Tune In, Turn On
The rock group Traffic was a band I regularly listened to during my formative years. With a cool repertoire of songs that included “Dear Mr. Fantasy,” “The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys,” “Heaven Is in Your Mind,” “Medicated Goo,” and many more – their songs featured intricate rock arrangements more complex than most rock music from that era.
While several members of Traffic went on to find success after the band’s dissolution in 1974 – notably, vocalist/guitarist Dave Mason and drummer Jim Capaldi (the latter going on to collaborate with Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Alvin Lee, and Cat Stevens among others), it was co-founder Steve Winwood who has probably enjoyed the most success as a solo artist.
Winwood, now 77 and still actively touring (he comes to the Hard Rock Casino’s Etess Arena this Friday, Sept. 26), also co-founded the British rock supergroup Blind Faith with Clapton in 1969, when they were referred to by the press as “the world’s first overly-hyped supergroup.”
To this day, Winwood is widely respected not only by his contemporaries, but also by younger musicians; to wit, he recently performed at a pair of shows in Bridgeport, Conn., with the popular roots-blues group, the Tedeschi Trucks Band.
It’s easy to see why Winwood has earned such respect. The Grammy-winning artist has sold more than 50 million records over the course of his five-decade career on the back of such solo classics as “Higher Love,” “Back In The High Life Again,” “Arc of a Diver,” “Roll with It,” “While You See A Chance,” and others.
He has achieved just about every accolade a musician can attain. In addition to earning a Grammy in 1987 for “Higher Love,” Traffic was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2004. Steve Winwood is a bonafide legend; that’s reason enough to catch his Hard Rock show this weekend.
See Steve Winwood at Hard Rock Live, Etess Arena, 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 26. Tickets/info: hardrockhotelatlanticcity.com.
Tune-ups
Elvis Costello delivered an enjoyable trip down memory lane of his many hits last weekend at Borgata’s Event Center, playing both electric and amplified acoustic versions of his many hits. I can’t remember the last time I pogo-danced, which happened when the 71-year-old rocker performed “Pump It Up” near the show’s end.
Also of note: Costello appeared at Hard Rock’s Wentworth Gallery on Saturday (the day after his Borgata concert) for a fine art exhibition of his work, many of them his own album covers…
We just received word of a cool indie rock show in A.C. this Friday at Union Arts Hall, right next door to Tony’s Baltimore Grill, featuring three local acts: Super Jack, CJ Sooy and the Raindawgs, and Te Vista.
“The show was organized by CJ Sooy as a kick-off for the new recording studio space that will inhabit the original Union Hall Arts space,” said Niko Berarado of Te Vista. The hall is located at 2806 Atlantic Ave. The all-ages show starts at 7:30 p.m. Admission is $5.
Finally, the Songwriter in the Pines series continues this Friday at Albert Music Hall in Waretown, Ocean County. Headliner Cole Quest and The City Pickers are fronted by the grandson of folk legend Woody Guthrie. Also performing: Sean Daniels and the Law Abiding Citizens, Magnolia Street String Band, and Jackson Pines. That’s a nice lineup. Time is 6:30 p.m. and admission is free. Donations are welcome. Location is 131 Wells Mill Road, Waretown. Tickets/info: alberthall.org.
