With a new album on the way and a European tour in progress, things are looking up for Globelamp, aka Elizabeth Le Fey. Entitled The Orange Glow, the album is the by-product of a rough year for Le Fey, who suffered through a difficult breakup, the death of her best friend, and the tumultuous ending of her doomed partnership with the infamous Foxygen.

Her unique style of psychedelic folk is equal parts lovely and haunting, with rough-hewn emotion and deeply personal lyrics. Before returning from across the pond, Le Fey was kind enough to answer some questions about SoCal, Stevie Nicks, and speaking out. Pick up her album June 10, and catch her live June 15 at the Bootleg Theater in Los Angeles.

CONCERT GUIDE LIVE: I know you’re from Southern California, which is where we’re based. How do you think growing up here influenced you and your music?

ELIZABETH LE FEY: I think that disliking my high school so much made me more of an anti establishment/rebel type of person which definitely has influenced my creative process. I spent a few years in Los Angeles as a child. During 5th grade I moved to Orange County where the culture was completely different. It was hard for me to fit in compared to the time I was in LA. There was no diversity at all in my OC elementary school while in LA I was surrounded by many cultures.

CGL: There’s definitely a Stevie Nicks vibe to your Globelamp stuff, not so much musically, but the spirit of it. What inspires you about her?

EL: I love her and I love Fleetwood Mac. Everything from the mystique, the vision, the character, the costumes, her powerful voice, her love of witches. I love how she only joined because she was Lindsey Buckingham’s girlfriend, and ended up being an iconic part of the band. The guys weren’t afraid to let her shine through. I think that is amazing how she unexpectedly made the band more magical. I even read a book called “Triad” because I heard that Stevie Nicks read it and was inspired to write “Rhiannon”.

CGL: Your messy falling out with Foxygen (and your ex-boyfriend) led to a lot of hate and nasty energy being sent your way. Is that something you’re still dealing with, or is it mostly in the past?

EL: There has definitely been a lot of hate mail for the last few years but I switched off anonymous comments on my Tumblr and avoid the comment section on articles that talk about Foxygen and I. I have become stronger and gained a thicker skin. People on the internet leaving hateful comments don’t know me. I would care if my loved ones were sending me those messages, but they aren’t. It’s mostly in the past but I still am not afraid to talk about it with people. If their music comes on somewhere, I will tell whoever is listening to them a brief summary of what happened to me. It definitely changed me. I will never go to court again without a lawyer, I will always call the police on any guy who lays their hands on me, and I am more fearless than ever.

CGL: “San Francisco” was written in response to the Foxygen song of the same name which led to you joining the band. It’s very haunting in its raw honesty. Can you tell us more about it?

EL: I just sat down at the piano with my journal in front of me singing the first few lines over and over again. It then sort of rolled out of me without much thought. I mulled over the lyrics for a while and didn’t think it was a fully written song until I sat down and played it for Joel Jerome (who recorded my album) on piano and he said, “We are recording this”.

CGL: Being that your writing is so personal and introspective, I’m curious to know what you think about performing in front of people (i.e. is it something you really enjoy, or are you more into writing and recording?)

EL: As I began to share my music with others, my music responded to the energy of other people and changed. Being a writer and a performer are two different things. Sometimes I end up changing the melody of a song because maybe I recorded it early on (like close to when I wrote it) and the more I played it in front of audiences, it changed. I feel fairly okay with performing in front of people, I feel like I am finally being heard and speaking in my true voice.

CGL: What are your touring essentials?
EL: Tea, cough drops, ibuprofen, eyeliner, some type of all purpose oil (like coconut oil, argan oil, jojoba) that I can use on my skin and hair, protein bars, glitter, a pair of high shoes (either boots or platforms), essential oils, camera, journal, my phone, herb.

All-female trio Bleached are bringing their girl-group punk to The Constellation Room May 4 and the Teragram Ballroom May 5 in support of their sophomore album Welcome the Worms.

