austinberries

theyve been approached to play SXSW before, but apparently couldnt pull it together at the time. it'd be a good thing for them i think. prices quoted in this thread, btw, are not fully accurate - you can get a one-day pass or pay a cover at the club (if the wristbands dont fill it up first). there are also free shows (big ones) every year downtown outside, which are extremely well-attended & great publicity opp to sell merch, etc $600 is a price that gets you in all the conferences & panel discussions, etc for industry folks. most people opt for a full pass that doesn't include those, which is much less, b/t $100-200 hollies, let me look into that cd link problem; thx for trying meanwhile, i think you will really dig the cd!

yeah, the review starts by panning that song, but eric has said he's long been used to people either loving it or hating it. the rest of the review is great, tho'

From the current Austin Chronicle, Sunset Strip makes the local recommended holiday season gift list more importantly, tho', it was in the print edition, prob a couple hundred thou' circulation: Raspberries Gift Guide REVIEWED BY GREG BEETS, FRI., DEC. 14, 2007 Raspberries: Live on Sunset Strip (Rykodisc) In one pathetic swoop, ex-Raspberries frontman Eric Carmen nearly laid ruin to the pioneering power-pop band's legacy with his overwrought 1976 solo smash, "All by Myself." Nevertheless, the Cleveland quartet's perfectly concocted mix of Who-inflamed fury and wide-eyed Beach Boys tenderness has enduring cult appeal. This 2-CD set documents a 2005 Los Angeles reunion gig by the best-known Raspberries lineup. With musical prowess intact and vocal harmonies only slightly weathered by time, the show begins with guitarist Wally Bryson's bright-blue Rickenbacker intro to "I Wanna Be With You," followed by a cover of the Who's "I Can't Explain." Band life was second only to sex as the Raspberries' favorite lyrical subject, as evidenced by rollicking renditions of "Play On," "Party's Over," and of course, "Overnight Sensation (Hit Record)," a masterful transistor-radio saga driven by drummer Jim Bonfanti's teeth-rattling drum rolls. Although this album is available in a truncated single-disc form, most anyone who cares will want the deluxe 21-song version, which comes with a nonessential but enjoyable five-song DVD of concert highlights. —The Austin Chronicle, December 14, 2007

brook - i had another houstonian flag me down recently to say "when are we going to get them down here?" so let's hope it eventually happens, but we have first dibs in austin! ;-) their show in cleveland this weekend was unbelievable, i went up there just in case they dont make it down here...

we came up from Austin, Texas for the State Theatre show, & it was really very cool to meet a lot of the folks who post on the boards, & meet the band too (a slightly random occurrence for us) let me start in saying it was crazy for us to do so b/c we had gone out to the LA HOB show, but to be there in the Raspberries' hometown, where about 2500 fans turned out to support them, & down there in the most gorgeous of venues, was just stunning to be a part of - the 'berries rocked w/ a melodic & harmonic convergence rarely heard these days, & outright owned that hall Friday night quote of the night for me, in the middle of their set, by my wife (previously unknowing of the 'berries, now full immersed): "I don't understand why these guys weren't bigger than they were?". anyone who posts here knows how big they actually do loom on the musical horizon, but we would all also get her point, right? it happened we were sitting behind members of Wally's family & members of Eric's family at the show, & at one point i yelled out "yeah Wally!" during one of his blistering solos or up-front moments, which caught their ear, especially his niece's, & Wally's brother-in-law ended up getting us backstage to meet the fellas, which we did, & took pics w/ each of them, etc - btw, ladies, my wife also kissed on all 4 Raspberries that night, so eat your heart out (i know i am ;-) we happened to be staying at the Wyndham across the street too, where the 'berries were put up, so got to hang out & chat it up w/ folks there some more, including Eric & the band. next day, when we were heading out around noon, who should step into the elevator w/ us but Mr. Carmen himself, on his way to checking out, so we got let him know one more time what a great show it was we really enjoyed Cleveland, squeezed in a lot while there, & may have been the only people there hoping for snow, b/c of course we never get to see the stuff. we made the most of a day of flight cancellations, but let me say one more time how impressed we were with everything: the hometown fan support & the devoted out-of towners, the town itself, the venue, & most of all the band, who i can't imagine sounding any better - to Eric & the rest of the Raspberries, thanks for making this happen, we hope you are having the time of your lives together, & the music you guys make together tells the whole story - Play On!

