PHOTOS AND REVIEW: BILLY CORGAN AND SPIRITS IN THE SKY, DAVE NAVARRO, AND MIKE BYRNE . . . WOW

Hollywood, CA - Hotel Cafe was on fire tonight (figuratively not literally) as Billy Corgan and Spirits in the Sky which included Dave Navarro (guitar) and new comer Mike Byrne (on drums), Linda Strawberry (backing vocals), Mark Tulin (Bass), Mark Weitz (keys), Kerry Brown (percussion), Kevin Dippold (flute, mandolin), and Ysanne Spevack (violin).  So your thinking what gives? What is/are the Spirits in the Sky?  If you must know, a collection of incredibly talented musicians on a small intimate tour to honor Sky Saxxon, the Seeds frontman who recently passed away in June, he was 71.
   The show was nothing less than amazing, one of if not the best show thus far this year (and I have seen quite a few shows).  The first half consisted primarily of acoustic songs and Billy did a duet with Sierra Swan on the piano covering a "we-think-it-was a Willie Nelson song, or maybe he covered it" "you guys like Willie"? It was great.  The intermission was emceed by Billy who called up contestants for a costume contest.  Someone (I believe it was Dave) twittered that it was a pre-Halloween party so dress up . . . and some did, hence the impromptu contest.  It came down to 3, 1; a pregnant space woman who gave birth to a bowl containing her drivers license, 2; the rock and roll ghost (guy with leopard sheet, cop glasses, and bandanna) made the ooooo ooooo oooo sound to the crowds amusement, and 3; Slash with hot girl dressed as a guitar which he 'played' to get to the finals then kissed to Billy's disappointment as he said that Slash would have just bent her over . . . who won? The crowd favorite landed on the rock and roll ghost, go figure.
   Once that diversion was over and everyone had time to get the drink on and relieve themselves, it was time to plug-in and wow did they plug-in.  I have been to many a Hotel Cafe shows, the capacity is 165, and mainly an acoustic haven for singer / songwriters.  Tonight, mmmm not so much.  Billy, Dave and company brought the hard and heavy somewhere between Zeppelin and Pink Floyd.  Billy, in epic-rock-moment-form grabs the violin bow and starts in on his SG, something I would have imagined it would have been like when Jimmy Page did it some 40 years ago.  At one point, they went on for what seemed to be about 20 minutes, bending, blending, feeding back, grinding, dueling gritty guitar riffs and solos with Mike Byrne showing why he deserves to be there.  The intensity of his drumming was as if he had been rocking as long or longer than the veterans in front of him.  The thought that came to mind was imagine this kid (he is only 19!) in 5 or 10 years?!  Ok, enough of the babble on to the pics . . .



























by Erik Thureson / Photos courtesy of LB57.com















         

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Posted by vieking at 9/1/2009 2:33 AM
Categories: uncategorized
Tags: Billy Corgan Photos Dave Navarro Photos Spirits in the Sky Hotel Cafe Hotel Cafe Photos Billy Corgan Dave Navarro Smashing Pumkins Mike Byrne Photos Mike Byrne
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