Review: Franz Nicolay Forgets His Mustache Wax, Goes Lite for ‘Luck & Courage’

October 12, 2010October 12, 20101 Comment

Pretty clever album art though. The bunny embodies the name.

Franz Nicolay is a man of many hats. Founder of the World/Inferno Friendship Society. Former member of the Hold Steady. Current member of Against Me! and Guignol. Plus, he’s played with the Dresden Dolls, the Living End, Mariachi El Bronx, and Bouncing Souls, and probably written some books or plays too. Many hats, but only one mustache — a fantastic handlebar that he willfully ignores on his latest solo LP, Luck & Courage.

“Fans hoping for some waxed-mustache melodrama of the Coney Island variety will be woefully disappointed: Nicolay has shelved his accordion in favor of shuffling folk.”

But what about the chops? Read more at The A.V. Club.

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BONNAROO 2010: Reporting from Day Four

June 15, 2010June 15, 20101 Comment

Against Me! spreads love, punk rock style (Matt Kiser)

And finally, there was Day Four, a winding down of sorts that climaxed with Dave Matthews Band headlining. Of course, I wasn’t there for that. And I definitely wasn’t somewhere deep in the campgrounds shooting off fireworks. I’ll tell you where I was was, though: covering sets by Against Me! and Zac Brown Band. Read about that, and about a special appearance from one of the ice cream world’s few celebrities, here.

Check out days one, two, and three.

Live In LA: Tom Gabel, Shirley Manson, Band Of Horses, BRMC, and More Play Cancer Benefit

December 1, 2009December 1, 2009

I recently had the esteemed honor of attending the homecoming show for Dangerbird co-founder Jeff Castelaz, who’d just completed his cross-country cycling expedition in the name of his charitable non-profit, The Pablove Foundation. A pretty impressive array of artists showed up to perform mini sets, which you can read about here, via Spin. Peep the flyer.