Austin’s Asleep at the Wheel has a lengthy résumé that includes nine Grammys, tours with Bob Dylan, and a recent well-lauded collaboration with Willie Nelson—Willie and the Wheel. The members of Asleep at the Wheel are practitioners of Western Swing, and, according to their Web site, they have “kept a buzz on a genre that might be described as ‘fringe,’” while maintaining musical integrity.

Asleep at the Wheel also has long standing ties with the Washington D.C., area:  The group formed in 1970 in West Virginia and started gigging in D.C. They’ve been frequent inaugural ball performers since George H.W. Bush took office,  and were scheduled to play the White House on September 11th, 2001.

Washington City Paper spoke with Asleep at the Wheel founder and sole remaining original member Ray Benson ahead of Wednesday’s show at the Birchmere.

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On Monday night, the Black Cat hosted the Big Shoulders Ball. We were there. We took pictures. We shot some video of Ted Leo and Andrew Bird. By now, other sites have weighed in. DCist posted its review. So yeah this show has pretty much been blogged about enough. It was a great night–one that I was perhaps too tired to even think about yesterday or immediately following the show! But there were some great performances by Ted Leo, the Waco Brothers, Andrew Bird, and Honeyboy Edwards. What made the night so unique–compared to the other balls–was that it was a) actually fun; b) it felt homemade; 3) you didn’t have to wear a tux (dress was “thrift store formal”; 4) speakers actually mentioned things like healthcare and unions.

I have a few more pictures that I didn’t have time to post the other morning. So here they are.

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We wrote about Monday’s awesome Big Shoulders Ball. There were more than a few transcendent moments. The show was reviewed by Brooklyn Vegan and Pitchfork, and captured by everyone else with a flickr account. But we got video. We captured two of the sweeter moments:

Ted Leo covering Pete Seeger:

Andrew Bird with members of Eleventh Dream Day, Tortoise, and Sally Timms:

Last night I went to the Big Shoulders Ball at the Black Cat. The show was tons of fun and without all the pomp and cheese cubes. The ball was “thrift store formal.” And it was a benefit too. Highlights: Ted Leo covering Pete Seeger and Curtis Mayfield. Andrew Bird’s wondrous violin plucking that he looped and looped. Tortoise finding a rhythm and sticking to it. Ken Vandermark’s tribute to Sun Ra. And Honeyboy Edwards showing how the blues used to be played. Here are a few pics. I’ll have more tomorrow and some video:

Ted Leo

Sally Timms

Andrew Bird

Andrew over on City Desk posted a smart critique of the Lincoln Memorial concert. The show’s lineup, he wrote, was way too boomercentric. Of course, he’s right. Garth Brooks singing “American Pie” had nothing to do with the future of the American economy, Obama, netroots, etc. It was just Hollywood’s outdated response to the failing economy, Obama, netroots, etc. Mellencamp singing “Pink Houses?” Hasn’t he sung that song enough? And just where were the musicians from say the last decade and a half? Half these people could have played Live Aid. Fuck what did James Taylor have to do with this moment?

The best performances are probably going to be the small ones. I caught Brother Ah at the Aloha Ball over at a small room in the Woodley Park Marriott. The band was tight. He was mystical (in a non-hippie-boomer way) turning the depressing room into a loft party. I half expected Amiri Baraka to walk in. The big ball performance of the weekend was Wyclef. I didn’t think much of it.

I know I missed the freakest moment of the weekend. George Clinton got a small portion of his band together and actually played to a room of like 200 at the Aloha Ball. I had to scope out the scene along U Street. Second prize was catching Usher at Ben’s.

I just got back from the Green Inaugural Ball on Constitution Ave at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium. I’m sure Darrow will have photos of this event soon. But I was thinking: I just saw Wyclef Jean. And I felt nothing. At one point in my life, Jean’s old band dominated every single house party I went to. Tonight, he looked kinda old slogging away with his bad Marleyisms. The dude wore a wife beater. He had a bumper sticker on his forehead. He’s got a gut. He phoned in a version of the national anthem. He used a flange pedal on the national anthem. When’s this guy going to get his own cruise ship?

Jean certainly worked the crowd (a couple hundred). But is it that hard to inspire a bunch of middle-aged gals who put paid $500 to get in? I counted only one lady doing some kinda hippie trance twirl thing in the back of the room. Just one. Is he pissed that will.i.am stole his schtick?

What made Jean’s performance tolerable was that you could chow down at the dessert tables and not feel guilty that you were missing anything. Let me tell you, the mini apple pie thingies with the cheese wedges on top really made the night. They were still warm by the time I got my mitts on them. And the fruit salad had just the right strawberry-to-melon-to-grapes ratio. The American Flag sugar cookies were a nice touch as well.

I still wonder is Wyclef the Phil Collins of hip-hop or the Kenny Rogers of hip-hop? I just thought of posting a clip of Rogers doing “The Gambler.” But I thought better of it. I’m going to try and forget I ever saw Wyclef Jean.

*photo by Darrow Montgomery.

It is 12:34 a.m. This blog will be posted later. But right now, I am trying to get my head around the dullest news possible breaking out of the inaugural festivities. WTOP is reporting that at the Neighborhood Ball, Beyonce will be singing the first song that Barack and Michelle Obama will dance to. Beyonce will be joined by performers ranging from will.i.am to Mariah Carey, Jay-Z, and Alicia Keys. I can’t think of a more safe pick to sing during that most televised moment. I don’t expect M.I.A. or Cat Power. It’s just a little too safe.

Alicia Keys would have been the better choice. I just have this feeling–correct me if I’m wrong here–but the next four, five days are going to be a huge bland sandwich only with massive crowds, security zones, and huge traffic congestion. Safe acts (Sting, Sheryl Crow) meeting up with the usual Hollywood cameos (Kate Walsh?). It’s telethon-level talent. But what are they singing for? Obama? The fact that we’re done with Bush?

I can’t help but be disappointed. Again. Where’s Wilco? For my money the best show in town is going to be the Big Shoulders Ball at the Black Cat featuring folks like Ted Leo, Ken Vandermark, Tortoise, etc. I’m going to that show. I promise to post pictures and maybe a little video.

Courtesy of Mingering Mike by way of this magazine. It’s the latest art from D.C.’s most famous imaginary superstar.

Since it’s a holiday, and therefore no one is calling me back, let’s get into it. Ever since Obama became President-Elect Obama, I’ve been thinking about who should play at the various inaugural balls around town. If it were a republican, we’d be stuck with ’80s country acts and maybe Carrie Underwood. Safe, harmless warm milk. If it were McCain, you know he’d rouse Chuck Berry for some lame rendition of “Johnny B. Goode.”

But Obama won. So what should he do? The obvious choice: Stevie Wonder. Wonder provided Obama with his campaign theme and would play well with the establishment crowd. (Let’s face it, anyone who is reading this blog probably is not going to be invited to these shindigs). It’s also a unifying choice. Even the Palintards would give Wonder his due.

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