FRIDAY LIVE: Allman Brothers Band, Jan. 17, 1971, Pittsburgh, Pa.

America's greatest rock band at its best (or at least very close), here's the perfect concert to blast while grilling and guzzling in celebration of Independence Day.

It's a superb soundboard recording of the original Allman Brothers Band lineup performing just a couple months before going to New York for the shows resulting in the group's seminal live album "At Fillmore East."

This Pittsburgh show starts off with leader Duane Allman, who died in a motorcycle crash nine months later, thanking opening Taj Mahal before launching into a sizzling version of "Statesboro Blues," which Duane learned from Taj's self-titled album.

ABB is spot-on, vibrant and determined throughout, giving "You Don't Love Me" a fabulous outro before mesmerizing with 20 beautiful, highly emotive minutes of "Whipping Post."

Artist: The Allman Brothers Band
Date: Jan. 17, 1971
Location: Syria Mosque, Pittsburgh
Lineup: Duane Allman (lead guitar, slide guitar), Gregg Allman (organ, piano, vocals), Dickey Betts (lead guitar), Berry Oakley (bass guitar), Jai Johanny Johanson (drums, congas, timbales), Butch Trucks (drums, tympani).
Setlist: 1 Statesboro Blues
2 Trouble No More
3 Don't Keep Me Wonderin'
4 Memory Of Elizabeth Reed
5 Midnight Rider
6 You Don't Love Me
7 Whipping Post

Read more here: http://heraldbuzzworthy.blogspot.com/2012/06/rolling-stones-nov-26-1969-baltimore.html#storylink=cpy

—Undated photo of Gregg Allman (left) and Duane Allman from duaneallman.com

LISTEN: Iris DeMent's 'Sing the Delta,' title track to her first album of originals in 16 years

It has been 16 years since revered singer/songwriter Iris DeMent released an album of original material.

"Sing The Delta," scheduled for release Oct. 2, presents a dozen new compositions by DeMent. It's her first collection of originals since 1996's "The Way I Should."

“I didn’t know when or if I’d make another record," DeMent said in a statement. "I gave up on trying to steer it or force it and decided to just make myself available in my heart and mind as much as I could and leave the rest up to fate.”

"Songs would come along, here and there, and I’d go out and sing them for people," she said. "Then last year, it seemed like a door kinda opened, a handful of new tunes showed up and I managed to finish up a few others and I knew I had a record!”

LISTEN: Title track to "Sing the Delta."




DeMent is releasing "Sing The Delta" on her own label, Flariella Records. It was recorded at Richard McLaurin’s House of David studio in Nashville with co-producers Richard Bennett and Bo Ramsey, with a supporting cast that included Bryan Owings on drums, Dave Jacques on bass, Al Perkins on pedal steel and Reese Wynans on B3 organ, as well as horn players Jim Hoke and Steve Herman on a couple of numbers.

“I guess what I've learned in the process is to just surrender and trust the natural flow and order of things, and not worry about it,” DeMent said. “Some of these songs I’ve had awhile but needed time to grow into them. I’m glad I waited.”

I interviewed DeMent in 2007 (with more of it here) before taking my mom to see her give a gripping performance at Tampa Theatre.

—Publicity photo from http://www.irisdement.com.

WEEKEND: Three Dog Night play free Fourth of July fest in Palmetto (interview), fireworks, Coldplay, 'Magic Mike' and more

Three Dog Night headlines Palmetto's free Fourth of July party at Sutton Park; singer Cory Wells on band's new platinum record; just saying no: interview


Full list of fireworks, rock 'n' roll planned for July 4th holiday in Manatee

Loved and loathed: Coldplay at Tampa Bay Times Forum 

Review: Soderbergh and his strippers work it with feeling in 'Magic Mike'

And much more in Weekend.

—Photo shows Fouth of July fireworks exploding over the Manatee River. By PAUL VIDELA/pvidela@bradenton.com. 
 

Top 10 Nora Ephron films

Nora Ephron, who died Tuesday of leukemia in New York at age 71, wrote, directed and produced numerous films.

