Németh, well known as co-founder of long time Boise favorites Fat John And The Three Slims and the Frim Fram Four, has gone on to become one of the brightest young stars in the blues field since leaving Idaho and releasing a number of highly acclaimed albums on Blind Pig Records. John’s success brought him to the attention of Bishop and the two began performing and recording together. They have collaborated on five recordings over the last five years, including John’s “Love Me Tonight” album and Bishop’s Grammy-nominated “The Blues Rolls On.” For more information check out johnnemethblues.com

Tickets:
Main Floor B – E $40.00
Main Floor G – N $30.00
Front Row Balcony O $30.00
Balcony P – Z $20.00
(applicable Handling fees will apply)

Check out www.theF3T.com for details.

Discount tickets ($12) available at The Idaho Angler

Tickets

Video

INTERVIEWS in THRIVE: Duane Elgin, Nassim Haramein, Steven Greer, Jack Kasher, Daniel Sheehan, Adam Trombly, Brian O’Leary, Vandana Shiva, John Gatto, John Robbins, Deepak Chopra, David Icke, Catherine Austin Fitts, G. Edward Griffin, Bill Still, John Perkins, Paul Hawken, Aqeela Sherrills, Evon Peter, Angel Kyodo Williams, Elisabet Sahtouris, Amy Goodman, and Barbara Marx Hubbard.

March 24th, 2:00 PM & 7:00 PM
Tickets are $5.00 (handling fees will apply)
All proceeds go to spreading the THRIVE movement in Idaho.

Official Trailer

What a co-bill! Both of these bands have played packed houses in Boise with incredible music and energy. Very excited to have this power tour making a stop at The Visual Arts Collective!

“Few things rejuvenate the soul like a warm fireside drink after an exhausting day in the snow. Hot Buttered Rum has that effect. Their original songs are instantly familiar and inviting, and their easygoing versions of timeless classics (the Beatles, Hank Williams) belie the intricacy of the arrangements.” The San Francisco Chronicle

Formed over 10 years ago, Cornmeal has grown from humble beginnings into a nationally recognized live music institution. Heavily influenced by American roots and folk music, Cornmeal blends lightning fast tempos and impeccable harmonies into an unrivaled live performance that continues to expand upon the five-piece acoustic-electric groups’ vast musical repertoire. While steeped in the tradition of the past, Cornmeal continues to forge their own path, pushing the boundaries of bluegrass, Americana and folk for a whole new generation of music lovers.

Hot Buttered Rum – Initially formed as an acoustic string band, seven years of constant touring has transformed Hot Buttered Rum into a plugged-in, percussive powerhouse that wows critics and fans alike. Their left-coast rock reveals an access to jazz, country, and world music that few groups can match. While the band’s music belies simple categorization, its songwriting and stage chemistry delights listeners at every turn.

Hot Buttered Rum’s story is one of evolution. The “high altitude bluegrass” era captured on their first studio album, In These Parts, found the band enjoying success at such diverse stages as the Newport Folk Festival, Bonnaroo, Grey Fox, High Sierra, Wakarusa, and the Telluride Bluegrass Festival. Along the way, the group shared the stage with some of today’s most accomplished artists, including Phil Lesh, Bela Fleck, Ben Harper, and Nickel Creek’s Chris Thile. In 2006, acoustic pioneer Mike Marshall produced Hot Buttered Rum’s second studio album, Well-Oiled Machine, and captured the sound of a hard-touring band charting its course along the highways and byways of American music.

The continued expansion of Hot Buttered Rum’s sound and writing found a home in Live in the Northeast. More electric pickups made their way to the stage, along with an increased focus on songwriting. As the band developed a heavier sound, fans and press began to describe them as a rock band with acoustic instruments. It therefore came as no surprise when, following the departure of mandolinist Zac Matthews, the other founding members Aaron Redner (fiddle and mandolin), Bryan Horne (upright bass), Nat Keefe (guitar), and Erik Yates (banjo, guitar, woodwinds, and resophonic guitar) joined forces with Bay Area drummer Lucas Carlton.

