Rock On

Nov. 16, 2008

It is that time of the year when the music scene in the region begins to heat up. This weekend is loaded with several shows worth checking out (for a complete listing see Hot Dates and Nightlife). Here is a look at four of those shows.

Resa.P
Traverse City based hip-hop band Resa. P will perform Thursday November 20 at Union Street Station. This threesome made up of emcee’s Jadrian and Skin Grafik along with DJ Fungus has been making a name for themselves across the states. They recently released their debut CD Food For Thought and now the major labels are taking notice as several of their songs on MySpace, have received more than 250,000 plays.
Here is how Skin Grafik describes what they are up to: “We fulfill what hip-hop has been lacking since the clock rolled over to the 2 triple zeros, the fundamentals of rap, mixed with complex thought. The type of music that will remind a motha f---a, we are not human beings living a spiritual experience, yet spiritual beings living a human experience.”
Resa.P will perform at Hip Hop For A Cause (because that is who we are) show and will be joined by Dante. For a sampling of their new CD and to hear what all the buzz is about go to myspace.com/resadotp.

Mark Farner
One of many rock stars who call Northern Michigan their home, Petoskey resident and Michigan native Mark Farner will take to the stage at the Little River Casino in Manistee on Saturday. Farner was the guitar and song-master for Grand Funk Railroad and will perform a mix of those hit songs “Footstompin’ Music,” “The Loco-Motion,” “Some Kind Of Wonderful,” “Mean Mistreater” and “I’m Your Captain (Closer To Home)” along with works from his solo recordings.
Farner and his band Grand Funk are near the top of the list of bands and musicians that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame have overlooked. Farner just chuckles.
“We have been eligible for several years now but our chances might be even less now,” said Farner. “A few years back Don Brewer (drummer) was pretty ticked off when we didn’t get in. Well, the Hall of Fame Museum had a Grand Funk exhibit and Don drove to the museum demanding that they give us back our stuff, essentially saying if we are not good enough to be in the Hall then our stuff isn’t good enough to display.”
Hall of Fame or not, Mark Farner will go down as one of the great rock and roll guitar players and songwriters of all time. His former bandmates continue to tour under the name Grand Funk, but it has taken three guys to replace him. For fans of great rock and roll and fantastic musicianship and showmanship this Saturday night at the Little River Casino is for you. To learn more about Mark Farner go to markfarner.com

Brian Vander Ark
Known for his work as lead singer and songwriter for the The Verve Pipe (“The Freshman,” “Photograph”) Brian Vander Ark makes a return appearance to the InsideOut Gallery in the Warehouse District of downtown Traverse City. While The Verve Pipe reunites each year for a series of shows during the holiday season, Vander Ark tours the rest of the year as a solo artist. His performance last year in Traverse City was easily in the top 10 best concerts of 2007 in the region.
Vander Ark is touring in support of his new self-titled solo work released earlier this year produced by the famed Bill Szymczyk (The Who, Eagles). He will take the stage Saturday night at the InsideOut Gallery and his sultry vocals and thought-provoking lyrics guarantee a night to be remembered. The last time he was here he did an acoustic version of “The Freshman” which was definitely worth the ticket price alone. For a sampling of his solo work check out brianvanderark.com

Fishbone
Fusing together punk rock, reggae, heavy metal, ska, and funk, Fishbone along with Jane’s Addiction and the Red Hot Chili Peppers were at the center of the L.A. alternative music scene in the mid-‘80s. Formed in 1979, Fishbone flew under the radar on the musical charts but their underground following had them headlining large venue tours. Their success all stemmed from creating a new sound that resonated with the emerging action-sports crowd (skateboarders).
“Basically we were looking to create something different musically. We started messing around with some reggae rhythms, and we played it as fast as we could,” said John Norwood Fisher, founding member and bass player. “We looked at each and realized we had invented something we call punk-rock reggae.”
Fishbone has had several line changes over the past 30 years with Fisher and lead singer and founding member Angelo “Dr. Madd Vibe” Moore keeping the music in front of their fans. A year ago the band released a new CD and they were the house band in the movie “Idlewild” featuring Outkast.
While the lineup has changed, their sound and energetic live show has not. Fishbone is a definitely worth checking out they are currently out touring major cities and large clubs and venues so for hardcore fans this is a real treat to see them in an intimate setting. Fishbone performs Sunday night at the Loading Dock in Traverse City.