There are mainstream artists walking the earth in this moment who would kill for even a ‘hello’ from Bono of U2. Some of them may never get it. Bono is a living legend. Besides his unprecedented success as a rock god he has also decided to take on the task of ending world hunger in his lifetime. No big deal. To say that people look up to him is a disgusting understatement. He’s been called overrated and an egomaniac, but he has always been called these things while he stands at the top. Artists would love to graze his presence at an award show or get an all access pass to a concert and feel what he is really like. While he is kind and open, he’s still untouchable. So imagine then being put on his band’s bill to perform during his record-breaking tour. U2 360 is the biggest, most successful tour in the history of all rock band history. It would be an honor to almost all bands, and he could have had any one he wanted for any show. For his closing night, he asked Carney. Days before Carney played with U2 I was honored with the opportunity to see them for myself at a New York City landmark – the Bowery Ballroom. The Bowery Ballroom is the type of music venue that carries rock’s history and rock’s future.  There are a handful of these places in each major city and the proper path to music greatness is through them.  If you are like Jenn and I then you believe in the ghosts of venues past. Walking through the doors of a great venue is like walking into church.  I remember the first time I laid eyes upon the Whiskey A Go Go on Sunset Blvd.  I thought I had reached Mecca.  Just one week before Carney’s performance Sean Lennon played on the same stage carrying the energy and genetics of one of the greatest song writers of all time (his dad, John….). It’s all the more special then that Carney covered “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)” by the Beatles.  In the wake of Amy Winehouse’s death we can’t forget her troubled yet legendary performance on the same stage in 2007 when “Back to Black” was still new.  She played to a sold out crowd that was unsure if she would even show up. She showed and gave them everything they wanted and more.  Back then few people knew the depth of her genius. Most had never heard “Frank” or the endless Jazz she covered. She was just the girl that said she didn’t want to go to rehab. Less than a year later, she was the proud owner of five Grammy awards.  Venues like this one have stories to tell. And they have stories to write. On July 25, 2011 a new chapter was written for a band called Carney on their way to the greatest stage on earth.  Carney reminds me of this idea that something can be ancient and from the future at once. It’s the circle with no end and no beginning; where time does not exist for any other reason than to include the narrative. On one hand, this show took me back to a time when each note coming off of an instrument was the man’s way of channeling something and making it manifest. It was about nothing other than the truth that these instruments (including Reeve’s voice) could produce and if manipulated properly they could create the unintelligible. It’s about intention, not outcome. Each song was simple and complicated at the same time. Nothing new but done as great as the best, and we haven’t seen many of the best hanging around our generation. On the other hand, there was something about being at this show that reminded me we are a long way from the hay day of rock & roll and it has everything to do with the rockers themselves. Jenn and I recently had a conversation about “sex, drugs, and rock & roll.” It appears that phrase doesn’t explain the state of rock itself.  Instead it was more of a phase.  Certainly it didn’t apply to everyone then and still lingers for some now, but we all know the power of those words and the time they reflect.  I grew up reading the memoirs of Pamela Des Barres (possibly the most documented rock muse) and autobiographies of great musicians. There was a time when rock & roll came with rebellion. Sex, drugs, and rock & roll stayed true to itself.  But the essence of rock & roll need not have anything to do with rebellion. Chris Martin, lead singer of Coldplay, says, “we don’t see rock & roll as being about coke-taking, leather trouser wearing rebellion…The spirit of rock & roll is freedom. It’s about following what you believe in and not caring what anyone else says.” I see zero coke-taking, leather trouser wearing rebellion from the boys of Carney. But I absolutely see following what you believe in and not caring what anyone else says. The rock & roll of today. Of the future? What I found most from my time at the Carney show was that this is a family affair, and the Carney family may be one of the kindest I have ever met. The night before the Bowery show I went to see their sister, Paris, perform at Rockwood Music Hall. Upon her approach I instantly felt the gentle, sweet energy that Paris carries. She’s beautiful in every way a woman would hope to be beautiful. I watched her greeting the crowd. She spoke to each with the same connectedness that she offered her family and friends. She was entirely in the moment and without even a smidgen of fear or worry. I wondered to myself, ‘could this girl always carry such grace and light?’ It seems slightly exhausting to feed that kind of energy all the time.  