The new lineup has recently emerged from San Francisco’s Mission Bells Studios, where they recorded Limbs Akimbo under the watchful eye of producer Tim Bluhm (The Mother Hips). Featuring guest appearances by Jackie Greene (Skinny Singers, Phil Lesh and Friends) and Zach Gill (ALO, Jack Johnson), the album marks the beginning of a new creative phase. Limbs Akimbo now signals the arrival of a highly matured, impressively listenable, stirringly rocking, and pleasantly poppy sound. Proving himself a forceful producer, Bluhm has struck an impressive balance between highlighting the multi-instrumental, cross-genre elements of the band’s sound while avoiding the contemporary trappings of music that is complex and different merely for the sake of complexity and difference. The result is beautifully paradoxical: a tremendous, minimalist pop album full of hints, teases, and cameos of the band’s complex musical personality. In “Something New,” Keefe recites the familiar wedding adage “something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.” And right there, in a nutshell, is Limbs Akimbo: an album that is both an elegy and reincarnation of Hot Buttered Rum’s past sound, that borrows heavily from the rock pantheon while sprinkling in just a little of everything else. Limbs Akimbo is an album that evidences the acoustic string band of yesteryear while unapologetically propelling into the scene a mature left-coast, drum-driven, pop-rock band.

http://www.hotbutteredrum.net/

Cornmeal – Formed over 10 years ago, Cornmeal has grown from humble beginnings into a nationally recognized live music institution. 11 years together is no simple task these days, especially when the last five have seen the band spending over half the year on the road. Heavily influenced by American roots and folk music, Cornmeal blends lightning fast tempos and impeccable harmonies into an unrivaled live performance that continues to expand upon the five-piece acoustic-electric groups’ vast musical repertoire. While steeped in the tradition of the past, Cornmeal continues to forge their own path, pushing the boundaries of bluegrass, Americana and folk for a whole new generation of music lovers. With a rapidly growing fan base and ever-evolving sound, Cornmeal challenges the recipe of the bluegrass sound and live performance.

In the beginning of 2010, Cornmeal released their first live album, Live in Chicago, IL Vol. I, an album that pays tribute to the fans. Now, in the end of 2011, Cornmeal has released a follow up to that album, Live in Chicago, IL Vol. II. “Live in Chicago, IL Vol. 2… gives us another glimpse of Cornmeal’s relentless approach to live performance and the contemporary interpretation of roots music. Featuring more of the smoking hot picking, intricate yet explosive improvised jams, and constantly evolving sound that has come to define this unique group, Vol. II is not just for Cornmeal fans, but for anyone with an ear for passionate performance and honest musicianship,” writes Herschel Concepcion. For the first six years as a band, Cornmeal performed each and every Wednesday in Chicago to small yet loyal crowds. Throughout the winters of 2007-2009, Cornmeal returned to Chicago to pay homage to that tradition. The albums are for the fans as a thank you for all the years of dedication, for believing in Cornmeal, and for creating a wonderful community for them to come home to. The albums were recorded live throughout the winter of 2009 at Martyrs’ in Chicago, IL. Unlike Cornmeal’s three previous albums, Live in Chicago, IL Vol. I & II captures the band in its raw, intense format, bouncing through song after song of fast paced, fierce originals and extensive improvised jams that showcase the immense talent and connectivity that have gained them so much fan appeal from coast to coast. With the release of their debut album “In The Kitchen” (2001 Livin’ Live records), Cornmeal secured its place as one of the top bands in its genre. 2003′s “Tales from Magic Stone Mountain” (Livin’ Live records) garnered much critical attention and became a staple on College and AAA top 10 lists throughout the country. In May of 2006, Cornmeal released their third album, “Feet First”, which became proof positive that Cornmeal’s tenure on the road brought on an honest and mature sound. Produced by guitarist Kris Nowak and bassist Chris Gangi, “Feet First” features a strong confidence in songwriting, musicianship and the ability of this band to stylistically ride the fence and bring it back home without missing a step.

While playing a blend of high profile venues, jam-band and bluegrass festivals to thousands throughout the region, the band has shared the stage with such highly acclaimed national acts as THE DAVID GRISMAN QUINTET, JOHN HARTFORD, THE DEL McCOURY BAND, LITTLE FEAT, LEFTOVER SALMON, TONY RICE, YONDER MOUNTAIN STRING BAND, DARK STAR ORCHESTRA, moe., SAM BUSH and UMPHREY’S McGEE. They have performed at some of the most high profile festivals in the country including Bonnaroo, High Sierra, Magnolia Fest, 10K Lakes, Wakarusa, Summer Camp, DelFest, Telluride Bluegrass Festival and many others. They pride themselves on the energy they put forth each night creating an unrivalled live performance that continues to shape itself into a energetic one of a kind experience. Live in Chicago, IL Vol. I & II proves that Cornmeal continues to be a band to watch out for. Every show they play is a unique experience that leaves fans begging for more.

