Mighty Mighty Bosstones - Breaking Barriers Again!

The Mighty Mighty Bosstones return to the Trocadero Theatre in Philly on Monday night, Aug. 22, 2010. The ska-lords have a new disc out, "Pin Points and Gin Joints."

Was thinking how funny it's going to be to have all us grey-haired rude boys skanking it up again to The Mighty Mighty Bosstones at The Trocadero in Philly Monday night.

It's been a while since the Boston Rascal Kings set their sights on on a Troc show. I can't remember the exact date, but there was this one time in I think 1995 when the guys were set to headline the the former Burlesque mecca, but had to move the show to the Theatre of Living Arts when there was a ceiling collapse at the aging Chinatown venue.

I had seen the Bosstones a couple times before that at the Troc and every time - even when that dude from The Goats poured a bus-boy tray of rain water on me when I finally squeezed my way to the stage - they rocked the house.

By 1997 - with the commercial success of "The Impression That I Get" and national ska-boom - it be became harder and harder to see the band play a mid-sized venue like the Trocadero. And that seemed to anger frontman Dickie Barrett a bit.

He hated that that show moved to the TLA. At least that was the impression that I got (no pun intended) - saying something in the effect of, "nice barriers," referring to the iron wall that separated the crowd.

"I miss The Trocadero. The Stone Pony. Trenton City Gardens," I remember Dickie saying.

The Troc at the time had no wall separating the band from the crowd and it made for landmark punk rock and ska experiences of the day when fans could and would jump on stage to dance along with the band during the ska shows and take a leap of faith back into the crowd during punk shows. Saw bands like The Voodoo Glow Skulls, The Suicide Machines, CIV, Queers, Skakin Pickle, Goldfinger and Spring Heeled Jack during those times.

The shows were wild, uninhibited and fun. And the interaction with the band had never been matched since venues started putting up these iron steel curtains. I blame the grunge era, the influx of jock moshers and kiddie crowd surfers. One fell on his head, sued a venue and Bosstones shows from then on never had that same sort of closeness to them.

I had the Bosstones' people ask Dickie about how he felt about his now return to the Troc on Monday. This is what is said.

"From a Bostonian to The Trentonian, we honestly could not be happier to back in the area, we have fond memories of the Troc," Dickie tells On The Beat. "Please come out and see us create some new memories and hear classic Bosstones tracks."

See you then, Dickie - with my silver maine and achy 34-year-old body ready to head-bang and flail my arms in celebration of one more Bosstones shows at The Troc. Not like I'd have the energy to get my plump frame on the stage anyway. So you can keep your barriers in place.

"Kinder Words" is my favorite Mighty Mighty Bosstones video. I first heard it on a CMJ sampler and remember its MTV debut on "120 Minutes." It was my first introduction to the band. Several concerts followed - maybe saw them in total six times. Probably one of the best live bands I've ever seen.

Found this on YouTube, too. It's a trailer of sorts to the '90s flick, "Clueless," which featured The Mighty Mighty Bosstones in the movie playing "Where Did You Go?" and "Someday I Suppose" at a frat party or something in the film.

Here's the official release about The Mighty Mighty Bosstones' tour. The Irving Plaza show is sold out.

THE MIGHTY MIGHTY BOSSTONES

GET SET FOR A TREK OF AUGUST TOUR DATES

The Mighty Mighty Bosstones have stuck more pins in the map and pulled more Gin from taps than they care to remember. Over the years they’ve earned the reputation as one of the hardest touring bands in rock. Now they about to hit the road for a trek of summer dates to support with their first full length studio release in seven years, featuring 14 new songs “Pin Points and Gin Joints” produced by BossTones Dicky Barrett, Joe Gittleman and producer Ted Hutt (Flogging Molly, Street Dogs, Gaslight Anthem) out now on the BossTones Big Rig Records.

With Pin Points and Gin Joints the BossTones have taken their trademark power chord, driving horns, wicked backbeat sound back to the barroom for another round of shots.

Don’t miss the fun:

August 23 - Philadelphia, PA - Trocadero Theatre with Teenage Bottlerocket & The Flatliners August 24 - New York, NY- Irving Plaza with Teenage Bottlerocket & The Flatliners August 26 - Buffalo, NY - Town Ballroom with Teenage Bottlerocket & The Flatliners August 27 - Detroit, MI - St. Andrews Hall with Teenage Bottlerocket & The Flatliners August 28 - Milwaukee, WI - The Rave/Eagles Club with Teenage Bottlerocket & The Flatliners www.BosstonesMusic.com

http://www.myspace.com/themightymightybosstones

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mighty-Mighty Bosstones/6218402444?v=app_96687436973

www.twitter.com/mmbosstones

B.o.B. - Playing Kids For The Kids

Photos by SCOTT FROST

Rapper B.o.B. performs at Six Flags Great Adventure, Jackson, NJ, on Aug. 18, 2010.

