Go
Commander Cody still going strong
![]() After a 23-year layoff from studio recording, Commander Cody is back with a new CD.
Top Headlines Will headline first annual Blair Music Fest in North Saturday
North Attleboro's no Nashville or Austin, but if there were ever a day when the birthplace of the jewelry industry mimics those launching pads of musical history, it's coming up Saturday.The Blair Music Festival at Mason Field in Attleboro Falls will feature an early stop on the comeback trail for Commander Cody, an iconic group of the 1970s and the musicians behind one of Rolling Stone's Top 100 albums of all-time, "Live in the Heart of Texas." After a 23-year layoff from studio recording, Cody is back with a new CD, "Dopers, Drunks and Everyday Losers." Jim Hall, coordinator of the Blair Festival, who has performed at several concerts with Cody - aka George Frayne - describes him as "revitalized" after a hiatus from touring. "His new band is really cranking," says Hall of the trio fronted by Cody-Frayne on boogie-woogie piano and vocals, Steve Barbuto on drums and vocals, Rick Mullen on bass and Mark Emerick on lead guitar and vocals. 14-song romp The CD "isn't nearly the downbeat collection the title might indicate, but rather a 14-song romp through some of his most beloved older tunes, along with a bunch of new tunes and covers," wrote Patriot Ledger reviewer Jay Miller. Reports Shawn Underwood of twangville.com, "this, ladies and gentlemen, is a party album." Where a classic band is coming back, the Blair Fest audience will get a taste of the future from two stalwarts of the local music scene. Hall's Tulsa Queen, which will be setting the stage for Cody in the late afternoon, will showcase several original tunes from a CD now being recorded and scheduled for release Nov. 27. Earlier in the day, Killer Kane & the Blue FOs will be giving what amounts to a preview performance of an album they will be recording live at Chan's, a jazz supper club in Woonsocket, on June 12. Filling out the bill are the ever-popular Itchy Fish, an Attleboro-based Pearl Jam tribute band; 13th Floor; Me and the Boys, a Southern rock outfit formerly known as Crossroads, and Sold for Less, a ska band that a day later will be headlining a beach party in Narragansett, R.I. "Altogether," says Hall, "you can expect about eight hours of virtually non-stop music." The gates will open at 11 a.m., bands will start at noon and the show wrap up at 8 p.m. Admission is $15 in advance, $20 at the gates. Great cause Kids under age 8 are free, and this Hockomock YMCA-sponsored will offer plenty to keep them laughing. Along with jumparoos and other amusements, the U.S. Army Rock Climbing Team is coming in to put an exhibition. Power League Wrestling will stage some matches late in the afternoon. Food vendors and artisans will have booths set up around the field. And the cause behind the fest is a great one. Proceeds will benefit the Integration Initiative at the Hockomock Area YMCA, where all childrenare welcome to participate in Y activities regardless of their abilities. The festival is named in memory of Susan Blair, who was killed in the attacks of 9/11. Her mother, Sally White, is a former Hockomock YMCA employee. If you go ... WHAT: The first annual Blair Music Festival WHEN: Noon to 8 p.m. Saturday, May 30 WHERE: Mason Field, Elm Street, North Attleboro PERFORMERS: Commander Cody, Killer Kane and the Blue F.O.s, Tulsa Queen, Itchy Fish and others. Also Power League Wrestling. PROCEEDS: Will benefit the Hockomock Area YMCA's Intergeration Initiative. TICKETS: $15 in advance and $20 at the event, with free admission for children younger than 8. RESERVE, MORE INFO: Call the YMCA's Liz Costantini at 508-643-5266, e-mail her at lizc@hockymca.org, or visit www.hockymca.org.
View Comments » No comments posted.
« Hide Comments
Post Your Comments |