http://www.cornmealinthekitchen.com/

La bohème is an opera in four acts, by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa, based on Scènes de la vie de bohème by Henri Murger. The world premiere performance of La bohème was in Turin on 1 February 1896 at the Tetra Region and conducted by the young Arturo Toscanini. Since then, La bohème has become part of the standard Italian opera repertory and is one of the most frequently performed operas internationally. According to Operabase, it is the fourth most frequently performed opera worldwide

Mark your calendars: The Cabin is introducing a new witty, wise and wacky game show spoof, “Celebrities in Jeopardy,” taking place February 24, 2012, at The Egyptian Theatre. Doors open at 6:45 PM and the event begins at 7:30 PM. This will be The Cabin’s only annual benefit event in 2012—a fabulous way to support our many programs while you have some fun.

Celebrated authors Tony Doerr and Al Heathcock will emcee the event’s over-the-top proceedings, with Judge Steve Trott handing down formal rulings on answers from local celebrity contestants Mark Junkert, Peter Morrill, Bob Kustra, Kathy Kustra, Cherie Buckner-Webb, Margaret Montrose Stigers, Ken Bass and Tim Johnstone. See the event website, www.celebritiesinjeopardy.com, for more information.

Tickets are on sale now through the Egyptian Theatre for $60 ($55 tax deductible) and $35 ($30 tax deductible), with prices based on the theater seating chart. VIP seating is available for $100 ($95 tax deductible) by calling The Cabin at 208.331.8000.

Birbiglia will be performing this hit show on Friday, March 23rd at the Egyptian Theatre in Boise, ID. Doors open at 6pm & Event begins at 7pm.

Tickets are $35.00 (plus handling fees) and available at the Egyptian Theatre box office (open Tuesday through Saturday; 11am to 6pm), Boise Co-Op, The Record Exchange, charge by phone (208) 387-1273 and online at EgyptianTheatre.net
Purchase Tickets Here

It’s A Wonderful Life (1946), originally made for Liberty Films, is one of the most popular and heartwarming films ever made by director Frank Capra. Frank Capra regarded this film as his own personal favorite – it was also James Stewart’s favorite of all his feature films.

It was actually a box-office flop at the time of its release, and only became the Christmas movie classic in the 1970s due to repeated television showings at Christmas-time when its copyright protection slipped and it fell into the public domain in 1974 and TV stations could air it for free. [Republic Pictures restored its copyright claim to the film in 1993, with exclusive video rights to it. Currently, it can be shown only on the NBC-TV network, and its distribution rights belong to Paramount Pictures.]

The film’s screenplay (credited as being written by Frances Goodrich, Albert Hackett, and Capra himself, with additional scenes by Jo Swerling) was based on “The Greatest Gift,” an original short story first written on a Christmas card by Philip Van Doren Stern. Uncredited for their work on the script were Dorothy Parker, Dalton Trumbo, and Clifford Odets.

It is actually a dark, bittersweet post-war tale of a savings-and-loan manager who struggles against a greedy banker and his own self-doubting nature in a small town. Earnest do-gooder George Bailey (James Stewart) recognizes his life as wonderful and truly rich, even in its humdrum and bleak nature, only after suffering many hardships, mishaps and fateful trials (including compromised dreams of youth to leave the town and seek fame and fortune, other sacrifices, dismay, losses and the threat of financial ruin, and suicide). He is given encouragement by a whimsical, endearing, trainee-angel named Clarence (Henry Travers).

The story turns Dickensian (similar to A Christmas Carol, although told from Bob Cratchit’s point-of-view rather than from Scrooge’s) when the hysterical, despairing, and melancholy family man is shown what the small town (Bedford Falls, now renamed Pottersville after the town’s evil tycoon) would be like without him. It’s a frightening, nightmarish, noirish view of the world (at Christmas-time) that brings him back from self-destruction. He returns to the idyllic, small-town world that he left, with renewed faith and confidence in life itself. Hence, the film’s title: It’s a Wonderful Life.

The plot of the film was copied in the rags-to-riches fantasy storyline (also with a guardian angel played by Michael Caine) of Disney’s Mr. Destiny (1990), starring James Belushi, and in Brett Ratner’s The Family Man (2000) with Nicolas Cage. The famous “Pottersville” alternate reality scenes were also referenced in Robert Zemeckis’ Back to the Future Part II (1989), in which the small town of Hill Valley was transformed into a Las Vegas-like Babylon in 1985, with young Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) in the role of George Bailey.