B.o.B. - Kids (MGMT cover)

By SCOTT FROST

JACKSON – Rap fans today aren’t looking for a spiritual leader or an artist with a political message. They’re looking strictly for originality, hip-hop baby face B.o.B. tells The Trentonian.

“I think kids look for the same thing in a hip-hop artist they would look in for a rock artist or pop artist. I think what they’re looking for is something original,” B.o.B. said in an exclusive interview after Wednesday night’s show at Six Flags Great Adventure’s North Star Arena.

“They want an artist with a sense of self and not necessarily a sense of job,” the 21-year-old Southern star said – cooling down from an electric hour-long set of songs featured on his hit album, “B.o.B. Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray.”

“They don’t want to listen to an artist who feels like they’re listening to someone who’s just doing their job or recording something because they’re just in the studio and are told to just record it.”

B.o.B – real name Bobby Ray Simmons Jr. – is the new face of hip-hop.

His crossover hit “Airplanes” – featuring Paramore’s Hayley Williams - has been burning up multiple radio formats since the spring. It recently won the Hook Up Song of The Year at Fox’s Teen Choice of Awards and was up for a ton of MTV Video Music Awards Sept. 12.

And even in a time when MTV finds little room for actually music coverage between exploitive Guido and slutty teen mom “reality” programming, B.o.B. has found his niche with the mainstream giant.

“It’s been a really busy day,” he told the capacity Six Flags crowd. “Was just up in New York recoding my ‘MTV Unplugged’.”

Signed to T.I.’s Grand Hustle Records, B.o.B. has found success by staying clear of rap’s thuggish modern makeup. His style is more Outcast and Lupe Fiasco than 50 Cent – a rapper that plays guitar while throwing-back of sorts to ’80s R&B and classic soul and rock ’n’ roll along the way.

The mix of young faces – from brace-faced Latinos to screechy suburban girlies and slick-sneaker-sporting African American backpackers, all recording the rappers every move on their Blackberry - that braved pouring rain Wednesday night to witness his radio hits live proves this guy’s career is boundless.

Further proof of his crossover appeal came at the conclusion of the show when he turned out a rousing rendition of the now-way hit “Kids” by MGMT.

“Control yourself … take only what you need from it,” the lyrics go.

Well, B.o.B.’s in control of his destiny. And the world is what he’s going to take over.

On the Beat - Aug. 19-26

Upstate New Yorkers The Tattle Tales play The Mill Hill Basement (300 S. Broad St., Trenton) on Saturday night.

Honah Lee

No other Trenton-based band can say they’ve opened for Green Day. Well, neither can these party rockers. The guys did open for Foxboro Hot Tubs at Don Hill’s in New York City in April and Honah Lee guitarist/wildman Joseph “Dim” Wolstenholme swore to On the Beat at a recent basement show Reverend Strychnine Twitch busted into a full-blown Green Day set midway through. All part of the “Sobered, So Bored!” players’ landmark summer – which included the split “Lick It” EP release with garage-rockers The Plurals and a four-day tour with the Michigan duo starting with a stop at Asbury Lanes (209 4^th Ave., Asbury Park) tonight and ending with a hometown get-down at The Mill Hill Basement (300 S. Broad St., Trenton) Sunday night. The songs on the EP have seeped into Trenton’s alt-rock folklore for more than a year now. Tim Hoh, Honah Lee’s pie-eyed singer, said the release – which shows off the band’s sticking-it-to-man convictions, appreciation for The Replacements and the ability to write an intoxicating, head-trapping rock ’n’ roll anthem modern-rock radio needs – is nothing new to local fans. It was used, he said, to initiate a takeover of badger country when touring with The Plurals this past Spring. The Plurals are cool, too. The trio tour Central Jersey quite a bit. Their sound is like a frenzied White Stripes with a gritty, sugar-pop swagger. Tonight’s 18-plus show starts at 8. The Wait and Meet/Pause opens. Tickets cost $7. Tickets to the 21-plus Mill Hill show cost $5. Bravo Utah (ex-Dead Flowers) opens.

The Shades

The rockers’ third annual reunion show hits The Record Collector (358 Farnsworth Ave., Bordentown) tonight. Show starts at 7:30. Tickets cost $10. All-ages.

Charlotte Sometimes

The deep, exhausted, bluesy, vocal range of this Wall Township cutie’s teen scene instructions, “How I Could Just Kill A Man,” helped suck the rage out of the 2008 Van’s Warped Tour - which flipped out a mild-mannered lineup of pop acts including Meg & Dia and Hellogoodbye at that’s summer’s stop at The Englishtown Raceway. The singer – real name Jessica Poland and at the time debuting her Geffen release “Waves And the Both Of Us” – casted out some coffeehouse-pop melodies into the air that day just when the sun-beaten crowd needed a caffeine kick in. It was a nice touch – refreshing and tranquil like her songwriting style. A self-released EP, “Sideways,” hit the scene in May. Expect some of those songs when she headlines the Kat-Tunes2ya.com Presents Song Writer Circle-First Debut event at Grounds For Sculpture (18 Fairgrounds Rd., Hamilton) tomorrow night. Show starts at 7. Shaun Ruymen, Toby Lightman, Tina Shafer, Reed Waddle and Meika Pauley round out the bill. Tickets cost $20 in advance, $25 at the door. All-ages.

