AURA Music & Arts Festival Adds to an Already Stellar Lineup!

AURA Music & Arts Festival has added 2 sets of moe., The Main Squeeze, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, The Mantras, The McLovins and more to their 2015 lineup! Check out the full lineup below.

Interview: Cabinet - Southern Brewers Festival, Chattanooga, TN (Aug 22, 2014)

In the bluegrass scene, there is one name that has been creating a stir, or buzz, lately: Cabinet. The six-piece group has honed in their sound through their love of music and, especially, playing music together. With a captivating repertoire of tunes spanning the fast-picking, foot-stomping tracks to melodic, harmonic tunes that will leave your head spinning, this talented group of musicians is continuously working their way up the totem pole, landing gigs at esteemed festivals such as Peach Music Festival, Lockn’ Festival and Catskill Chill Music Festival. On August 22, 2014, the band made their way down south to help Chattanooga’s Southern Brewers Festival celebrate its 20^th Anniversary. After a great set, despite the sweltering hot southern sun, I was fortunate enough to sit down with Mickey Coviello (guitar), Patrick “Pappy” Biondo (banjo) and Todd Kopec (fiddle) for a quick interview.

Ragin’ Randy: I’ve heard a lot about you guys in recent months, but I’m not real familiar with your story. Could one of you tell me a little bit about how you guys all met?

Mickey: Yeah, I grew up with the mandolin player (JP), and so did he [points to Patrick] because they are cousins. They have a big family, and they have family reunions every year, and they sing and dance and have a good time. But I went to school with [JP], and then, I think he graduated a year ahead of me from high school, and then I graduated, and we kind of just started playing music. He was on mandolin, and I was on open E tuning on like a 12-string acoustic guitar. Then, Pappy (Patrick) moved out here from Cleveland, Ohio, and we started doing these open mic nights at the River Street Jazz Café in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, and that’s where we met. This guy [points to Todd], who was introduced to us by Dylan, our bass player, who was doing sound at the River Street Café, and he would just sit in and play bass with whoever wanted him to, so we had him sit in and play bass, and one night he was like, “Hey man, my friend Todd is here, and, you know, he plays fiddle…”

Patrick: Basically what it was is like, Mickey was playing guitar, JP was playing mandolin and I was playing banjo. We were thinking of starting a bluegrass band, and Todd was playing fiddle, you know, we need a fiddle player, Dylan played upright bass…

Mickey: Well, yeah, we weren't thinking of forming a bluegrass band, it just kind of just happened.

Patrick: Well, I mean, those kinds of instruments all go together, you know, like if Todd was a keyboard player or something, it might have been different, but it’s, like, fiddle, you know all the instruments kind of work together, so yeah, it just kind of made sense, and then later on, we decided to get a drummer into the group. Jamie was a local drummer for years, and that was about 2006 when the six of us were together as a unit.

Ragin’ Randy: Quite a story! [laughs] I really enjoyed Jamie’s drumming. He was definitely on point.

Patrick: Yeah, he’s a great drummer.

Ragin’ Randy: Well, that’s great. Thank you, that helps me get a much better idea of your background. I love those stories, especially when it just seems to come together so naturally.

Patrick: It was pretty organic, you know.

Ragin’ Randy: Definitely. So, tell me a little bit about your goals and ambitions as a band. All bands and artists want to be successful in their own way, so what does success mean to you?

Mickey: Success for me was getting paid to play music, whatever it was, you know? I never thought when I was in high school I’ll play in a band and make money doing it, you know, and then it just kind of happened. But, to me, we were successful when we first started playing shows for money. That’s me personally, that’s how I feel.

Todd: I would agree. I think making a sustainable living, you know.

Mickey: I mean, not saying that I’m, like, satisfied…

Ragin’ Randy: Right, you obviously always want to try and push it further.

Mickey: Sure, sure, and it kind of has happened, you know, steadily and organically.

Ragin’ Randy: Well, that’s a good way to think of it, you know, if you’re not necessarily satisfied but you feel that you’ve been successful, I would say that’s a good place to be in.

Mickey: Yeah.

Ragin’ Randy: So, you’ve said that everything’s happened so organically up to this point, but would you say that you are where you thought you would be at this point?