The picture earned five Academy Award nominations: Best Picture, Best Actor (James Stewart in his first film in almost six years), Best Director (Capra), Best Sound Recording and Best Film Editing, but won no Oscars. (It was eclipsed by William Wyler’s award-winning The Best Years of Our Lives.)

Tickets are $33ADV/$36 DOOR (plus $3 service fee). Reserved seating.

*Tickets avail at 10am on Saturday, Dec. 17th at egyptiantheatre,net, The Record Exchange, The Boise Co-op, and Egyptian Theatre box office. Charge tickets by phone at 208-387-1273 Tues-Sat from 11a to 6p.

The Blind Boys of Alabama continue to tour the world, performing over 150 concerts each year. Honored by both the Grammys and The National Endowment for the Arts with Lifetime Achievement Awards, inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, and winners of five Grammy® Awards, The Blind Boys have attained the highest levels of recognition in a career that spans over 70 years and shows no signs of diminishing. Longevity and major awards aside, The Blind Boys have earned praise for their remarkable interpretations of everything from traditional gospel favorites to contemporary spiritual material, and now country, by acclaimed songwriters such as Curtis Mayfield, Prince and Tom Waits. Their performances have been experienced by millions on “The Tonight Show,” “Late Night with David Letterman,” the Grammy® Awards telecast, “60 Minutes II,” and on their own holiday PBS Special. The Blind Boys’ live shows are roof- raising musical events that appeal to audiences of all cultures, as evidenced by an international itinerary that has taken them to almost every continent. In 2007, they released the Grammy winning album, Down in New Orleans, their first for Saguaro Road Records, which was followed in 2008 by a companion DVD, Live in New Orleans. In 2009, they released Duets, a collection of songs recorded with artists including Bonnie Raitt, Ben Harper and Randy Travis.

The Blind Boys of Alabama just released a traditional country-gospel album for the first time in their 70-year career on May 3rd, 2011 (Saguaro Road Records). One of country music’s most acclaimed and compelling artists, Jamey Johnson, co-produced the album and performs on it along with Vince Gill, Willie Nelson, Hank Williams Jr., Lee Ann Womack, and The Oak Ridge Boys, backed by an A-list of top Nashville studio musicians. The result is a stunning, powerful testament to the deep, historic relationship between country and gospel music.

“There wasn’t one person who didn’t bawl like a baby or bust their heart open at least once,” Johnson recounted to the New York Times recently, remarking on the intensity of the recording sessions. “It’s been a dream of mine to do a country gospel album and we couldn’t have found a better partner than Jamey” said Jimmy Carter, the last original Blind Boy still touring with the band. “This album beautifully combines two of the seminal roots of the American music tree, gospel and country music. The Blind Boys, Jamey and their hand-picked guests deliver this music in a searingly authentic way,” adds Mike Jason Senior Vice President, Retail for Saguaro Road Records

The concept for the collaboration started with original Blind Boy Jimmy Carter’s longstanding love of country music and his desire to do a traditional country-tinged gospel album. Last year, his idea started to take shape when the Blind Boys were asked to curate a series of shows at the prestigious Lincoln Center Festival. One of the sold-out nights featured country artists Ralph Stanley, Ray Benson (Asleep At The Wheel) and Allison Moorer. Soon after, they met Jamey Johnson and asked him to join them in singing the traditional song “Down By The Riverside” at the Alabama Music Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Their mutual respect and shared passion for old-time gospel music made for a powerful performance, and that magical moment led to the Blind Boys asking Jamey to produce their next CD. The band had already been planning to make a country record with their Grammy-winning production collaborator Chris Goldsmith, who had enlisted the help of veteran Nashville drummer Chad Cromwell (Neil Young, Mark Knopfler). Jamey then brought in bassist Kevin ‘Swine’ Grantt (Brad Paisley, Daryl Worley) and additional top-notch Music City players, including legends such as guitarist Reggie Young, to join them in the studio. A fantastic array of guest vocalists – Vince Gill, Willie Nelson, Hank Williams Jr, Lee Ann Womack and The Oak Ridge Boys – added to the recording sessions while new friendships were quickly formed and soulful sounds were crafted out of a shared love of real and authentic spiritual music.