Her greatest hits include several smart, beloved romantic comedies and a classic dramatic thriller.

Here are my favorites.

1. "When Harry Met Sally..." 1989 (writer, producer)
The ultimate rom-com about getting stuck in the friend zone finds Billy Crystal at his best and Meg Ryan at her most adorable. Also features fine performance by Carrie Fisher.

2. "Silkwood," 1983 (writer)
Meryl Streep rocks as a metallurgy worker at a plutonium processing plant who has been contaminated, mentally abused and possibly murdered so she won't expose the plant's safety violation.

3. "Julie & Julia," 2009 (writer, director, producer)
Ephron taps Streep again, this time to brilliantly play famed food writer/TV chef Julia Child in this touching, joyous biopic with a twist.

4. "Sleepless in Seattle" 1993 (writer, director)
Tom Hanks and Ryan (adorable again) make sparks fly in this story about what happens when a recently-widowed man's son clandestinely plays matchmaker. 

5. "You've Got Mail," 1998 (writer, director, producer)
Ephrom re-teams with Hanks and Ryan (still adorable) for another rom-com romp that takes its title from some email prompt thingy and, ah, chat rooms, from AOL. The first "e-com"? Maybe.  

6. "My Blue Heaven," 1990 (writer, producer)
Not exactly a "Nora Ephron film," but she wrote this mafioso comedy solo nonetheless, creating one of Steve Martin's most hilarious (and underrated) roles as the gangster with the heart of gold.

7. "Heartburn," 1986 (writer)
Based on her novel of the same name about her marriage to Washington Post/"All the President;s Men" writer Carl Bernstein. Film stars Streep and Jack Nicholson.  

Read more here: http://www.bradenton.com/2012/06/26/4093220/nora-ephron-writer-filmmaker-dies.html#storylink=misearch#storylink=cpy

8. "Michael," 1996 (writer, director, producer)
Likable fantasy film finds John Travolta playing hard drinking, smoking slob Archangel Michael. 

9. "Mixed Nuts," 1994 (writer, director)
Better than critics (or box office numbers) indicate, Christmas comedy stars Martin, Madeline Kahn, Rita Wilson and a young Adam Sandler.

10. "Cookie," 1989 (writer, executive producer)
Ephron's first mafioso comedy is not "My Blue Heave" but it's not bad. Cast features Peter Falk as

Ephron also coauthored, with her sister Delia Ephron, the  play "Love, Loss, and What I Wore," which can be seen at the Asolo Repertory Theatre in Sarasota.

Writer-filmmaker Nora Ephron dies at 71

—AP Photo is an image released by Warner Bros. Home Video showing actors Tom Hanks, left, and Meg Ryan in a scene from"You've Got Mail." 

Read more here: http://www.bradenton.com/2012/06/26/4093356/nora-ephron-1941-2012.html#storylink=misearch#storylink=cpy

UPDATED 6/27: Louis C.K. bringing stand-up skills to Straz Center in Tampa

UPDATED 6/27: Second show added (see below).

Emmy and Grammy Award winning comedian Louis C.K. – creator, executive producer, director, editor and star of FX's critically acclaimed series "Louie" – will perform 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. Nov. 29.at the Straz Center in Tampa.


And he's selling tickets his way.


“This year, I'm trying something new, building on the fun, success and fan-benefit of selling my content online," he said in statement. "I've cut the ticket charges way down and absorbed them into the ticket price. To buy a ticket, you join NOTHING. Just use your credit card and buy the damn thing.”

Tickets are $45 (inclusive of all fees) and are on sale at Louis C.K.’s website, http://www.louisck.com./

Back in December, Louis released his last standup special, "Louis C.K. Live At the Beacon Theatre," directly to consumers through his website for $5. He has since added additional content to the site.

http://www.strazcenter.org/

INTERVIEW: Robin Givens at Manatee Players in Bradenton to workshop new play 'Joy in the Morning'

UPDATED 7/29: 'Boomerang' star Robin Givens on staging her play 'Joy in the Morning' in Bradenton: interview

The Manatee Players announced today a joint partnership with Robin Givens to workshop "Joy in the Morning."

