Latest news with #LakeStreetDive
Winnipeg Free Press
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
Dive in
Lake Street Dive continues conjuring new spells. For its latest release, Good Together, the veteran soul-jazz-pop quintet used the positive sorcery of fantasy game Dungeons & Dragons to kick-start the writing process. With a 20-sided die used in the role-playing game, band members took turns rolling to determine how a song would be constructed. SHERVIN LAINEZ PHOTO Lake Street Dive (from left): Bridget Kearney, Rachael Price, Akie Bermiss (seated), Mike Calabrese and James Cornelison. Roll 1 was the tempo of the song. Roll 2 determined what four chords would be used. The third roll set the meter. Band members were then each given an hour to go off and write a melody and lyrics, says bassist-songwriter Bridget Kearney over the phone from Sacramento, Calif. 'It got us out of some of our habits,' Kearney says. 'The tempo and meter things were really random and we found some new places to go by leaving that element to chance. With the meter we still had some flexibility — like, I know I have to write in 3/4, but will it be a waltzy 3/4 or have more of a driving backbeat?' Sometimes, the most difficult things to shoehorn in a song were the chords where rolls would mix major and minor chords that weren't on the same scale, leading to plenty of interesting compositions. But for Kearney, it was like being back in school and completing assignments at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, where the band formed 21 years ago. 'Coming up and going to music school together, we like doing assignments. It's like getting a homework assignment: come back with a song in 7/4 meter at 90 beats per minute,' Kearney says. The D&D die idea gestated during the pandemic, when some members of the group got into the game, playing with other musicians over Zoom. Three of the songs from that exercise — Good Together, Far Gone and Walking Uphill — made it onto the group's eighth album, which was nominated for a Grammy in the Best Traditional Pop Vocal category, ultimately won by Norah Jones. It was the band's first Grammy nomination and first without founding guitarist/trumpet player Mike (McDuck) Olson, who left amicably in 2021. It was Olson who named the group after the sketchy bars his saxophonist uncle would play on Lake Street in Minneapolis back in the day. Olson also had a hand in coming up with the original concept of Lake Street Dive as a 'free country' band, performing avant-garde country music with elements of skronky jazz thrown in, such as out-of-time chromatic trumpet solos between the verses and other out-of-place musical ideas incorporated into a traditional country sound. It didn't work, Kearney says. 'We did that with some trial and error and it was not great — at least, our version was not sounding good to us or our audience,' she says with a laugh. The group kept honing its material, eventually morphing over the years into a tight, genre-spanning band based in soul and pop with touches of funk, R&B and jazz. Its first album was recorded and released thanks to the John Lennon Songwriting Contest, which Kearney won in the jazz category in 2005 for her song Sometimes When I'm Drunk and You're Wearing My Favorite Shirt, performed by the band. The contest prize delivered US$1,000 in cash and provided for the recording of 1,000 CDs, so Lake Street Dive released its debut album In This Episode… in 2006 and hit the road, first playing all those dive bars it was named after before working up to festivals and theatres. The group went viral in 2012 when, while promoting a covers EP, it performed the Jackson 5's I Want You Back on a Boston sidewalk. A video of that performance was posted online and tweeted about by actor-musician Kevin Bacon, earning the band an expanded fanbase and almost eight million YouTube views. Their increasing popularity didn't mean the band — Kearney, vocalist Rachael Price, drummer Mike Calabrese, keyboardist Akie Bermiss and guitarist James Cornelison — stopped pulling any lyrical punches, with social and feminist issues sharing space with feel-good party anthems and romantic ballads. 'I think music is a way we speak to one another. It's a conversation between us and the listener and songs have spoken to me on that level. It's a powerful way to speak, so it's just become something that is in the conversation for me,' says the 40-year-old songwriter. When Kearney was younger, she wrote more about her personal and romantic life because that's what occupied her thoughts and emotions at the time, she says. As her life evolved, so too has her songwriting. 'Now when I'm having a cup of coffee with my best friend, we talk about what's going on in the news, so that's what's important to me, and the passions and things in my life that I care about that I didn't care that much about before have changed,' she says. Currently on hiatus A review of funny, uplifting news in Winnipeg and around the globe. In addition to her duties in Lake Street Dive, the Iowa City-raised, Brooklyn, N.Y.-based Kearney has a solo career, with three full-length albums to her name. She has taught music and songwriting classes and performs with a host of other musicians; the groups Bella White and Joy Kills Sorrow brought her to the Winnipeg Folk Festival, while Lake Street Dive last performed at Birds Hill Park in 2013. This weekend, the band is the final musical act Sunday on the mainstage before the finale. 'I love the Winnipeg Folk Festival,' Kearney says. 'I had the best time. The setup of the festival is perfect, the collaborations between artists are fun to watch and be a part of and the lineup is always so great.'