I wondered if maybe when the crowd disappears she might have a darker side because, really, where does she get to release negative energy? And then I remembered, she’s a songwriter. For the record, she’s a songwriter with the voice of an angel. I was very fortunate to be seated in the chair directly next to Paris on the balcony at the Bowery Ballroom to watch her brothers’ set.  Only a few seats away was Marti Heil. Most would probably recognize her as “Fables Jewelry” from her jewelry line. She is Mother Carney.  This is a mother who has used her own talents and artistic characteristics as a way of nurturing those she recognizes in her children. In no way is she a stage mom, although she is there on the side for it all. She is support in the strongest of ways. She is clearly where Paris gets her grace. In fact, I told Paris that her outfit resembled her mother’s style and found out that it was actually her mother’s outfit! The mother of these Carney children lives dangerously on the edge of open. In a society that often doubts and sees the worst in each other, she will let you right in. She embraces strangers with open arms. It’s refreshing. She makes you feel welcome and that you were meant to meet. She seems slightly unaware of her own status. Maybe it’s because twitter and the Internet have made the world so small and ‘celebrity’ has become a new thing. Maybe she’s unaware of how far the family has come on it’s way to ‘celebrity’. They’re not a household name, but their fan base is rapidly growing. Maybe it’s because she’s from the city and is desensitized to these things.  She has fans all over the world - for being a mom. She responds to each fan on twitter handing out kind words to strangers like Halloween candy. I can attest to the fact that she is this way all of the time.  Before Paris’s show she was set to meet us for drinks in midtown. That didn’t work out, yet she was sure to remind me after Carney’s show that she would still like to meet another time. I’m just some girl that wrote a blog about her son. But to her it appears that everyone is a friend. Let me give you an idea of the way she is kind and open in a way she is in no way asked to be as the mother of the rock stars we all admire. During one of our conversations about living in New York City I mentioned my concerns of putting my two year old in the city school system. She took the time to explain to me her own experience putting the Carney kids through school, listing districts she was fond of, and enlisting the advice of her friends nearby. I came to the Bowery Ballroom to hear music. I left with so much more. This was the atmosphere all around. I discussed Interscope with their manager, Joe. I had a conversation with Jennifer Damiano (Mary Jane in Spiderman on Broadway) about the Tony Awards (although to be fair, I initially bombarded her in the bathroom with an inappropriate “you were great on the Tonys!”). And of course, everyone was able to meet the boys of Carney. The first thing that Reeve said to me was “you’re taller than I thought you would be.” I later said the same thing to Zane. A sign of the times. We all knew each other without ever having stood side by side. There was no better way to start this show than with “Godspeed” and no better way to close it than with “Testify”, but my favorite part of it all was the session that occurred during “Resurrection”. I thought it was just going to turn into a guitar solo, but during the slow build up I got the feeling this was more inspired by a jazz improv style of breaking a song all the way down to its pieces. That was until it turned into an all out rock fest that left us all with our eyes popped out of our head. When Reeve broke back into lyrics Paris turned to me with a look of genuine awe.  She spoke no words, but her face said it all. Agreeing with her I asked, “was that just a 5 minute rock, blues, jam band?!?!” I’ve watched the video and I was right, they let the instruments speak for almost exactly five minutes. By the end of it Zane had let his hair down. Reeve had lost his hat. We were all wide awake. Watch Jon’s moment on the drums during the song’s climax. It’s the real deal. (See it here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUXkFnE0xh8. Thanks to ‘Ilovetaylorhanson’ for posting that. And I, too, love Taylor Hanson.) This show was a warm up for the U2 360 tour, although it certainly didn’t need to be anything other than what it was.  Apparently it warmed them up just fine since the rave reviews poured in instantly when Carney finished their opening set. Neil McCormick, rock writer and author of ‘Killing Bono’ (one of those memoirs I grew up reading), tweeted during the U2 show that “Carney are unexpectedly exciting, with psychedelic heavy blues grooves. Reeve Carney may be a better rock star than a spider.” He also recently wrote an article about the troubled future of guitars in music. He pointed out the lack of guitar playing in popular music and noted it as a call for the rock veterans to come back strong (namely The Red Hot Chili Peppers set to release a new album this month). He wrote this before he saw Zane Carney. I hope his experience at the 360 tour gave him hope, like it gives us all, that the rookies of rock and roll may come through just as strong. And music will be just fine. - Stefanie **Before you go check out Carney’s debut music video, directed and created by Timothy Garrett (timothygarrett.com): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXJ7patGcyI&ob=av2e