Valley-raised sisters Jennifer (vocals, guitar) and Jessie Clavin (guitar) have been mixing riot grrrl attitude with sunny California hooks since their days in the now-defunct Mika Miko. The addition of bassist Micayla Grace and producer Joe Chiccarelli (Elton John, Morrissey, the Shins), along with some hard knocks (Jessie was unceremoniously evicted while Jennifer went through a tough breakup) has provided a new-found edge to the cheekier sound of their previous releases For the Feel EP and debut album Ride Your Heart.

Throwbacks like the Go-Go’s indebted “Sour Candy” and Joan Jett by-way-of Weezer “Wednesday Night Melody” only hint at the sunnier Bleached of old. The core of the album consists of crunchy songs like “Hollywood, We Did It Wrong,” “Desolate Town,” and “Chemical Air,” where Jennifer sings “took a turn up to Mulholland drive to stare at the dirty letters in the sky, and I get this feeling I’m a girl with a dark side,” painting a vivid picture of the seedier Los Angeles the Bleached girls currently inhabit; filled with flickering neon signs, boys in bands, and the dark corners of crumbling clubs along the Sunset Strip.

Welcome the Worms may be Bleached reveling in their darkest tendencies, but it also has them refusing to give in completely. Having a ball when the world seems to be crashing down is a hallmark of punk rock, and remains a theme for the band. On “Trying to Lose Myself Again” Jennifer proudly sings “I don’t wanna live my life the way you think is right, cuz I know what I want, and I know what I like,” an “up-yours” rallying cry that would make Bleached’s predecessors like Sleater-Kinney and Bikini Kill proud.

The insubmissive moments like this on Welcome the Worms carry over in spades to Bleached’s live performances. Expect a high-energy show with crowd-surfing, a discography-spanning set, some pretty killer dance moves from the Calvin sisters and co, and plenty of attitude.

The Smithereens released their debut album, Especially For You, 30 years ago in 1986. Their signature mix of 60’s harmonies and pop jangle with punky, new wave attitude won them legions of fans. Songs like “Blood And Roses,” “Behind The Wall Of Sleep,” and “In A Lonely Place,” made them college radio darlings and a touring fixture, earning rave reviews for their live ferocity, and touring spots with everyone from Tom Petty to the Ramones.

Concert Guide Live caught up with The Smithereens drummer, Dennis Diken, and talked nostalgia, New Jersey, and their upcoming dates at The Rose in Pasadena Apr. 30, and The Coach House in San Juan Capistrano on May 1.

Dennis Diken remembers 30 years ago, very well. He remembers touring with the Ramones (“Johnny would go up to his room, Joey was the guy who was the most congenial and hung out), he remembers hanging around the Tower Records on 4th and Broadway in New York city waiting for his girlfriend to get off work at The Bottom Line, who remained notoriously loyal through the years, (“It was always fun to browse and run into people. I miss it, I do miss Tower Records.”), and he remembers having cautiously hopeful expectations for The Smithereens’ first LP.

“When that album came out in July of ’86, we had already been shuffling around for six years, and we had other releases, two EPs prior to that. When we finally finished our first album, we thought, ‘It would be so cool if we could sell 10,000 copies of this’ and maybe make some in-roads into the college radio scene. Fortunately, the album resonated with a large number of listeners and gave our career some legs. It got us off the ground.”

The album sold over 1,000,000 copies, going platinum, success they sustained with 1988’s Green Thoughts and 1989’s 11. Contrary to most musicians, who claim they never would have expected to be touring and in-demand some 30 years after their careers began, Diken knew he would be out on the road.

“Once we followed [Especially For You] up with another album that did well for us, we figured that we could probably do this for a few years. I think we all had the desire to keep doing it. So I think back then my feeling was probably, I can almost say for sure, that yeah, we would still be doing this 30-40 years from now.”