I Am The Trireme

The sick-core behemoths from South Jersey mix up Middle Eastern influences in their black-metal meltdowns in the same vein as Nile but with the fury of Kataklysm. The throat-sore psychos storm into Championships Sports Bar and Grill (931 Chambers St., Trenton) tomorrow night. Show starts at 7. Imbala headlines. Amenama and Illumas play, too. Tickets cost $8. All-ages.

Jim Gaven

The lover-struck former PostMarkTwain singer has been working on a few poetic puckers to unleash on the lovely ladies of tomorrow night’s Singer/Songwriter Shakedown at Café International (214 E. Front St., Trenton). Show starts at 8. The luscious Kelly Carvin hosts. Kelly Zullo, Dan Sufalko, Scott Webster and Sean Popular play, too. Tickets cost $5. All-ages.

Plainfield Slim

The Delta blues-inspired side dish of Doughboy guitarist Gar Francis – think an electrified Muddy Waters, hyper Howlin’ Wolf – gets down and dirty at The Record Collector (358 Farnsworth Ave., Bordentown) tomorrow night. Show starts at 7:30. Tickets cost $10 in advance, $12 at the door. All-ages.

The Gay Blades

The trash-funk duo went into its new disc, “Savages,” “unfettered,” according to singer/guitarist James DeanWells - paying homage to Spoon, Passion Pit and MGMT with the horny hip-shifting lead single, “Try To Understand” – available right now as a free download at onthebeatphilly.blogspot.com. The tandem headlines Asbury Lanes (209 4^th Ave., Asbury Lanes) tomorrow night with this record expected to be full of surprises for fans – including a large contingent of Trentonians who’ve witnessed their road-weary rock-out sessions at McGuinn’s Place and The Mill Hill Basement the last several years. No one really knows what to expect from New York’s next big thing, as The Gay Blades have become infamous for genre morphing from garage to folk to alt-pop and dance-rock. “Luckily, we don’t fit into any one scene or genre, so our fans aren’t small-minded about our sound,” said DeanWells stumping the record’s Oct. 5 release. “One of my idols, Beck, puts out records that couldn’t be more disparate from one another, but because he consistently puts out good-sounding records, people love them all.” Show starts at 8. Cutesy pop wonder kids, The Narrative, and Person L play, too. Tickets cost $12. 18-plus.

Burial Mound

The Atco head-shivers hasty-horrific guitar executions and vocal guerrilla tactics sound like a beasty translation of Testament. The metal heads – who bucked the law when posing for their band shots in front of a idle state police cruiser - open for Diecast at Championships Sports Bar and Grill (931 Chambers St., Trenton) Saturday afternoon. Show starts at 4. Ashes of Your Enemy, Methodical, Endall, Stygian, F***ing Useless and Riddled With Guilt round out the bill. Tickets cost $12 in advance, $14 at the door. All-ages.

Tattle Tales - Insub Fest 2010 from Marc Gärtner on Vimeo.

The Tattle Tales

The Upstate New Yorker’s polyphonic Jack & Jill juggles, synth sprinkles and jangle-pop harmonies are so sweet and delectably cute they could jingle for Mister Softee. Sounds like Letters To Cleo mixed with Zolof The Rock & Roll Destroyer. The quintet is touring in support of its new EP, “Moon Glasses,” with Milwaukee pop punks Direct Hit!. The tour hits The Mill Hill Basement (300 S. Broad St., Trenton) Saturday night. Show starts at 9. The Timid Roosevelts, Billy Raygun and Georgian round out the bill. Tickets cost $5. 21-plus.

Peter Stampfel

One half of the Greenwhich Village folk duo The Holy Modal Rounders with Steve Weber, Stampfel’s skippy Americana song style will forever be instilled in the history of U.S. counter-culture cinema as a version of his “Bird Song” is featured in the bad boy ’60s flick “Easy Rider.” A Grammy winner in 1998 for writing the liner notes to the CD reissue of “Anthology of American Folk Music,” Stampfel and Weber went electric when recording their latest in 1998. He’ll appear solo at The Record Collector (358 Farnsworth Ave., Bordentown) Saturday night. Show starts at 7:30. Gerry Thompson (Cigar Box) and Color Of Skies opens. Tickets cost $12 in advance, $15 at the door. All-ages.