There are mainstream artists walking the earth in this moment who would kill for even a ‘hello’ from Bono of U2. Some of them may never get it. Bono is a living legend. Besides his unprecedented success as a rock god he has also decided to take on the task of ending world hunger in his lifetime. No big deal. To say that people look up to him is a disgusting understatement. He’s been called overrated and an egomaniac, but he has always been called these things while he stands at the top. Artists would love to graze his presence at an award show or get an all access pass to a concert and feel what he is really like. While he is kind and open, he’s still untouchable.

So imagine then being put on his band’s bill to perform during his record-breaking tour. U2 360 is the biggest, most successful tour in the history of all rock band history. It would be an honor to almost all bands, and he could have had any one he wanted for any show.

For his closing night, he asked Carney.

Days before Carney played with U2 I was honored with the opportunity to see them for myself at a New York City landmark – the Bowery Ballroom. The Bowery Ballroom is the type of music venue that carries rock’s history and rock’s future.  There are a handful of these places in each major city and the proper path to music greatness is through them.  If you are like Jenn and I then you believe in the ghosts of venues past. Walking through the doors of a great venue is like walking into church.  I remember the first time I laid eyes upon the Whiskey A Go Go on Sunset Blvd.  I thought I had reached Mecca.  Just one week before Carney’s performance Sean Lennon played on the same stage carrying the energy and genetics of one of the greatest song writers of all time (his dad, John….). It’s all the more special then that Carney covered “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)” by the Beatles.  In the wake of Amy Winehouse’s death we can’t forget her troubled yet legendary performance on the same stage in 2007 when “Back to Black” was still new.  She played to a sold out crowd that was unsure if she would even show up. She showed and gave them everything they wanted and more.  Back then few people knew the depth of her genius. Most had never heard “Frank” or the endless Jazz she covered. She was just the girl that said she didn’t want to go to rehab. Less than a year later, she was the proud owner of five Grammy awards. 

Venues like this one have stories to tell. And they have stories to write. On July 25, 2011 a new chapter was written for a band called Carney on their way to the greatest stage on earth. 

Carney reminds me of this idea that something can be ancient and from the future at once. It’s the circle with no end and no beginning; where time does not exist for any other reason than to include the narrative. On one hand, this show took me back to a time when each note coming off of an instrument was the man’s way of channeling something and making it manifest. It was about nothing other than the truth that these instruments (including Reeve’s voice) could produce and if manipulated properly they could create the unintelligible. It’s about intention, not outcome. Each song was simple and complicated at the same time. Nothing new but done as great as the best, and we haven’t seen many of the best hanging around our generation.

On the other hand, there was something about being at this show that reminded me we are a long way from the hay day of rock & roll and it has everything to do with the rockers themselves. Jenn and I recently had a conversation about “sex, drugs, and rock & roll.” It appears that phrase doesn’t explain the state of rock itself.  Instead it was more of a phase.  Certainly it didn’t apply to everyone then and still lingers for some now, but we all know the power of those words and the time they reflect.  I grew up reading the memoirs of Pamela Des Barres (possibly the most documented rock muse) and autobiographies of great musicians. There was a time when rock & roll came with rebellion. Sex, drugs, and rock & roll stayed true to itself.  But the essence of rock & roll need not have anything to do with rebellion. Chris Martin, lead singer of Coldplay, says, “we don’t see rock & roll as being about coke-taking, leather trouser wearing rebellion…The spirit of rock & roll is freedom. It’s about following what you believe in and not caring what anyone else says.” I see zero coke-taking, leather trouser wearing rebellion from the boys of Carney. But I absolutely see following what you believe in and not caring what anyone else says. The rock & roll of today. Of the future?

What I found most from my time at the Carney show was that this is a family affair, and the Carney family may be one of the kindest I have ever met. The night before the Bowery show I went to see their sister, Paris, perform at Rockwood Music Hall. Upon her approach I instantly felt the gentle, sweet energy that Paris carries. She’s beautiful in every way a woman would hope to be beautiful. I watched her greeting the crowd. She spoke to each with the same connectedness that she offered her family and friends. She was entirely in the moment and without even a smidgen of fear or worry. I wondered to myself, ‘could this girl always carry such grace and light?’ It seems slightly exhausting to feed that kind of energy all the time.  I wondered if maybe when the crowd disappears she might have a darker side because, really, where does she get to release negative energy? And then I remembered, she’s a songwriter. For the record, she’s a songwriter with the voice of an angel.