Things slowed down when grunge hit, and frontman Pat DiNizio’s melodic, British-Invasion flavored tunes couldn’t have been more off-trend, no matter how glum he made the lyrics. Like many other bands effected by this development, The Smithereens could have faded off into the background, but they refused, a feat Diken contributes to perseverance, and the band’s notoriously loyal fans.

“We didn’t see any reason to give up just because things were changing. We really like to play and we felt were creating something unique and special. There’s always going to be ups and downs in your life, and in your career. You just have to roll with the punches, and get out there. I mean, if people had stopped coming to see us, we might have thought differently, but that didn’t happen. There was always an audience for us.”

According to Diken, this refreshing, workmanlike attitude comes from the band’s blue collar upbringing in New Jersey.

“It comes with kind of a no BS attitude. We do this, because it’s what we do. It’s what we’ve been doing professionally for 36 years. What keeps us motivated is the motivation for anybody’s gig, be it a day job or whatever you love to do. You get up in the morning and you do it.”

Contrary to these humble quotes, The Smithereens don’t just chug along, they’re sounding better than ever. Diken assures us that DiNizio is on the mend after taking a nasty spill and having surgery, (“He’s singing better than ever, actually”), and the addition of keyboardist Andy Burton (John Mayer, Ian Hunter) allows the band to play songs more true to record. The set-list touches on other albums and excellent covers, but is largely made up of Especially For You, a commemoration that fans seems to be appreciating.

“It’s the album that introduced us to a large part of our listening audience, and it has special meaning for us, and it has special meaning for them. When we play it live, it seems to really connect with them, and bring back memories of those days when we were all younger [laughs].”

Deana Carter could have been content to bask in the glow of her father’s storied Nashville career industry legend, Fred Carter Jr., who collaborated with Bob Dylan, Levon Helm, Simon & Garfunkel, and Joan Baez to name a few. Instead, Carter forged her own path to stardom, changing the country music landscape with her 1996 debut album Did I Shave My Legs for This?, a country-crossover mega-hit that went five-times platinum, and yielded a Grammy nomination for the single “Strawberry Wine.” Since then, Carter has recorded several albums, including 2013’s Southern Way of Life, and continues to tour. Catch her at The Coach House in San Juan Capistrano on Apr 29.

Calling from her hotel in Nashville, Carter is audibly devastated by the news that Fort Nashborough, a historic stockade she would often visit, is being demolished.

“Will someone please tell me what the HELL happened to FORT NASHBOROUGH?” Carter tweeted.

“Could you not incorporate the original freaking building? What is wrong with you people???”

As we discuss Carter’s Nashville roots and her attempts to connect her LA-raised son to them, she can’t help but get emotional about the changing landscape, “I’m tearing up right now talking about it.”

Clearly, roots and a sense of time-honored place are important to Carter, something she has consistently incorporated into her career, most recently with the establishment of Little Nugget Records. A charming homage to her father’s label, Nugget, a Nashville institution that both her parents put their heart and soul into.

“Our lives revolved around it,” she says warmly.

Fond memories of watching her father passionately work with artists continue to make an impression on Carter.

“He helped out a lot of people. You had to be good, but he really believed in people.”

Southern Way of Life features some of her most personal songwriting to date. Songs like “Do or Die” and “Before You Left” are poignant ruminations on experiences from Carter’s own life, which likes to use songwriting as a kind of therapy.

“I was a stroke and head injury therapist, that’s what I went to school for,” Carter explained.

“I used music with patients and I’ve seen it work wonders. Music and songs to me are medicine. I don’t journal. The idea of journaling makes me want to scratch my eyes out, if you can believe it. My songs are my journals.”

Another standout on the album is the title track, a clever reworking of Southern phrases and idioms, a playful sendup up to the place where Carter’s heart truly lies. She is undoubtedly proud of where she comes from, laughing when asked what the most Southern thing about her is.

“Besides my dialect, probably my moral compass,” Carter admitted.