We Dream of Solace

The Burlco brute’s colossal cavern-core spellbinds with its stalking black metal-inspired organ backdrop. Killer doom-metal elements, too, you’d hear in Opeth and Children of Bodem 45s spun at 33. The quintet open for Harrisburg’s An Early Ending Monday afternoon at Championships Sports Bar and Grill (931 Chambers St., Trenton). Show starts at 4. Amarna Reign, Rosaline, From Day to Daybreak and Aeneid Tells play, too. Tickets cost $10 in advance, $12 at the door. All-ages.

Mammox

Like a living graffiti tag that spits mental poetic pulverizes straight through your skull, this Boston collective’s live hip-hop improvisations, fitful, jazz-injected whacko electronics and asylum rhyme convulsions are a fusion of Lyrics Born, El-P and Live Human. The crew headlines The Court Tavern (124 Church St., New Brunswick) Tuesday night. Hyawatha, To Live and Die in NJ and The White Rhino round out the bill. Tickets cost $8. 21-plus.

Sublime With Rome

The Long Beach dub-punk dudes from Sublime “Paddles Out” to “Smoke Two Joints” at The Stone Pony Summerstage (913 Ocean Ave., Asbury Park) Wednesday night. Show starts at 5. Tickets cost $35 in advance, $40 at the door. All-ages.

Almost There

The alt-rockers – think a computer-pop-minded Thrice – return to the beach after opening for 3OH3! last month with a headlining gig at Asbury Lanes (209 4^th Ave., Asbury Park) Wednesday night. Show starts at 7. A Criminal Risk, Gone By Tomorrow, Opening Day and The Excitement Gang play, too. Tickets cost $10 All-ages.

Scott Frost’s On The Beat concert listing appears in The Trentonian and at www.trentonian.com every Thursday. If your band is playing around town, email the On the Beat web line at djscott111@aol.com.

The Narrative - Fading Into Pop's Future

The Narrative open for The Gay Blades in Asbury Park Friday and Philly on Saturday.

The Narrative - Fade (Free Download)

Their cute and cuddly, sugar sweet ... and opening for The Gay Blades this weekend. The Narrative hail from New York. Nice chick vocals. The piano is nice, too. They have a self-titled record out. Go buy it.

Here's the full press release and tour dates.

"The Narrative are the East Coast's torch bearers of indie emo-pop" - The Deli Magazine "Unsigned Band of the Month" - Alternative Press

In support of their highly anticipated album release, The Narrative has embarked on some tour dates throughout July and August. The Narrative released their self-titled debut on July 27th via iTunes, Amazon.com, and Rhapsody. The groups latest effort maintains a diversity that most bands struggle to achieve while remaining harmonious with the sound they are known and loved for. With soothing male/female dueling vocals and beautiful arrangements, this album is poised to be a 2010 favorite. Their first EP Just Say Yes was released in 2008 and met with great success, receiving rave reviews from critics such as Flavorpill, The Deli Magazine, Idolator, Absolute Punk and more. They began writing and recording their first full length in 2009 and are ready to impact today's music scene with a genuine record that strikes a balance between profound songwriting and catchy melodies.

Tour Dates: Aug 21 2010 The Fire Philadelphia, PA Aug 27 2010 The Bug Jar Rochester, NY Aug 28 2010 Heirloom Arts Theatre Danbury, CT w/ The Scarlet Ending Aug 29 2010 The Championship Lemoyne, PA w/ The Scarlet Ending Aug 31 2010 The Vibe Lounge Rockville Centre, NY WHO: The Narrative WHERE: THE FIRE | 412 W Girard Ave | Philadelphia, PA WHEN: AUG 21 | 9:00 PM

The Gay Blades - Savages of The Dance

The Gay Blades headline Asbury Lanes in Asbury Park, NJ, Friday night. Their new disc, "Savages," comes out in October.

The Gay Blades - Try To Understand (Free Download)

The trash-funk duo went into its new disc, “Savages,” “unfettered,” according to singer/guitarist James DeanWells - paying homage to Spoon, Passion Pit and MGMT with the horny hip-shifting lead single, “Try To Understand.” The tandem headlines Asbury Lanes (209 4^th Ave., Asbury Lanes) Friday night with this record expected to be full of surprises for fans – including a large contingent of Trentonians who’ve witnessed their road-weary rock-out sessions at McGuinn’s Place and The Mill Hill Basement the last several years. No one really knows what to expect from New York’s next big thing, as The Gay Blades have become infamous for genre morphing from garage to folk to alt-pop and dance-rock. “Luckily, we don’t fit into any one scene or genre, so our fans aren’t small-minded about our sound,” said DeanWells stumping the record’s Oct. 5 release. “One of my idols, Beck, puts out records that couldn’t be more disparate from one another, but because he consistently puts out good-sounding records, people love them all.” Show starts at 8. Cutesy pop wonder kids, The Narrative, and Person L play, too. Tickets cost $12. 18-plus.