Daily Mail
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
US singer and Jimmy Fallon star goes BLIND in one eye amid mysterious health battle
Monica Martin revealed she was forced to cancel a performance due to an alarming health issue, which caused her to go blind in one eye. The singer-songwriter, who fronted the Baraboo alt-folk band PHOX before going solo, took to Instagram last week to detail her terrifying ordeal to her more than 69, 700 Instagram followers. 'What I thought was just an intense and painful ocular migraine slowly turned into my left eye going blind, I was advised to not fly home,' she wrote on Instagram as she explained why she would not be opening for the band, Lake Street Dive. She continued: 'So alas, I can't open for the best people/ friends/musicians tonight for a sold-out benefit at Troubadour which blows a**.' Martin went on to state that she had been suffering from both a 'colorblind and a black hazy cellophane type feel' in her left eye for 15 days. 'ANYWAY it's been very disorienting and scary,' she admitted. 'Most of my little health woes are from me being clumsy as hell and snapping something: an ankle in softball, an ankle from dumb shoes, an ankle from giving a piggyback ride to a much larger person as a display of strength.' Martin said that this has 'been one of the scariest times' of her life, but praised her best friends for taking care of her and her 'angel ophthalmologist, Dr. Shaman Dolly.' 'God forbid you ever need to find him, London, I must let you know his name,' she said of her doctor. 'London show; you were all so sweet and caring to me when and I lost it and wept on stage smdh, @jameelajamil came to the stage and literally turned herself into a weighted blanket and held me and told me it's gonna be ok. No thanks to lexapro btw,' she gushed. At the time of her post, Martin noted she was on her way to get an MRI and had already undergone multiple CT scans, bloodwork and seven trips to the hospital. Despite her scary situation, she insisted felt 'incredibly lucky.' 'My heart is heavy waiting on a prognosis, but my a** is heavier, and my resilience is alarming actually, and the lore disrespectfully deepens, and I'm getting the sense more people want to smash when I'm wearing my eyepatch- or, I'm pulling it off,' she concluded. In addition to providing her health update, she included a slideshow of images of herself and friends while wearing a black eye patch. Martin, who is close friends with actress Jameela Jamil, is best known for her music career and performing, alongside Mumford & Sons, on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in 2022. 'What I thought was just an intense and painful ocular migraine slowly turned into my left eye going blind, I was advised to not fly home,' she wrote on Instagram Her comments section was flooded with supportive messages wishing her a speedy recovery. 'Sending you healing vibes, so sorry you're going through this but so so grateful you're not going through it alone,' one fan wrote. Another wrote: 'So glad you are getting the care and love and snacks that you need. Wishing for a swift and easy recovery.' 'You make the most gorgeous pirate l ever ( side note) but seriously glad you have been able to get such good care in the UK! Big love ❤️❤️❤️,' a third joked. Her comment section was flooded with supportive comments wishing her a speedy recovery Jamil wrote: 'What a glamorous day in A and E [Accident and Emergency]. Snacks were 10/10 tho.' While Martin was born in Chicago, she grew up in rural Wisconsin. PHOX was formed just outside Madison, Wisconsin
Daily Mirror
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Singer worried over blindness whilst stuck in UK amid health issue
