QRO photos outdoors) comes to Arroyo Seco (QRO photos at a festival).
Rachel Platten, 1:55 PM Bringing some blue-eyed soul to Arroyo Seco is Rachel Platten (QRO photos), thanks to her hit single “Fight Song” – her live performance of the “Song” on Good Morning America even earned her an Emmy. Also: Madison McFerrin, 1:00 PM
The Oaks Stage Mumford & Sons, 8:45 PM London’s King’s College & St. Paul’s School are serving as something of the English alt-folk Wesleyan, seeing related acts hit it big. First there was Noah & The Whale (QRO live review), with graduates of both, then Noah’s female vocalist Laura Marling (QRO live review) went out on her own. But the biggest hit from there has to be fellow Marling collaborator Mumford & Sons (QRO live review). Debut Sign No More saw them break through to the mainstream (QRO photos outdoors) with songs like “Little Lion Man”, and 2012’s follow-up Babel (QRO review) hit number one on the charts (QRO photos) on both sides of the Atlantic (QRO photos at a European festival). Oh, they’ve also done such feats as perform on the Grammys with Bob Dylan – and win album of the year in 2013! They also got a Grammy for their tour documentary Big Easy Express (QRO screening review), where they, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros (QRO spotlight on), and Old Crow Medicine Show toured the southwest by train – a railroad version of their ‘Gentlemen of the Road Stopover’ tours (QRO review). And now Mumford & Sons (QRO live review) headline Arroyo Seco (QRO photos at a festival), after 2015’s Wilder Mind (QRO review) and last year’s run of massive shows (QRO live review in 2016).
Weezer, 7:00 PM For a long time, the new output from Weezer (QRO photos at a festival) like 2010’s Hurley (QRO review) and Death To False Metal (QRO review) or the previous year’s Raditude (QRO review) wasn’t up to their nineties classics (and 2008’s red album-covered self-titled – QRO review – couldn’t hold a candle to the blue- and green-covered earlier Weezers – QRO blue Weezer live review – or Pinkerton – QRO deluxe edition review), but they still played those nineties classics like “My Name Is Jonas” (QRO video), “Say It Ain’t So” (QRO video), “Buddy Holly” (QRO video), “No One Else” (QRO video), “Surf Wax America” (QRO video), “Falling For You” (QRO video), and “Dope Nose” (QRO video), which can even lift later pieces like “Islands In the Sun” (QRO video) and “Beverly Hills” (QRO video). And their live show (QRO live review) – especially outdoors (QRO live review outdoors) headlining a festival (QRO photos headlining a festival) – has stayed great (QRO photos headlining a festival). 2014 came Everything Will Be Alright In the End (QRO review), their best record in years & years (QRO Everything live review), then last year another Weezer, the white one (QRO review), another good one (QRO White Album live review) – plus dude, Hurley (QRO photo).
Fitz & The Tantrums, 5:45 PM While acts like Brooklyn’s Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings (QRO live review) revived the soul sound, Los Angeles’ Fitz & The Tantrums (QRO photos) are reinventing it with an indie-pop twist (QRO photos at a festival) – and their own amazing live show (QRO live review), including at festivals (QRO photos at a festival).
Andy Grammer, 4:35 PM Singer/songwriter Andy Grammer (QRO photos) high multi-platinum with 2014’s Magazines or Novels – here’s hoping his work on the follow-up will be displayed at Arroyo Seco.
ZZ Ward, 3:25 PM Singer/songwriter ZZ Ward (QRO photos) will be displaying her new album The Storm, her follow-up to 2012 debut Til the Casket Drops.
The Mowgli’s, 2:20 PM Southern California’s The Mowgli’s (QRO photos) got attention with “San Francisco”, and come to Arroyo Seco behind last year’s Where’d Your Weekend Go?. Also: Magic Giant, 1:15 PM
Willow Stage Galactic, 7:55 PM Hailing from New Orleans, Galactic (QRO photos at a festival) is a five-man funk band. They combine traditional jazz with brass-heavy funk that’s much like the city’s signature sound. Thrown into the mix are their cutting edge, ‘new school’ horns and the regional hip-hop known as New Orleans Bounce. Galactic (QRO photos at a festival) succeeds in producing a sound that’s entirely new while still paying homage to the style that made the Big Easy famous. Since their latest album YA-KA-MAY was released, the band’s been touring across the country.
Lettuce, 6:40 PM Get funky with Boston’s many-membered Lettuce (QRO photos at a festival).
Also: Jamtown Featuring Donavon Frankenreiter, G. Love & Cisco Adler, 5:25 PM David Lindley, 4:10 PM Con Brio, 3:05 PM NK Band, 1:50 PM

For festival website, go here: https://www.arroyosecoweekend.com/