It's a new play with music written by the stage and screen actress best known for the starring opposite Eddie Murphy in the film "Boomerang."

The play, with cast coordination by Manatee Players’ Producing Artistic Director Rick Kerby, will be work shopped and directed by Givens during the month of July at the Manatee Players Riverfront Theatre in downtown Bradenton.

Givens will host a reception after the final performance of "Joy in the Morning." The next production of the play will be in Toronto in October. The script was originally presented 10 years ago in a play reading at Carnegie Hall in New York.

During her month-long stay in Bradenton, Givens will be presenting a workshop two days a week for two hours each day at the Palmetto Boys and Girls Club. The course,  "The Art of Living through Acting," is open to teens and preteens.

Thirty young people will be given the opportunity learn and feel better about themselves through improvisation and rehearsed scenes.

“It is all about confidence building,” said Givens, in a statement.

Details: Performances of "Joy in the Morning" at the Manatee Players' Riverfront Theatre,  102 12th St. W., Bradenton, will be held at 7:30 p.m. on August 2 and at 8 p.m. on August 3 as a benefit for the Manatee Players. A limited number of preferred seating tickets will be available for each evening which include a private talk-back. Preferred seating tickets are $50 per person. All other seats are adult tickets at $26, students at $13 and teachers at $15. Tickets are available by calling the box office at 941-748-5875 or online at manateeplayers.com.

—Photo of Robin Givens provided by Manatee Players

REVIEW: ‘Love, Loss, and What I Wore,’ Asolo Repertory Theatre, Sarasota

Mary Testa, Loretta Swit, Roni Geva, Donna McKechnie and Rosalyn Coleman (from left) in the Asolo Repertory Theatre's production of 'Love, Loss, and What I Wore.'

Fashion can be fun.

And traumatic.

That’s what we learn from “Love, Loss, and What I Wore,” which opened Friday at the Asolo Repertory Theatre in Sarasota.

The evening of monologues had the audience laughing on numerous occasions during the 94-minute production.

Nora Ephron, the screenwriter of such films as “Silkwood,” “When Harry Met Sally…” and “Sleepless in Seattle,” coauthored the play with her sister Delia Ephron. It’s based on the best-selling book of the same name by Ilene Beckerman.

It’s a nice match of mostly witty vignettes, 28 total, about clothes-associated memories delivered by five women, all dressed in black, turning pages and seated in front of music stands.

But these aren’t just any five women.

Loretta Swit, the actress who won two Emmys for playing Major Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan on "M*A*S*H," has the only really definable role of the narrator, Gingy.

Tony Award winner Donna McKechnie (the original Cassie in "A Chorus Line"), two-time Tony nominee Mary Testa, "Love, Loss, and What I Wore" regular Roni Geva, and Rosalyn Coleman (who appears in the recent Zach Galifianakis film "It's Kind of a Funny Story") round out the cast.

Loretta Swit and Donna McKechnie talk 'Love, Loss, and What I Wore': interviews

Everyone except Coleman had previously made an appearance in “Love, Loss, and What I Wore,” which has been playing off-Broadway since 2009.

On Friday, each woman did a solid job of selling the stories, with Testa taking the prize for best performance with Geva placing a close second.

Those two just brought an extra energy to the anecdotes that increased the believability factor.

When Testa talks about the sorrows of not being able to fit into a certain size, it’s like hearing a salon confessional.

Subject matter includes dressing room drama, bad bras, prom problems and purchase struggles that tie in with mommy issues.

The material bounds from hilarious to sad, at times burdened by predictable punch lines and a certain maudlin banality.

On balance, though, it’s entertaining if not as insightful as the play would like to be.

Details: Through July 15, Asolo Repertory’s Mertz Theatre, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. Tickets: $20-$67. Information: 941-351-8000 or http://www.asolorep.org/.

—Photo provided by Asolo Repertory Theatre.