American singer Monica Martin was left stuck in the UK after experiencing issues with her sight recently, with her supported by actor Jameela Jamil and musician James Blake Singer-songwriter Monica Martin has described her experience with sight loss as "disorienting and scary". She opened up about her health just days ago and revealed at the time that she was stuck the UK as a result of the situation. Monica, who is based in the US, shared that she had ended up in hospital after an "ocular migraine slowly turned into" her left eye "going blind". She's said to have been supported by actor Jameela Jamil, 39, and musician James Blake, 36, in A&E whilst in London ahead of a concert last month. She said on Instagram last week that it had "been one of the scariest times". Monica announced in the same post that she wouldn't be able to open for the band Lake Street Dive at the Troubadour back in Los Angeles on June 25. Monica, who has collaborated on music with the likes of Ben Barnes in recent years, shared a series of photos in the post, including of her sporting an eye patch. One showed her beside couple Jameela and James in a waiting room. She wrote in her post last Wednesday: "UPDATE: NOT OPENING FOR LAKE STREET DIVE TONIGHT! What I thought was just an intense and painful ocular migraine slowly turned into my left eye going blind, I was advised to not fly home. So alas, I can't open for the best people/ friends/musicians tonight for a sold out benefit at troubadour which blows a**. "It's now been 15 days both colorblind and a black hazy cellophane type feel on the left side and ANYWAY it's been very disorienting and scary. Most of my little health woes are from me being clumsy as hell and snapping something: an ankle in softball, an ankle from dumb shoes, an ankle from giving a piggyback ride to a much larger person as a display of strength. My ankles are toast btw. This is why I don't like writing captions omg long ting brev; thank you for letting me be myself." Monica continued in her post: "Been one of the scariest times but my best friends are taking care of me and also are hilarious and also after MUCH ADO have met an angel ophthalmologist, Dolly, god forbid you ever need to find him, London, I must let you know his name." The singer, who performed with James at the Southbank Centre's Royal Festival Hall on June 20, added: "London show; you were all so sweet and caring to me when and I lost it and wept on stage smdh, [Jameela] came to the stage and literally turned herself into a weighted blanket and held me and told me it's gonna be ok. No thanks to lexapro btw." She added: "I'm on the way to get an MRI in an uber and unsure why no one likes using their car fan in uk/eu. and I've gotten ct scans and bloodwork and yada yada literally 7 trips to hospitals now. Anyway. I'm incredibly lucky. "My heart is heavy waiting on a prognosis, but my a** is heavier, and my resilience is alarming actually, and the lore disrespectfully deepens, and I'm getting the sense more people want to smash when I'm wearing my eyepatch- or, I'm pulling it off. Thank you, London." She then thanked pals Jameela and James for getting her "sweets and savouries". Monica also expressed gratitude to Lake Street Dive for "being the best cuties," adding that she was being replaced by the band Dawes. She said: "So I'm double p***ed bc I want to see this show real fuggin bad ok bye pulling up to get SCANNED." Jameela was among those who reacted to the post last week. Teasing over their experience, the Good Place star wrote in the comments section of her pal Monica's post: "What a glamorous day in A and E. Snacks were 10/10 tho." Monica has yet to post an update on her health on her Instagram grid. Just four days ago though, she was seen sporting an eye patch whilst singing alongside Citizen Papes in a video shared on the platform by the latter artist.
Yahoo
28-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Lake Street Dive heading to Duluth's Bayfront Festival Park
The summer concert series at Duluth's Bayfront Festival Park is taking shape. First Avenue has announced that Lake Street Dive — a band that will always sound like it should be from Minnesota — will headline a night of the outdoor series on July 15. The Boston-originated group has been touring almost constantly since releasing its latest album, Good Together, last year. Other concerts announced for Bayfront Festival Park include the return of Alison Krauss and Union Station on June 11 and hometown bluegrass group Trampled by Turtles on July 5. Additionally, the 36th Annual Bayfront Blues Festival will return to the park from Aug. 8–10. Tickets for Lake Street Dive go on sale on Jan. 31, with an artist presale taking place on Jan. 29 at 10 a.m. That'll be followed by Spotify and First Avenue presales on Jan. 30 at 10 a.m.