Here's the full press release with a full track listing:

As NME puts it..."Prepare to have your love defribulated by the raw, garagey sound of these two reprobates, with more saw-riffed swagger than a dog with two dicks and a cougar's yowl. Clark Westerfield and Puppy Mills are bad, bad men and we love 'em."

NEW YORK - Over the past three years, The Gay Blades have built an international following on their side-stepping demeanor, their unpredictable live shows and, of course, their unhinged manic sound. But while their fan base is still marveling at how the larger-than-life duo can fill aural spaces so completely as a two-piece, the band is ready to unveil their sophomore album, Savages, which promises to astonish both their current devotees and future fans alike. Savages is out October 5th via Triple Crown Records/ILG. Go to TheGayBlades.com and send a tweet in exchange for a free download of the first single, "Try To Understand." It can also be downloaded directly HERE. Feel free to post "Try To Understand" on your website or blog as a free download.

Since the release of their debut album, Ghosts, lead singer/guitarist James DeanWells AKA Clark Westfield and drummer Quinn English AKA Puppy Mills have experienced extraordinary life changes, which have consciously and unconsciously shaped the songs on their impressive new album. Specifically, Savages is the amalgamation of the emotions behind relentless touring, the band’s hometown of NYC and the passing of Wells’ brother Ian Savage Wells.

“This record was the next step for our band,” Wells says. “On Ghosts, we were creating with this almost adolescent air of irreverence, but with Savages we are just trying to be unfettered. We can't worry about what this record is supposed to be, only what we want it to be – a collection of trashy rock songs that speak as much to the music we love as it does our own personal chemistry as a band.”

The Gay Blades holed up with producer Dean Baltulonis (The Hold Steady, Lissy Trullie, Goes Cube) in his Queens, NY studio, where they experimented with fuller instrumentation and live recordings. The result is an unapologetic pop record adorned with a mosaic of luscious string arrangements, boisterous horns, gorgeous harmonies and surprising synths and programming. While Savages is clearly more evolved than Ghosts, Wells has faith that it will appease his fans.

“Luckily, we don't fit into any one scene or genre, so our fans aren't small-minded about our sound,” he says. “One of my idols, Beck, puts out records that couldn't be more disparate from one another, but because he consistently puts out good-sounding records, people love them all. Truthfully, though, the only thing he and I have in common is that we both look really good in a suit and can dance like a white James Brown.”

Savages is an eclectic mix of songs, which cannot be defined by any one genre, but does pay homage to artists such as the Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Bruce Springsteen, Adam Ant, Spoon, Wilco and Weezer. “Rock N' Roll (Part I),” the album’s emblematic opener, kicks off with scathing guitars and commanding drums, writhing in true Gay Blades fashion. The horn arrangements make their most prominent appearance on “Try To Understand,” a song about “the patience we need to love those who test our love the most,” Wells explains, adding, “it’s a monster of a song, and it might be my favorite on the record.”

The Gay Blades have toured throughout the US and Europe sharing stages with the likes of Cursive, MGMT, The Black Lips, Matt and Kim, Ra Ra Riot, Jack's Mannequin, Juliette Lewis and Electric Six, but with all that they’ve accomplished, the band simply wants to continue creating music that will make a mark. Armed with their compelling new album, it won’t be difficult. “When we can't identify with someone else’s lifestyle, we assume that they’re missing something intellectually and emotionally,” he reflects. “But when you assume you're the missionary, I can guarantee someone else considers you the savage.”

Savages Track Listing:

1. Rock N' Roll (Part I) 2. Try To Understand 3. Puppy Mills Presents 4. Mick Jagger 5. Why Winter in Detroit? 6. November Fight Song 7. Too Cool To Quit 8. Shadow's Like A Ghost 9. Burns and Shakes 10. Wasted On The Youth 11. Every Night Is Like A Revival

More Public Enemy ... Live from the Troc

Photos by SCOTT FROST

Public Enemy celebrated the 20th Anniversary of "Fear of a Black Planet" at The Trocadero Theatre in Philly, Aug. 13.

My journalist feelers were on such high alert on Saturday, I nearly forgot that there was an actual show to cover. So here's the photos from the show - which was awesome by the way.

Some of you might have heard On the Beat via The Trentonian newspaper reporting about Flavor Flav stumping for Philadelphia Eagles No. 2 quarterback Michael Vick. Well that was the sensational reporter in me coming out. The hip-hop fan in me is glad to report that PE can still "Yo! Bum Rush the Show." They played every song you ever wanted to hear - including hidden gems from their career discography you'd never heard them do before. "911 Is A Joke," "Burn Hollywood Burn" and "Can't Do Nothin' For You Me" top my list.

Yo-Yo (pictured below) was back stage for some unexplained reason. So she came out and did an impromptu rendition of "You Can't Play With My Yo-Yo."

Awesome show!