Mickey: Wow…

Patrick: I don’t think we ever thought much about how far it would go, you know, we’ve kind of been taking it on a yearly basis, you know? What’s going to happen this year? Where are we going to go this year? And we’ve been fortunate enough that it’s been building, you know, it’s been moving in a positive direction each year, which is why we keep doing it. And as far as your last question with goals and ambitions, I think, you know, to reach as many ears as possible, you know, who are willing and able to listen to our music. That’s a big part of it. As long as we keep playing in front of bigger crowds and trying to bring in more people, you know, the more people you get turned on to it, the easier it is to be successful.

Ragin’ Randy: You guys have Lockn’ and Catskill Chill coming up in the same weekend. You’ve got to be psyched to be on both of those lineups. How did you guys land those gigs? Is your manager working hard for you?

Mickey: Manager and booking agent, yeah.

Ragin’ Randy: Yeah, I met Billy briefly, and he seems like a good guy and a hard worker.

Mickey: Yes, he is, he works very hard.

Ragin’ Randy: Good, good. My degree is in Music Business, so I understand how hard those guys work. So, I’ve noticed you guys have been sharing stages with lots of different artists, both big and small. Do you approach a live show differently when you’re opening for a bigger act versus when you’re, say, co-headlining with another up-and-coming artist?

Patrick: I don’t think so, you know, a setlist… there’s definitely pre-though to the setlists, given the crowd, but as far as playing in front of bigger crowds, it’s almost easier. You know, we just came off of Peach Fest Thursday night, and there’s 7,000 people or something. That’s a lot of people, but it almost felt easier to get on stage than, you know, in a small bar room where everybody’s kind of tight and listening. So, you know, at that point, it’s just, like, get up and go, you know, hard drive it until the end of the show.

Ragin’ Randy: That’s interesting, because I, personally, don’t think I would feel that way [laughs].

Patrick: Well, there’s always the intention of keeping the set tight and keeping a good connection on stage, regardless what crowd it is.

Ragin’ Randy: Cool. Can you guys give me an idea of how much of your set is improvised and how much is planned?

Patrick: It’s probably 90% improvised.

Mickey: No, no.

Patrick: Well, we don’t rehearse, you know? We rarely rehearse for a show.

Ragin’ Randy: Well, what I mean is do you play the songs exactly how they are on the album?

Patrick: Not really.

Mickey: We leave a lot of room for improvisation.

Patrick: Yeah, or changing parts or trade-offs. We like to play with each other, musically.

Todd: We kind of stick to the form, but we improvise inside of the form, you know.

Ragin’ Randy: Umphrey’s McGee is well known for their signals on-stage while they’re improvising. Do you guys have anything like that or do you just work off of each other?

Mickey: No, just simple communication. Not, like, signals, but maybe a cue or a nod, maybe, or just a facial expression. Sometimes it happens without having to do that.

Todd: I’ve been interested in trying to do something like that for a while, but like Pappy said, we don’t have too many opportunities to rehearse. We’re usually, if we’re not hitting it hard, then we’re having some family time. But I do wonder how the signals would work for us.

Ragin’ Randy: It’s interesting, and UM even has silent mics on certain stages, so they can actually talk to each other, and the audience doesn’t hear.

Todd: That’s interesting!

Mickey: Oh, like an in-ear monitor? Yeah, yeah.

Todd: I like that idea.

Mickey: [leans in to voice recorder] If anyone wants to send us money so we can do that, please do [laughs].

Ragin’ Randy: Alright, one more question. I posted in the Cabinet Fans Facebook Group asking if anyone had any questions for the band, and I got a good one from Cabinet Fan Gina Paret. She asks if you intend to go back into the studio any time soon? She says, “Your studio recordings are on heavy rotation in our house, and we're looking forward to some new material.”

Mickey: We just finished a pretty serious studio session. It’s just, some things need to be rerecorded, and, you know, whatever, then it needs to get mixed and mastered. But there will be a studio recording at some point in the near future.

Ragin’ Randy: Alright, well, I really enjoyed your set, and thank you very much for taking the time to talk with me.

Patrick: Thank you, man.

Mickey: Thanks.

Todd: Thanks.