“I’ve swung it all around over the years [laughs], but I’m rooted in those values. Working hard, sticking to your word, handshake deals.”

A true southern belle, Carter is sweet and gracious with her honey-dipped drawl and self-deprecating nature, downplaying her influence on country music. The truth is, the through-line that began with Carter’s unique mix of country, rock, and pop in 1996 can be traced down to superstars of today like Carrie Underwood and even Taylor Swift, an observation that Carter is both surprised by and nothing but grateful for.

“Not a lot of people make that connection, so thank you for saying that,” Carter said.

“I may not be as out in the limelight as someone like Sheryl Crow, but I’m so happy and proud to have had any kind of hand in it.”

Despite her graciousness, it’s inarguable that Carter has been around industry heavyweights since she was a kid, rubbing elbows with the likes of Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson. When asked who would still make her star-struck, Carter becomes endearingly bashful, answering immediately.

“Tom Petty. That’s my dream collaboration. I was at one of his shows and I remember just wanting to run up on the stage and hug him.”

Carter brings this sweet enthusiasm to her own shows, singing songs, telling stories and savoring her time with the crowd. Fans can expect a career-spanning set with an emphasis on her first album, and maybe even some 70’s rock covers.

“I still like to get up there and rock, I’m just a lot more sore the next day.”

Third Eye Blind will roll in to town quite possibly on one of their “no doors” tour busses to play The Wiltern Apr. 9, while also making stops at The North Park Theatre Apr. 8 and The Observatory Apr. 10.

The rock band, known for inescapable hits like “Semi-Charmed Life,” “How’s It Going to Be” and “Never Let You Go” will play a high energy and “varied set” for their fans according to front man, Stephan Jenkins.

“There’s a lot of deep tracks that have become important to our fans, and then there are people who have just heard us on the radio, so we’ll play some old hits, and we’ll play some new songs from ‘Dopamine,'” Jenkins said. “The thing about our band is that everybody played on this record, so it’s really theirs and they want to share it. Everybody in my band feels aspirational and has this real vitality and energy. I really love that. Everybody is there to make something happen every night.”

“Dopamine”, the band’s first album in six years, was released last June and is unique to their discography, playing on themes that are at the forefront of our culture today.

“I think this album, as a whole, is kind of concerned with authenticity and connectedness, but also the fear of being hustled; having your emotions hustled.”

Sonically, the album is a departure. Due in large part to drummer Brad Hargreaves, whom Jenkins described as “one of the most underrated drummers around.”

“Musically, it is really different because Brad gave me an organizing principle. He said, ‘Let’s just strip everything down to what is the most direct impulse to whatever that emotional provocation that we’re trying to make.’ If you listen to the beats on the album, they’re so simple and pulsing. It’s kind of that New Order, Joy Division, Gothic-undercurrent that’s on a lot of the tracks. It’s a simple driving kind of thing, which is a move away from the syncopation we have on a lot of the other records.”

Also unique “Dopamine” is a heavy wink to David Bowie, who is mentioned several times in songs like “Rites of Passage” and “Exiles.”

“Shut up about the Bowie already [laughs]!” Jenkins said. “I think I was listening to Bowie when I was writing, but I’ve always listened to Bowie. He’s always been a huge influence on me, but the concept on this record about authenticity and artifice is something that he’s a master of. So when I say, ‘you’ll be the greatest rock star ever’ that’s that glammy sheen, but underneath it there’s genuine feeling. I was sort of imagining Bowie, Tim Curry, The Smiths. You take these emotions, and you make them overwrought as a way of rendering them; putting distance on them.”

More than an influence, Bowie is also a hero, giving Jenkins a rare awestruck moment.

“I kind of feel like I’ve met everybody except like, Nelson Mandela and the Pope. The only time in my life I ever got star struck was Bowie. I was on stage in LA doing a show for KROQ, and I was in full on, maximum swagger. I was wearing a white faux-fur coat, and I looked over to my left and he was standing there on the side of the stage and I just didn’t know what to do, really. It was just like, ‘Oh shit’ because I think he is such a brilliant artist, so brilliant.”