Paul McCartney - Sgt. Pepper Parade

BY MICHELLE LAWLOR

PHILADELPHIA - Beatlemania is in fact, alive and well, judging by the sold out crowd that filled the Wachovia Center to see Paul McCartney in Philadelphia Saturday night. Tickets for the first of his only two tri-state area appearances on the “Up and Coming Tour” sold out in just two minutes, breaking a record for the fastest-selling show in the Wachovia Center’s history.

McCartney’s repertoire spanned decades and generations, ranging from Beatles to Wings to songs from his extensive solo career, even including songs that have never been played in the United States, such as “Ob La Di Ob La Da.” The hometown crowd was thrilled to hear that it would be the first time that song had been played in Philly.

Fans of all ages were treated to three hours of the pop icon’s hits, including two encores. He would even invite two ecstatic fans on stage to get autographs and hugs. McCartney was personable and entertaining throughout, pausing between songs to tell stories about the writing process of some of his most famous tunes, and crack jokes about his seemingly endless guitar collection.

“Some of you have asked why we are always swapping guitars,” McCartney quipped as he slung another new guitar around his neck. “It’s because we are showing off. You did pay for a show.”

Highlights included a moving tribute song to former Beatle John Lennon, entitled “Here Today,” based on an imaginary conversation between McCartney and Lennon about their friendship and history together. McCartney also played former Beatle George Harrison’s hit “Something” on a ukulele, while standing in front of a large screen that showed candid photographs of the two during their time together as band mates.

Though McCartney recently celebrated his 68^th birthday in June, he hardly acts his age, impressively jumping, kicking, and holding guitars high above his head all throughout the long set. Even his voice sounded as youthful as it had on the recordings he’d made in his early twenties.

A true showman, McCartney kept the audience singing, dancing and even laughing at every moment, treating fans to classic hits as well as his insightful and uplifting newer material. It truly was an incredible experience to see him perform live in concert, and should be considered a “must” on any Beatle fan’s to-do list.

McCartney’s setlist included:

Venus and Mars Rockshow Jet All My Loving Letting Go Got to Get You Into My Life Highway Let Me Roll It Long and Winding Road 1985 Let ‘Em In My Love I’m Looking Through You Two of Us Blackbird Here Today Dance Tonight Mrs. Vanderbilt Eleanor Rigby Something Sing the Changes Band on the Run Ob La Di Ob La Da Back in the USSR I Got a Feeling Paperback Writer A Day in the Life Hey Jude First Encore: Day Tripper Lady Madonna Get Back Second Encore: Yesterday Helter Skelter Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Heart’s Club Band

Graffiti City - Tagging TerraCycle

Photos by SCOTT FROST

A truck trailer parked in the back courtyard of the TerraCycle plant in Trenton, NJ, gets a new paint job at the Saturday, Aug. 14th, graffiti jam.

TRENTON - Some of the East Coast's top graffiti talents were invited to Trenton this weekend to tag up the walls surrounding TerraCycle on New York Avenue.

I got there around 1:30 and color splashes had already landed ... coloring up the black walls with what looked like living art.

The Terracycle Graffiti Jam is an annual event, so each year organizers paint over the graffiti pieces from the year before with black paint. The colors really came alive this year. And the 3D look was impressive.

This is such a great event. And a celebration of an urban art.

Here's how the graffiti fest looked through my lens.

Poor Righteous Teaching @ McGuinn's Place

Photo by Scott Frost

Wise Intelligent of Poor Righteous Teachers rips up the mic at McGuinn's Place on Aug. 14.

Wise Intelligent from Kell Ramos on Vimeo.

Wise Intelligent performed at McGuinn's Place in Lawrence Saturday night.

Here's his new video, which he rocked last night.

He's just an amazing emcee ... with the whitest deejay.

Huh, white deejay? Yeah, I was shocked when I looked to my right and saw Mr. Diffy Productions, Cameron Ferrara, working the board for the Trenton hip-hop legend.

Wise must be in-between selectors. Not like Mr. Diffy had to do too much. Wise showed up with a disc of beats - all of which he totally fucking tore up!

My favorites Trenton emcees Roebus One and Raymond Strife of To Live & Die in NJ rocked the mic, too. Those guys got some serious skills!

ROEBUS ONE

Flavor Flav - Yo! Bum Rushing The Show

Photo by SCOTT FROST

Flavor Flav performs at The Trocadero Theatre in Philly, Aug. 13, 2010.