Ragin' Randy Live At MEMFEST

Hello Rage Crew! I'm so glad to be back in the saddle and posting after an incredible weekend at MEMFEST! Lots of great music and great people! Here are the recordings of BOTH of my sets from this weekend at the Silent Disco. The first one took place at 1 pm on Saturday and consisted of funky house music to set the mood for the rest of the weekend and get people moving. The second one took place on Sunday at 6 pm and consists of some more deep house, followed by some deep, melodic trance. Please share and most importantly, enjoy!

2014-08-30 MEMFEST Day 1 - Get Your Groove On Set by Randy Harris on Mixcloud

2014-08-31 MEMFEST Day 2 - Deep In Your Mind Set by Randy Harris on Mixcloud

Southern Brewers Festival Videos

I had an absolute blast at Southern Brewers Festival this past weekend in Chattanooga! Check out these videos I took from the weekend! Also, stay tuned for my full photo album from the weekend, as well as my review on Grateful Music!

Preview: Crosby, Stills & Nash @ The Orpheum, Memphis, TN (Aug. 20, 2014)

The one and only Crosby, Stills & Nash (CSN) will be rockin' the Orpheum Theatre in Memphis tomorrow, Wednesday, August 20, 2014! As the story goes, CSN played only their second gig together at the legendary Woodstock. After that show, the trio exploded, spewing hits right and left, while spreading their socially conscious message. Various forms of the trio have taken shape over the years, including the addition of Neil Young to form CSNY, Crosby-Nash and Stills-Young, but the power of this threesome always seems to bring them back together. Seeing as all three members were in famous bands before the formation of CSN, let's take a look at each member's history, followed by a group synopsis.

CSN Album Cover

 Graham Nash was born in England and, before moving to the United States, was a founding member of The Hollies. The Hollies were a pop band, joining The Beatles and The Rolling Stones in the British Invasion. As Nash grew older, he became fascinated with America. While on tour in the States, he began to meet more socially conscious musicians who were not satisfied with the simplicity of pop music (and who experimented with drugs). Slowly, Nash grew apart from The Hollies and longed for something more. Besides his work with The Hollies and the various forms of the CSN trio, Nash has recorded 5 solo albums.

Graham Nash

David Crosby was born in Los Angeles, California and was a founding member of The Byrds. The Byrds was a folk rock band formed in the mid-1960s. Crosby began to grow apart from his bandmates just as Nash had. In short, he refused to conform and began to act out on stage and refuse to show up for practices and interviews. All things considered, however, he was an integral part of the band's sound, and The Byrds was never the same after Crosby left. Aside from his work with The Byrds and the various forms of the CSN trio, Crosby has recorded 4 solo albums.

David Crosby

Stephen Stills was born in Dallas, Texas and was a founding member of Buffalo Springfield, along with Neil Young. After lineup changes, drug-related arrests and fighting for control plagued the band throughout its short career, Buffalo Springfield disbanded after only 2 years. Besides his work with the various forms of the CSN trio, Stills has had the most successful solo career out of the 3 of them. Stills formed Manassas in 1971, which released 2 studio albums, and he has recorded 9 solo studio albums and 2 live albums. Most recently, Stills was a part of the supergroup The Rides, which recorded a studio album in 2013, along with a supporting tour.

Stephen Stills

The beginnings of the CSN trio can be traced back to one night at Joni Mitchell's house in California in July 1968. The 3 of them sang a 3-part harmony together, the vocals jelled beautifully and the rest is history. The band recorded 5 studio and 2 live albums as CSN and 3 studio and 3 live albums as CSNY (with Neil Young). David Crosby and Graham Nash recorded 4 studio and 2 live albums as Crosby & Nash, and Stephen Stills and Neil Young recorded 1 studio album together as the Stills-Young Band.

As a young man myself, Crosby, Stills & Nash is a band I never thought I would be able to see. Their music has influenced me since as far back as I can remember, and I am so glad they are still touring. Gear up for this one Memphis. It's time to take a ride back in time!

