June 2021 | MendoWerks

INTERVIEW: Jeff Symonds Talks New Material, Album Release Plans

30Jun

By mendowerksNo Comments

Interviews

INTERVIEW: Jeff Symonds Talks New Material, Album Release Plans

Jeff Symonds has been a staple on the San Francisco music scene for decades. The multi-instrumentalist has been playing a variety of instruments since age 12. He's played guitar, bass and/or keys with more than 30 different bands. Inspiration struck and Symonds decided to release his first solo album at age 50. Since then, he hasn't looked back. We recently had a chance to catch up with Jeff and got some more insight into riverrun, details on the album release party, and what he'd like to say to his fans if he had the chance. For updates be sure to follow Jeff on Instagram and Twitter. 'I love a rock and roll band in full flight live -- the pandemic created my longest break from live performance since I was 10, and I cannot wait to get back up there'.-Jeff Symonds What inf...

Questlove Takes Us Back to the “Summer Of Soul” (Review)

29Jun

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Film, Music, Reviews

Questlove Takes Us Back to the “Summer Of Soul” (Review)

Winner of the U.S. Documentary Competition's Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award at this year's Sundance Film Festival, "Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)" is the filmmaking debut from Roots drummer extraordinaire Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson and one of the year's most exhilarating films. https://youtu.be/k99XO-UE5AQ In the summer of 1969, over 400,000 attended the Woodstock festival in New York State. That event is well documented in every respect, with a legendary film, album releases, and books to dissect every aspect of the cultural revolution. But that same summer, a series of music concerts were held in Mount Morris Park in Harlem, New York, that became known as "Black Woodstock." The Harlem Cultural Festival occurred every Sunday from late J...

Seth Lee Jones Readies New Album ‘Flathead’ For September Release

29Jun

By SimonNo Comments

Music

Seth Lee Jones Readies New Album ‘Flathead’ For September Release

Accomplished blues-rocker Seth Lee Jones is set to release a new album via Horton Records on September 10. Flathead consists of nine road-tested blues cover songs that celebrate the legacies of artists like Muddy Waters, Roger Miller, and others. The band consists of Jones on vocals & guitar, bassist Bo Hallford and drummer Matt Teegarden. Teegarden is the son of Grammy-winner David Teegarden who's known for his work with Bob Seegar, JJ Cale, and Joe Walsh. The recording session took place at Teegarden Studios and was played straight to tape over a seven-and-a-half-hour period with no edits or overdubs. 'What you hear on the record, it’s what you’re going to get live'.Seth Lee Jones According to a recent press release, Jones is a third-generation guitar player and is a s...

James Vickery Spreads Love With His Latest Single ‘You Comfort Me’ (w/EARTHGANG)

28Jun

By KaylaNo Comments

Music, Reviews

James Vickery Spreads Love With His Latest Single ‘You Comfort Me’ (w/EARTHGANG)

Out of all the people that pass through our lives, when we meet our person we simply know. All of these unexplainable feelings and connections are hard to put into words but James Vickery does a beautiful job creating the feeling of finding your person through his latest single with EARTHGANG. If you haven’t heard of Vickery, you are in for a pleasant surprise. His vocals will go straight to your heart and make you feel every word he is saying. Vickery is an outstanding live-performing artist. He had major success withhis COLORS session which now has over 23 million views. He was born in London and has now caught the eye of many internationally. He had headlined in venues such as The Jazz Cafe, The Echo, and Rough Trade. In addition to this, he has performed at festivals such as MELT ...

Rescheduled Bad Religion/Alkaline Trio Tour Tickets On Sale Now

27Jun

By SimonNo Comments

Events, Music

Rescheduled Bad Religion/Alkaline Trio Tour Tickets On Sale Now

Tickets to one of the 2021 tours we're most excited about just went on sale. Bad Religion and Alkaline Trio were scheduled to hit the road together just as the pandemic was setting in last year. The co-headline tour kicks off October 15 in Riverside California and will head cross country before wrapping up November 26 with a show in Hollywood, CA. Joining a growing list of acts who have announced rescheduled dates, there's optimism we won't see a COVID resurgence and any more forced cancellations. Major touring acts like Foo Fighters and the Hella Mega bands (Green Day, Weezer, Fall Out Boy) have opted to hit the road. While stand-alone festivals like Coachella and Burning Man have opted to punt until 2022. So that leads to the question, are you ready to go back to concerts yet? ...