PHILADELPHIA – Kevin Kolb better watch his back, because Public Enemy No. 1 thinks Michael Vick should be the Eagles’ No. 1. Old school rap icon turned reality star, Flavor Flav, stumped for the convicted canine killer and Philadelphia’s back-up quarterback on Saturday night a few songs into Public Enemy’s set at The Trocadero Theatre in Philly’s Chinatown. Never to dodge controversy, Flav – draped in a black Eagles No. 7 jersey and backwards Yankees baseball cap - received a mix of boos and cheers when flicking the corner of his Vick jersey. “Yo! You know what?” Flav asked the male-dominated crowd of mostly thirtysomethings. “I’m wearing this because Mike Vick is my favorite player.” “And I think he’s the guy to lead the Philadelphia Eagles,” the wild-eyed hype man said before – interestingly enough - busting into his solo joint, “911 Is A Joke.” Public Enemy – Flav (real name William Drayton Jr.), Chuck D and Professor Griff - was in town to celebrate the 20th anniversary since the release of their controversial album, “Fear of a Black Planet.” Backed with a full band, PE started the set with the first few songs of that classic LP, before busting out a collection of hits (including “Burn Hollywood Burn,” “Bring The Noise,” and “I Can’t Do Nuthin’ For Ya Man”) and new tracks featured on the Internet at publicenemy.com. Chuck D – wearing a Pittsburgh Pirates hat and camouflage shorts instead of the Phillies cap he sported in the infamous “Fight The Power” video – said from the stage on Saturday that Philadelphia was the first city outside of New York to give Public Enemy any “love.” He noted the group’s arena tour with The Beastie Boys that landed in the Philadelphia Spectrum in 1987 as one of the more memorable stops, but made sure to point out that concert was not the first in the city. Public Enemy played a club date with The Ultramagnetic MCs a few months before hitting the road with the Beasties, he said. Special guests included Philly hardcore legend School D, who flowed out two tracks – “PSK” and “Parkside 552.” Cali rap queen Yo-Yo was also in the house. She played an impromptu version of her hit, “You Can’t Play With My Yo-Yo.” DJ Lord covered for original deejay, Terminator X, yet the crew still rolled out “Terminator X to the Edge of Panic.” Public Enemy ended the night with “Fight The Power” and “Night of the Livin’ Baseheads.”

On the Beat: Aug. 12-19

Violinist and modern-rock radio darling Tracy Bonham headlines The Record Collector in Bordentown on Saturday night.

Billy J. Kramer

The Merseybeat singer turned unused Beatles songs into chart toppers in the early ’60s. Kramer - headlining The Record Collector (358 Farnsworth Ave., Bordentown) tonight - shared manager Brian Epstein with The Fab Four, which gave the now 66-year-old Brit access to some of John and Paul’s leftover jingles and songwriting talents. You can even hear a jovial Lennon in the background of a recording of “I’m In Love” – a song Kramer originally passed on – released on a ’90s career compilation. Kramer’s been appearing at a select few Garden State rock ’n’ roll expos this summer. His show tonight – his final here before heading across the pond for two shows at The Cavern in Liverpool - features Liberty DeVitto of Billy Joel’s band on drums. Show starts at 7:30. Tickets cost $25 in advance, $30 at the door. All-ages.

This Or The Apocalypse

The Lancaster skull crashers, who ravage souls with hair whipping scream core, focus their energy on speedy breakdowns and harmony-enraged choruses. The hardliners - a new disc, “Haunt What’s Life,” recorded in Chris Adler and John Wilbur’s (Lamb Of God) Spin Studio as their arsenal - headline Championships Sports Bar and Grill (931 Chambers St., Trenton) tomorrow afternoon (Friday the 13^th BTW). For fans of Texas In July, God Forbid and Trivium. Show starts at noon. Consumer, A Dream Worth Dying For, Then Falls Caesar, Sicker Than Most, Moran’s Accident, Within Cold Blood and My Heart To Fear round out the bill. Tickets cost $10 in advance, $12 at the door. All-ages.

Raymond Strife

Like a rubber-room coated courtroom presided by Harvey Birdman with MC Paul Barman of defense, the Ewing emcee’s maroon-mental-tudes can roll out of order. The trip-ballsy self-loathing egomaniac’s gooey rap whit-wet-spits are too legit to quit also – making for a fly time for all at The All Call Inn (214 Weber Ave., Ewing) tomorrow night. Show starts at 10. Gilateen Gilly plays, too. Tickets cost $5. 21-plus.

Rocky

The Trenton emcee - whose flow bears semblance to a streetwise/commercial-minded Chiddy Bang - headlines McGuinn’s Place (1781 Brunswick Pike, Lawrence) tomorrow night. Show starts at 9. Black Collar Biz, Bottom Line, Cap City, KV Jetson and J. Smoothe round out the bill. Tickets cost $5. 21-plus.

Bebe Buell

Liv Tyler’s Playboy Playmate momma and Cameron Crow’s inspirationto the “Penny Lane” character in “Almost Famous” stars at The Record Collector (358 Farnsworth Ave., Bordentown) tomorrow night. Known to shack up with rock stars, Buell started recording music in the early ’80s with her band The Gargoyles – even having at one point The Cars and then boyfriend John Taylor (Duran Duran/Power Station) backing her up. But rumor has it, her music career was pre-empted when the singer’s secret spawn to the Aerosmith frontman – and possible scandal - turned off record execs. Liv didn’t know of her father until she was 11, and has been quoted as seeing both “more as human beings than parents.” Buell’s touring with a new single “Sugar.” Has a melodic new wave feel to it that’s sort of Blondie mixed with Heart. Show starts at 7:30. Frankenstein 3000 open. Tickets cost $12 in advance, $15 at the door. All-ages.