The result is a remarkable album, which mines the profound connections between traditional country and gospel music. The amazing spirit and soul of the Blind Boys is celebrated through the songs, some time-tested like Hank Jr.’s energetic re-working of his father’s “I Saw the Light,” and some more recent chestnuts like Danny Flower’s
underground classic “I Was a Burden.” Recorded live in just a few days at Ben Folds’ Javelina Studio, the album has the soulful feel of an old-school country classic. In fact, the word got out during the session that something special was going on at the old RCA soundstage, and guests like George Jones, Bill Anderson, and Bobby Bare dropped by just to observe the proceedings. All of them were visibly touched by what they experienced.

This record follows in the renowned Blind Boys tradition of reaching across musical boundaries to collaborate with other artists (from Peter Gabriel and Lou Reed to Anthony Hamilton, Ben Harper and Third Day) to create music that is appreciated as heart-warming, innovative, and inspirational by people from all walks of life.

http://www.blindboys.com/

http://www.youtube.com/user/BlindBoysofAlabama

http://www.facebook.com/blindboysofalabama

http://twitter.com/blindboys

$1 from every ticket sold, plus proceeds from a raffle and bar sales, will be donated to Boise Bicycle Project. Tickets are $22 advance, $25 day of show. Advance tickets are available at The Record Exchange, The Boise Co-op, The Egyptian Theatre box office, and online at www.egyptiantheatre.net

ABOUT MARCHFOURTH MARCHING BAND:
The MarchFourth Marching Band has evolved into a high-energy, eclectic and mobile unit of good times, taking a Fellini-esque mix of Mardi Gras mayhem, afro beat, Mexican hustle, sultry samba, big band, and gypsy folk to the streets and parks, and the club and festival scene–anywhere people seek liberation through booty-shaking beats, driving bass, and high-flying horn arrangements. Accompanied by their surrealist troupe of stilt-dancers, fire-spinners, and costumed beauties, they are a new love-party paradigm.

According to bassist, and one of the group’s founding members, John Averill, MarchFourth is “something entirely different. Musically, we’re not influenced by marching bands at all. I really think of us more as an alternative big band that happens to be able to march.”

MarchFourth Marching Band got its name from the date of their first show: March 4, 2003. It began when a handful of artists and musicians in Portland, Oregon decided to put together a marching band for a Fat Tuesday Mardi Gras party on March 4th, originally performing a 7-song set of tunes that included covers of Rebirth Brass Band, Fela Kuti, and Fleetwood Mac. The night was a smashing success and encouraged the group to book more shows. Opening for the Youngblood Brass Band and playing with Pink Martini cemented the group that first year: they played a total of 34 shows in their first ten months. By 2007 the band was becoming better known in Portland and beyond. They expanded their 4th anniversary party to include a family matinee and an adult evening show at the Crystal Ballroom and sold out both shows. It was time to take the show on the road. They bought a 1984 MCI coach on eBay, then converted it to fit about 28 people comfortably with convertible bunk-beds, wi-fi, kitchen and roof rack. Members of the band did all the bus customization. They haven’t stopped touring since.

ABOUT THE PIMPS OF JOYTIME: Over the course of the past four years, the Pimps of Joytime have evolved into a road tested and audience approved groove machine. The have excited crowds at over 100 club dates and festivals in 2010 and this year’s ongoing “All The Way Live” tour far exceeds the volume of previous years. Amazingly, their stage performance improves each night as the electricity between the band members rises to new heights. This fluidity is not something you can manufacture, it is an authentic and exciting collaboration that is the Pimps of Joytime. With the “All The Way Live” tour, The Pimps are offering their fans and music lovers alike a chance to experience the electrifying rhythms that lace up the most recent album, Janxta Funk, (June 21 – Wonderwheel Recordings).

Hailing from Brooklyn, NY, The Pimps of Joyitme are paving their own unique path in the world. WHat do you do when there isn’t a phrase to describe your sound? You coin a new one of course! JANXTA FUNK, as Brian J describes it, “is a style that’s part gangsta, part janky.” JAnxta Funk ranges from LAtin inspired rythms to deep funky grooves and hot dance beats laced with soulful melody and harmonies. Those who have experienced a Pimps show agree that you have to see the band live to truly understand their unique combination of musical elements, including afrobeat, rock, hip-hop, and electronica.

“The Pimps can’t be pigeonholed into a genre — it’s all soulful, but one song might segue from an Afrobeat groove to an electronic club beat with sitar. It’s all pretty damn funky, and it’s impossible to hear it and sit still.” – Charleston City Paper (Stratton Lawrence)

“The funkiest band at Outside Lands was easily the Pimps of Joytime.”- Guitar World

“Wild, fun and excitable, this is the music I want playing at my wake, the band I want preceding
the hearse to my grave.”  – LivePDX.com