my wife cracks open the current Austin Chronicle (*the* weekly Austin bible to music, SXSW, etc) today - we just made it back from Cleveland after a day of flight cancellations - & there it is in the annual Gift Guide, a 1/8 page pic/review & recommendation of The Raspberries on Sunset Strip as a holiday gift, alongside similar recommendations for Led Zep, U2, & Pink Floyd reissues not bad company, that short list (tho' i must profess to never 'getting' Pink Floyd). i think Eric once said Austin would prob 'get' them more than any other place down here, so maybe the 'berries should 'get' themselves down here while they're still warmed up ;-)

eric, dont know if you ever noticed, but wally is constantly 'air-piano-ing' along w/ you when you play! i get a huge kick out of it, b/c he is just so digging your playing, & u can also see when he really digs how you nailed a song vocally, maxxed out a big ending vocally, etc. its like he's always saying 'i got your back, bro', but you sure got our front'! it really hit home for me during this show how wally, maybe more than any other other guitar player out there, is able to support, understand, & complement eric's tunes w/ his playing (& singing) so naturally, tastefully, & knowledgeably

at the post-party & in the elevator: 'please let me come back home' & 'oh tonight' you & wally really had your beatles ears on; these are really great songs (esp plmcbh), i hope y'all can give them the new millenium treatment one day soon man, i hope you feel good about the theatre show, b/c it was a bring-it-all-home zenith evening for y'all from a fan's perspective

hollies - thx for my band's plug , i figure if you like raspberries you might this band (dennis quaid's younger brother, here in austin, melodic pop) & can pick up your own cd at the link below if u like i had a short conversation w/ eric about the covers, was cool to hear his perspective, & i think i'm in the minority re: raspberries doing cover tunes, but i *did* love their version of 'thats rock & roll' btw, was gr8 meeting u 2, wish we had more time to have chatted it up some more

yeah, me 2. maybe that counts season tix holders, dunno, but i think they've been freeing those (non-committed season holders) up in recent days

i posted this in another thread about tickets sales, but way to go cleveland! (& the rest of us crazy enuff to travel cross-country for the show). y'all keep spreading the word up there & get even more locals out!: i just talked to the box office, they've sold 1800 rockin' tix so far (venue holds 3000, btw)

all fellow bubblegum-chewers should read a book i finished last summer: "bubblegum music is the naked truth" prob the reason some of us like bubblegum & raspberries is b/c of the lapover b/t the two, in the musical sugar/nether regions of melody, melody, melody & harmony, harmony, harmony

i just talked to the box office, they've sold 1800 rockin' tix so far (venue holds 3000, btw)

anyone have the pre-gathering folks' cell phone #'s on a list they can provide, did a list like this go out this time? mine's 512.906.5622 &/or 512.773.5556 & can be added if there's one going around, but i need a copy - thx

cool, maybe bring a coupla copies to the pre-show if you get a chance

is it online, got a link?

so sounds like darlene wont be there- where r u darlene?

"Snow All the Way"

you can add mr & mrs austinberries to the list. also need to know how to get there, will be staying at the wyndham, which is right there apparently. also a current cell phone list if someone's got one, can post here or email me at the link above so bernie is nowhere to be found on these boards lately - anyone know his e-whereabouts, or if he'll be in for the show (at least i don't think he lives in cleveland)

u think the crowd could be as big as a couple thou'?

anyone know what type it is? it caught my ear (& eye) during 'let's pretend' in LA, has a real rich, warm, almost slim hollow-body sound, really great for that song, live & on the cd. couldn't spot a headstock logo, maybe b/c i was just blissin' out to one of my all-time fav tunes

it seems tix sales are light up till now for the cleveland show, as you can still get close-in seats. will the locals turn out for hometown heroes Raspberries, or might it be tricky given the time of year, which tends to bog down live music attendance, & the swanky, formal venue? i notice cleveland has a HOB, & there's no one booked there this friday, which i think is where y'all had them a couple years ago for that raved-about show. wonder why a show wasn't booked there this time

trindy, thx for the cleveland feedback - no wonder guys dig you!

thx trindy! do u know if the comfort hotel is the closest one to the venue? (their ad says walking district to playhouse square) or of other hotels walking distance down there?

music is universal enough that anyone feels comfortable slipping into Rock Critic skin, especially fans. i may have tossed my hat in the "could do w/out the covers" camp, but also included in any of my own posts how great i thought they were (flew halfway across country to see 'em) & waxed superlative about them in the very same posts. so i don't think you can black-and-white it & say some folks just can't see the glass as half-full; fans know what they like & are gonna say so, & the one thing that's obvious here is that everyone *really* digs & loves the Raspberries - the unmistakable & unflinching common denominator among their biggest fans, who happen to also hang out here @ EC.com