THE END OF THE TORPEDOES
Veteran local blues singer and guitarist Tony Uribe is putting the brakes on his current band, the beloved Tony and the Torpedoes, after 18 years.
The band–whose heavy-hitting current lineup includes bassist Nick Augustine, violinist and singer Heather Hardy, drummer Marx Loeb, and guitarist Chris Leonard–has been a constant fixture on the local blues scene since the band formed in 1995. They'll play a final gig at Boondocks Lounge this week. Uribe, an Arizona Blues Hall of Famer, posted the following announcement on the venue's website:
"This will be the final performance of the Torpedoes as I am retiring the band permanently. After 18 years of faithful service to the Tucson Blues Community this will be the band's final performance. You may be asking yourself why at this point, so I will tell you. I am going to take a much needed hiatus from live performance after playing for 35 years, to get some health issues sorted and to write new material for a new band project I want to get started on. I know some of you may be sad to see the Torpedoes come to an end but as you all know nothing lasts forever. So come on out and party with us and help us celebrate 18 years of Torpedo blues from Tucson's own premier blues band, Tony and the Torpedoes. See you there :) – Tony."
Catch the final performance by Tony and the Torpedoes from 8:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 5, at Boondocks Lounge, 3306 N. First Ave. Cover is $5. For more information call 690-0991 or head to boondockslounge.com.
BORDER SONGS BENEFIT
Although it was officially released in October, at a show in Flagstaff, the benefit CD Border Songs will be feted with a release party in Tucson this week.
The album, a two-CD set, features 31 tracks ranging from blues and hip-hop to reggae and folk, spoken word poetry and rock to cumbia and mambo. One track combines a poem by Margaret Randall with a field recording of the wall itself by experimental sound artist Glenn Weyant. The list of contributors ranges from local performers such as Giant Giant Sand, Cyril Barrett, Calexico, and Sergio Mendoza y la Orkesta, to national artists including Pete Seeger, Michael Franti and Spearhead, Tom Russell, and Amos Lee.
According to a press release, since its October release the disc has raised about $16,000 for No More Deaths//No Más Muertes, "a volunteer group that caches water in the desert, provides medical assistance and food to migrants, and helps recently deported people on the Mexican side of the border." All proceeds from sales of the CD, which is available online via CD Baby, as well as money collected at the door of this week's Tucson release show, will be donated to No More Deaths.
Artists performing at the event include Chuck Cheesman and Robert Neustadt, who co-produced the CD, as well as Ted Warmbrand, m. henry, Glenn Weyant, and Pablo Peregrina.
The Border Songs CD-release party begins at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 5, at the Southside Presbyterian Church, 317 W. 23rd St. Admission is a voluntary suggested donation of $5, or the purchase of a copy of the CD. For more info head to bordersongs.org.
CASHMAN RETURNS
Although he's played some solo gigs here and there, including a set of songs by Evan Dando and the Lemonheads at last month's Great Cover-Up, it's been more than two years since Jeremy Michael Cashman performed with his band, a situation that will be remedied at a gig this week.
As for why the singer-songwriter-guitarist hasn't performed with his band, the Wooden Hearts—Andrew See on upright bass, drummer The Mighty Joel Ford, Dante Rosano on piano and coronet—Cashman, in an e-mail sent to Soundbites, cites "personal tragedy": "I lost my wife of 15 years up at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., due to complications from ulcerative colitis on March 27, 2011. Therapy continues, and I hope music can bring its own version of therapy back into my life."
JMC and His Wooden Hearts return to the stage for the first time in more than two years at 10 p.m. tonight, Thursday, Jan. 3, at La Cocina, 201 N. Court Ave. For more information about Cashman head to reverbnation.com/jeremymichaelcashman/ for questions about the show, the number to call is 622-0351.
WHAT'S UP, FATLIP?
A pair of rap veterans is headed our way this week to perform at two respective shows.
First up, at The Rock, is what's being billed as "Brokencyde with Fatlip from the Pharcyde," which is both odd and confusing. Brokencyde is regarded as one of the founding artists of the crunkcore genre, which, to be somewhat simplistic about it, sounds like LMFAO. Fatlip, on the other hand, is something of an underground legend, having been a member of pioneering alt-rap collective The Pharcyde and a solo artist (his 2000 single "What's Up Fatlip?" still stands as one of the greatest exercises in self-deprecating hip-hop). But the two have very little in common, save looking favorably on spelling "side" "cyde." Will Brokencyde serve as Fatlip's backing band? Will they collaborate at all? Will they give each other high-fives because they both enjoy spelling things incorrectly? I have no idea. But I can tell you that at a 2006 show at Plush, Fatlip absolutely killed it, performing a set that consisted mostly of old Pharcyde classics with a few solo tracks—including "What's Up Fatlip?"—tossed in the mix.
Brokencyde with Fatlip will perform at The Rock, 136 N. Park Ave., on Sunday, Jan. 6. The all-ages show starts at 6 p.m. with opening sets by Mike Fair and Await Thy Hero. Advance tickets are available for $13 at rocktucson.com. For further details use that same website or call 629-9211.
A few days later, at Club Congress, founding Freestyle Fellowship member Aceyalone, who's been active as a solo artist since 1995, when he released the stone-classic All Balls Don't Bounce, will take the stage. A pioneer of what's become known as backpack-rap, at a time when gangster rap was all the rage, Acey is regarded as one of the West Coast's finest rappers—even if his flow wasn't so smooth, one would still have to be impressed by his vocabulary; put them together in one package and you've got one very talented dude.
Aceyalone performs at Club Congress, 311 E. Congress St., on Wednesday, Jan. 9. The 21-and-older show begins at 8 p.m. with an opening set by Jivin Scientists. Tickets are $8 in advance, $10 on the day of show. For tickets and more info head to hotelcongress.com/club or call 622-8848.
ON THE BANDWAGON
Country-rockers Ohian, who lean heavily on the country side of that equation, are heading out on a West Coast tour next week, but before they do, they'll be playing a Tour Sendoff Party at La Cocina on Friday, Jan. 4. The show begins at 10 p.m. with opening sets by The Pork Torta and Connor Gallaher and Louise Le Hir. Admission is free, but donations are welcome.
Other notable shows around town this week include: Justin Martinez CD-release party with Spiders Can Fly at Plush tonight, Thursday, Jan. 3; K-Bass and Farafina Musiki, Batucaxé, and Planet Jam at the Rialto Theatre on Saturday, Jan. 5; Lexa Raquel and Yardsale Heart at Plush on Saturday, Jan. 5; Thistle, The Repercussions, The Monitors, and N I C A at Tucson Live Music Space on Wednesday, Jan. 9, with an after-party featuring Monster Pussy, Discos, and Human Behavior at La Cocina later that night; Impending Doom, The Browning, Hearts and Hands and more at The Rock on Saturday, Jan. 5; Drug Culture, Stress Relief, Swamp Wolf, and Man Bites Dog at Tanline Printing on Tuesday, Jan. 8; Family Thief, Anika's Basement Show, ...And We Will All Become Astronauts, Lost Land, Lost Love, and Alex Whelan at Tucson Live Music Space on Saturday, Jan. 5; American Vacuum, Sleep Like Trees, and Best Dog Award at Topaz Tundra on Monday, Jan. 7.