Holt Aims To Capture Intensity Of Live Shows On New Record ’99 Degrees’

26Jun

By SimonNo Comments

Music

Holt Aims To Capture Intensity Of Live Shows On New Record ’99 Degrees’

Ericson Holt is set to release a brand new album on Conch Town Records this summer. While Holt is based in Florida, most of 99 Degrees was recorded in a Nashville studio over a whirlwind 48 hour period. The album drops on August 20 and the lead single 'Walkin' on Bourbon St' is out now. Holt assembled an all-star team of musicians to contribute to the project including multi-Grammy Award-winning engineer and organist Kevin McKendree (Delbert McClinton, Buddy Guy, Brian Setzer), guitarist Joe McMahan (Allison Moorer, Kevin Gordon, Hayes Carll, Webb Wilder), bassist Dave Santos (The Neville Brothers, John Fogerty, Bob Seger), along with drummer Kenneth Blevins (John Prine, John Hiatt.) The album was produced at McKendree’s highly regarded studio, The Rock...

25Jun

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Film, Reviews

Tribeca 2021: “Wolfgang” (Review)

The launch of Spago in 1982 put Wolfgang Puck on the map and, next to perhaps only Julia Child a few decades prior, he became one of the first celebrity chefs to fully integrate into popular culture. His life from growing up in an abusive household in Austria to the commercialization of "California Cuisine" is the subject of this new documentary from David Gelb ("Jiro Dreams of Sushi"). Still hard at work at the age of 71, Puck's story is inspirational and aspirational. This may explain how the movie was picked up by Disney. It really tells the story of a person who fought against the odds and was consistently told they couldn't make it, but kept fighting for something he was passionate about. It paid off in spades. The man has two Michelin stars, over 20 fine dining restauran...

Gary Clark Announces First Full Tour In 18 Months

24Jun

By SimonNo Comments

Events, Music

Gary Clark Announces First Full Tour In 18 Months

The electrifying Gary Clark is taking the show on the road. The multi-Grammy Award-winning artist and producer is embarking on a series of headline dates and festivals that will keep him gigging through the summer of '22. The U.S. leg of the tour kicks off with a show in Austin, Texas on August 20 and runs for four weeks. The European dates also announced will take place in the summer of '22. He'll have an opportunity to open for Guns N' Roses. Clark is currently working on a follow-up to his This Land album. To date, he has been nominated for six Grammy Awards and has taken home four. He's collaborated with everyone from Stevie Wonder to the Foo Fighters. We're excited to see where the road leads next. Keep your eyes open for more tour dates, follow Clark's Twitter & Inst...

Wallflowers To Release First New Album In Nearly A Decade

23Jun

By SimonNo Comments

Music

Wallflowers To Release First New Album In Nearly A Decade

The Wallflowers had a string of big hits in the mid-90s. The band rode a wave of popularity before eventually going on hiatus. Now, for the first time in nearly a decade, singer/songwriter Jakob Dylan and band have something to say. Exit Wounds will be released July 9 on New West Records. This new project will be the first for the band since 2012s Glad All Over. Wounds was produced by Butch Walker who is known for his work with everyone from Green Day to Panic! At The Disco as well as his own bands Marvelous 3. Summer Tour The Wallflowers will be out on tour in support of the album this summer with dates starting July 16 at Mohegan Sun Arena with shows extending well into September. Check out the new single 'Who's That Man Walking 'Round My Garden' and keep your eyes peeled...

Behind the Scenes with Rob Dexter from Kings County

22Jun

By Cammy KNo Comments

Interviews

Behind the Scenes with Rob Dexter from Kings County

Orlando Florida's Kings County has been lighting up stages all over the East Coast for over 20 years. They play shows all year round, wowing fans with their slick sounds and incredible stage presence.Cammy K from Mendowerks sat down with lead singer and bass player Rob Dexter for an in-depth look at how the band has maintained its success over the years and continues to grow with their new hard rock songs.Hi, Rob Dexter from Kings County!! Tell us a little bit about you. What is your professional background? Are you a musician full-time?Sure, I’m Rob Dexter, vocalist, and bassist for the hard rock band Kings County. We are based out of Orlando, FL. I’ve been playing bass and singing professionally since the ’90s with several bands but Kings County was started in 2003. The core of the band...