Stephen Stills, David Crosby & Graham Nash

Woodstock: 45 Years Later

45 years ago today, perhaps the most iconic event in music history began on a dairy farm owned by Max Yasgur in Bethel, New York. To Millennials like myself, Woodstock is the stuff of legend, a mysterious weekend of music featuring many artists who now also only exist as legends, the likes of which has never been and will never be experienced, while to those who attended the magical festival, its legacy lives on through their memories and ideals. August 15-18, 1969 will forever be etched into the world of music, especially rock & roll, and now let's take a deeper look into the amazing weekend. Also, make sure to check out a special playlist of YouTube videos of performances from the iconic festival!

Crowd Photo - Woodstock 1969

Woodstock was the brainchild of four entrepreneurs: Michael Lang (promoter, Miami Pop Festival); John Roberts; Joel Rosenman; and Artie Kornfield. While an outdoor music festival, especially one as large as the final result, was not in the initial plan for the venture, the idea slowly built from a recording session into a festival. The first act to sign was Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR), and after that, all the big names of the time jumped on board the venture. 

Crosby, Stills & Nash - Woodstock 1969

The venture also had some issues with the location of the festival. Originally, the event was planned to take place at Mills Industrial Park in Wallkill, New York, and town officials were assured that no more than 50,000 would be in attendance. Town residents vehemently opposed the festival and enacted laws which eventually banned the festival from the location. Eventually, the event was moved to Max Yasgur's farm in Bethel, although the promoters still promised under 50,000 in attendance, despite backlash from other town residents.

Janis Joplin - Woodstock 1969

Despite many logistical catastrophes, such as massive traffic jams, way more attendees than expected resulting in insufficient first aid and sanitation, rain delays causing the festival to extend into Monday morning, and two deaths, most people in attendance, including Mr. Yasgur, saw the weekend as a success and a "victory for peace and love." The sound engineer Bill Hanley is quoted saying that the sound system "...worked very well." And, of course, the music was unbelievable.

Stage Photo - Woodstock 1969

Friday, August 15, 1969 performers included:

• Richie Havens
• Ravi Shankar
• Arlo Guthrie
• Joan Baez

Joe Cocker - Woodstock 1969

Saturday August 16, 1969 (into Sunday morning) performers included:

• Country Joe McDonald
• Santana
• Canned Heat
• Mountain
• Grateful Dead
• CCR
• Janis Joplin w/The Kozmic Blues Band
• Sly & The Family Stone
• The Who
• Jefferson Airplane

Jefferson Airplane - Woodstock 1969

Sunday August 17 (into Monday morning) performers included:

• Joe Cocker and The Grease Band
• Country Joe and The Fish
• Ten Years After
• The Band
• Johnny Winter
• Blood, Sweat & Tears
• Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
• Paul Butterfield Blues Band
• Jimi Hendrix/Gypsy Sun and Rainbows

Jimi Hendrix - Woodstock 1969

Many of these performances are considered to be some of the best in rock & roll history. While the music was a huge success, Woodstock Ventures incurred $1.4 million in debt and faced approximately 80 lawsuits following the festival. Mr. Yasgur turned down the offer to host the festival again in 1970 to resume his life as a dairy farmer, while Bethel residents voted out their supervisor in a November 1969 election because of his part in bringing Woodstock to their town, and New York state and Bethel passed mass gathering laws in order to prevent future festivals. Fortunately for Woodstock Ventures, profits from the Woodstock movie, released in 1970, financed legal settlements and debt.

Santana - Woodstock 1969

Today, the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts sits on the original site of Woodstock, which opened in 2006, as well as the Museum at Bethel Woods, which opened in 2008. There is also a plaque on the site, set there in 1984, commemorating the festival. A 40th Anniversary event was held in 2009, featuring the largest gathering of Woodstock alumni since the festival itself, and there is talk of a big 50th Anniversary celebration in the works for 2019.

Current Site - Woodstock Music Festival

Ragin' Randy At M.E.M.Fest

I am very excited to announce that I will be playing a DJ set for the silent disco at M.E.M.Fest! Here is the full lineup, featuring lots of local Memphis acts, as well as some big names from around the country. I can't wait to see you all out on the dancefloor! Get ready for the true Ragin' Randy experience! Also, check out the playlist of M.E.M.Fest artists below, compiled by one of the festival's founders, Nolan Leake (aka Gutta Kick)