Other influences on “Dopamine” abound, from Joy Division, Bon Iver and EDM, to post-rock bands like Nothing and Weekends. Perhaps most interesting are the intellectual influences that permeate the album.

“I think there’s also, like, a post-feminist sensibility right now,” Jenkins said. “It’s a very interesting time in culture. I really think there’s some gigantic seismic shifts in young women. Obviously women are still completely fucked in terms of pay equity, or health care, being safe on their campus, being believed. In terms of internal politics, I notice a presumption of equality that is not predicated on what it’s equal to. I see women starting to take their own equality as a given, without taking men into the equation anymore than men take women into the equation in their own sense of equality. That’s pretty fascinating. That’s, like, a post-patriarchal moment. I hear those things and that kind of shows up in the album for me. I think my mother was really a post-feminist. She was in the biochemistry department at Stanford when I was growing up. She had people working for her, chasing after her, so she lived in that state of mind. That is in some sense an intellectual characteristic of the record.”

In addition to post-feminism, Jenkins cites disillusionment as a huge part of the record.

“I think politically, I’m a bit disillusioned,” he said. “I think global climate change and food subsistence and racial equality are all so clear and present. I’m disillusioned because I want to see passionate energy and passionate leadership, and there isn’t that leadership. I want to see that movement come up, and I’m not seeing it.”
It’s clear Jenkins is an acute and passionate observer, who puts what he sees in the world around him into his work, but also someone who takes his own ruminations with a grain of salt.

“I think I’ve talked way too much. You MUST have had enough by now.”

Brant Bjork, founding member of Kyuss, leader of The Low Desert Punk Band, producer, and godfather of desert rock will be adding a new title to his resume: festival founder. Behold, the first ever Desert Generator festival, happening Apr. 9 at Pappy and Harriet’s, located in the very deserty Pioneertown.

A throwback to the notorious desert generator parties of Bjork’s Palm Desert youth, the festival promises to be a rocking good time with the formidable stoner rock lineup of Red Fang, Acid King, Golden Void, Ecstatic Vision, and Brant Bjork and his band.

CONCERT GUIDE LIVE caught up with Bjork to talk about the festival, custom vans, and what the hell desert rock actually means.

CONCERT GUIDE LIVE: What made you want to put on this festival in the first place?
BRANT BJORK: Well, I’ve been playing rock music all my life, I come from the desert, and people that are aware of myself and the scene that I come from, they’re aware of the fact that we used to have parties out in our desert. I just wanted get together with some other people and put something together that represented that same spirit.

CGL: For those not familiar, what is a desert generator party?
BB: When I was growing up, it was the extension of, ‘Well, there’s nothing to do.’ We lived out in the desert and most of the entertainment, if not all, was centered toward entertaining old folks that had retired. There was absolutely nothing for kids to do. Someone got the genius idea, ‘What do we have plenty of? We’ve got desert.’ So let’s take a generator, let’s go out into the dirt.

It was kind of an extension of the punk rock scene, the DIY element. Get the generator, get the punk bands, tell a friend, those friends tell a friend. You told people where it was, you put out flyers with little maps, and it was kind of like a treasure hunt. People would come out to the middle of the desert and there would be one little light and a bunch of people hanging out, drinking beer, doing whatever they want, the bands would play, and it was really like, no rules. The rule was have a good time and don’t bother you’re neighbor, and if you do, you’re just going to have to deal with the consequences [laughs].

CGL: So basically, there was no scene, so you created you own?
BB: 100 percent. In the desert, we always looked to the punk rock scene. We didn’t have clubs. A scene is always built around this central area where people congregate: artists, musicians, freaks, weirdos, drug-pushers, everybody just congregates at this one place. For New York it was CBGB’s, for LA it was the Whisky and those other clubs. For us, we didn’t have any of that. We just took the desert. The generator party became our scene.