Kid Is Qual

Jon Sullivan’s (Jack’s Mannequin) robot-rocking side project is a dance-flowing, Daft Punk-y wet dream for fans of biting, 8-bit audio automations. The trio shake-shake-shake it out at Asbury Lanes (209 4^th Ave., Asbury Park) tomorrow night. Also features Alabama Thuderpussy’s Mike Bryant. Show starts at 8. The Black Birds and Kid Charlemagne open. Tickets cost $8. 18-plus. A 21-plus show is also slated for The Court Tavern (124 Church St., New Brunswick) Saturday night. That performance starts 6 with Tangomachina and Bryan Hansen opening. Tickets cost $8.

Ruckus at the Zoo

The Philly pop punks headline Championships Sports Bar and Grill (931 Chambers St., Trenton) Saturday afternoon. Show starts at noon. Divide & Conquer, The Pleasure, The Frontrunner, Ripping X-Ray, Massively Ill and Weigh The Wind play, too. Tickets cost $10. All-ages.

Wise Intelligent

The Trenton rap legend gets his rocky-funky-joint-on at TerraCycle’s (121 New York Ave., Trenton) annual Graffiti jam after party at McGuinn’s Place (1781 Brunswick Pike, Lawrence) Saturday night. Rarely does the iconic hip-hop figure do shows in a small venue like McGuinn’s, but it seems like that juxtaposition of lyrical wordplay and artistic urban expression the showcase represents has become an appealing tradition to the local truth speaker from Poor Righteous Teachers who finds time in his busy schedule to hit up this event each summer. Show starts at 9. To Live & Die In NJ, Roebus One and Surg & Hellfire open. Tickets cost $5. 21-plus.

Fairway Drive

The punk-proggers’ mix of high-pitchy vocals, guitar slices-and-dices and aggressive background howls blend everything the emo kids at school love about Mars Volta, Choidos and Circa Survive. The Tuckerton troop headline The Mill Hill Basement (300 S. Broad St., Trenton) Saturday night. Show starts at 5. At Daybreak!, The Cretins and Christopher James open. Tickets cost $10. All-ages.

Stomping Ground

The cop-hating, chick-led Trenton hardcore hell blazers follow old school punk’s time-honored tradition of play it fast, play it loud and play it quick. Only one song on their MySpace page lasts longer than a minute, and that ditty, “PepsiRock,” rolls over at 1:21. Riot rock unearthed from the spirits of Minor Threat, Youth Brigade, Murphy’s Law and even a little Bad Brains, the five some are set to open for Brooklyn’s Mayday Underground at Championships Sports Bar and Grill (931 Chambers St., Trenton) Saturday night. Show starts at 9. Animal Train, Regretter and Lousy Break round out the bill. Tickets cost $8. 21-plus.

Tracy Bonham

Nineties alternative brought guitar fuzz and feedback and total whacked-out dirt rock to commercial radio for the first time in the form of grunge music. But lets not forget how a few classically-trained ladies of the violin found their place, too, among the Nirvana’s, Pearl Jam’s and Green Day’s of the world with bands like That Dog and the Weezer off-shoot The Rentals (both times with Petra Haden stringing-it-up). It was this New Yorkers “Mother Mother,” however, which truly opened the ears of many a alt-rock fan to the school-orchestra-only violin that never found its niche in modern counter culture. Bonham, playing The Record Collector (358 Farnsworth Ave., Bordentown) Saturday night, was nominated for two Grammy’s for that song in 1997 – losing to Sheryl Crow for Best Female Performance and Beck for Best Alternative Album. She never returned to modern-rock radio as that format quickly fizzled out. But stuck to her art roots touring with The Blue Man Group, where she appeared on “America’s Got Talent” playing violin of course in a rendition of The Who’s “Baba O’Reily.” Bonham’s new record, “Masts Of Manhattan,” is a throwback to the jangle pop days of college radio, and her alt-rock covenant Julian Hatfield and Liz Phair. Show starts at 7:30. L.A.’s Bleu opens. Tickets cost $12 in advance, $15 at the door. All-ages.

Peelander-Z

The Jap-punk loony tuners kung-fu karate kick-it into Asbury Lanes (209 4^th Ave., Asbury Park) Saturday night. Quite the spectacle whenever they hit the beach, their live act – in broken English mostly - is like watching The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers fighting in a Kaiju Big Battel cage match on MXC with The Aquabats supplying the soundtrack. Show starts at 10. Tickets cost $8. 21-plus.

Scott Frost’s On The Beat concert listing appears in The Trentonian and at www.trentonian.com every Thursday. If your band is playing around town, email the On the Beat web line at djscott111@aol.com.