I was very fortunate to be seated in the chair directly next to Paris on the balcony at the Bowery Ballroom to watch her brothers’ set.  Only a few seats away was Marti Heil. Most would probably recognize her as “Fables Jewelry” from her jewelry line. She is Mother Carney.  This is a mother who has used her own talents and artistic characteristics as a way of nurturing those she recognizes in her children. In no way is she a stage mom, although she is there on the side for it all. She is support in the strongest of ways. She is clearly where Paris gets her grace. In fact, I told Paris that her outfit resembled her mother’s style and found out that it was actually her mother’s outfit!

The mother of these Carney children lives dangerously on the edge of open. In a society that often doubts and sees the worst in each other, she will let you right in. She embraces strangers with open arms. It’s refreshing. She makes you feel welcome and that you were meant to meet. She seems slightly unaware of her own status. Maybe it’s because twitter and the Internet have made the world so small and ‘celebrity’ has become a new thing. Maybe she’s unaware of how far the family has come on it’s way to ‘celebrity’. They’re not a household name, but their fan base is rapidly growing. Maybe it’s because she’s from the city and is desensitized to these things.  She has fans all over the world - for being a mom. She responds to each fan on twitter handing out kind words to strangers like Halloween candy. I can attest to the fact that she is this way all of the time.  Before Paris’s show she was set to meet us for drinks in midtown. That didn’t work out, yet she was sure to remind me after Carney’s show that she would still like to meet another time. I’m just some girl that wrote a blog about her son. But to her it appears that everyone is a friend.

Let me give you an idea of the way she is kind and open in a way she is in no way asked to be as the mother of the rock stars we all admire. During one of our conversations about living in New York City I mentioned my concerns of putting my two year old in the city school system. She took the time to explain to me her own experience putting the Carney kids through school, listing districts she was fond of, and enlisting the advice of her friends nearby. I came to the Bowery Ballroom to hear music. I left with so much more.

This was the atmosphere all around. I discussed Interscope with their manager, Joe. I had a conversation with Jennifer Damiano (Mary Jane in Spiderman on Broadway) about the Tony Awards (although to be fair, I initially bombarded her in the bathroom with an inappropriate “you were great on the Tonys!”). And of course, everyone was able to meet the boys of Carney. The first thing that Reeve said to me was “you’re taller than I thought you would be.” I later said the same thing to Zane. A sign of the times. We all knew each other without ever having stood side by side.

There was no better way to start this show than with “Godspeed” and no better way to close it than with “Testify”, but my favorite part of it all was the session that occurred during “Resurrection”. I thought it was just going to turn into a guitar solo, but during the slow build up I got the feeling this was more inspired by a jazz improv style of breaking a song all the way down to its pieces. That was until it turned into an all out rock fest that left us all with our eyes popped out of our head. When Reeve broke back into lyrics Paris turned to me with a look of genuine awe.  She spoke no words, but her face said it all. Agreeing with her I asked, “was that just a 5 minute rock, blues, jam band?!?!” I’ve watched the video and I was right, they let the instruments speak for almost exactly five minutes. By the end of it Zane had let his hair down. Reeve had lost his hat. We were all wide awake. Watch Jon’s moment on the drums during the song’s climax. It’s the real deal. (See it here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUXkFnE0xh8. Thanks to ‘Ilovetaylorhanson’ for posting that. And I, too, love Taylor Hanson.)

This show was a warm up for the U2 360 tour, although it certainly didn’t need to be anything other than what it was.  Apparently it warmed them up just fine since the rave reviews poured in instantly when Carney finished their opening set. Neil McCormick, rock writer and author of ‘Killing Bono’ (one of those memoirs I grew up reading), tweeted during the U2 show that “Carney are unexpectedly exciting, with psychedelic heavy blues grooves. Reeve Carney may be a better rock star than a spider.” He also recently wrote an article about the troubled future of guitars in music. He pointed out the lack of guitar playing in popular music and noted it as a call for the rock veterans to come back strong (namely The Red Hot Chili Peppers set to release a new album this month). He wrote this before he saw Zane Carney. I hope his experience at the 360 tour gave him hope, like it gives us all, that the rookies of rock and roll may come through just as strong. And music will be just fine.

- Stefanie

**Before you go check out Carney’s debut music video, directed and created by Timothy Garrett (timothygarrett.com): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXJ7patGcyI&ob=av2e

  • 08.01.11
  • 1
  1. thebuzzedlife posted this