CGL: What is it about van culture and the desert rock scene that works so well together?
BB: We both, environmentally and geographically speaking, have a kinship that’s directly related to being in southern California. Custom car culture was arguably born here, and certainly the desert rock scene that I was spawned from, was arguably born in southern California, as well. We’re the freaks, if you will. Instead of having separate parties across the street, why don’t we just have one big party?

CGL: Did you ever have a super cool van of your own?
BB: No, I never had a van, but my best friend when I was growing up, Chris who I started Kyuss with, he had a really cool 70’s van. It certainly wasn’t like something that was custom and designed and modified, I mean, it wasn’t a work of art. We used to cruise around the desert in that thing and break out our amps and our gear and play shows. It was our cruiser for a couple years.

CGL: Obviously the desert plays a huge role in your career. You’re from Palm Desert, a lot of your discography is considered “desert rock,” and now this festival. First of all, do you like that term, “desert rock?”
BB: It doesn’t matter whether I like it or dislike it. What people are gonna pin on you when you step forward as an artist, you have no control over that. We used to call ourselves desert rock, but we were saying it kind of half-kidding, it was just so obvious. We said it with no intention of it being something people would say 20 years later.

As far as stoner rock, that was another one that was so bizarre, but at the same time it was like, ‘Yeah, we’re kids, we were smoking pot and playing rock music [laughs].’ Back in the day I think we referred to it as punk rock, but that was only because that meant something then. Even that quickly faded.

CGL: I feel like if someone hears “desert rock” they automatically think, the band is from the desert. But it’s more than that isn’t it?
BB: That question directly relates to why I wanted to help put this thing together. I mean, I’ll travel the world and I’ll play a desert rock festival in Germany [laughs]. The term ‘desert’ in relation to rock music clearly has evolved into something that has nothing to do with the literal geographic desert. That’s cool with me, but I think it would be fun if we could celebrate the concept at the literal epicenter of its origin, which is the desert.

CGL: You’re playing with the Low Desert Punk Band with whom you released an album in 2014. Are you guys going to be playing some new stuff too? Is there a new album in the works?
BB: The new record is finished, it’s been delivered to the record label. Unfortunately it won’t be out in time for the festival, it will be out later this summer, but we certainly will be playing a couple new songs.

CGL: Sort of unrelated, I saw that you saw Black Sabbath on this last tour.
BB: We went and saw Sabbath in Vegas. It was a great time. They’re still rockin’, they played great, sounded awesome. One of the things I really enjoyed at the Sabbath show, and I look forward to experiencing something similar with our event, is just to see all these people that are like-minded, man. When I was a kid growing up, there weren’t too many people into Black Sabbath. To see all these people digging Sabbath, I’m like, ‘See man, there’s people out there that want this, that are into this culture, into this music,’ so that was really exciting, it was really awesome to see that.

The history of alt-rock band Further Seems Forever is like looking at a contorted family tree. Lead singer Chris Carrabba left the band to start Dashboard Confessional, then 19-year old Jason Gleason stepped in for one album before leaving with a bad taste in his mouth. Sense Field vocalist Jon Bunch took over until 2006 when the band broke up. Then Carrabba came back for an album and now Gleason is back for a set of reunion shows including The Roxy Mar. 18 and The Self Help Festival Mar. 19.

Confused? That’s understandable. Here’s the need-to-know information. Gleason’s time in the band was short, but the album it yielded, 2003’s How To Start A Fire, is widely considered the band’s best. Also, Gleason left the band on less than favorable terms, blaming the split on “completely irrational behavior on a daily basis. Mistrust. Fights. Anger. Jealousy. A very unhealthy relationship” in a post-breakup interview. In other words, his return after over a decade is not only something fans have been hoping for, but a welcome surprise.

So what changed from the time Gleason spoke those bitter words to now?

“We got older,” Gleason admitted. “Nobody really wants to sit around with all that frustration and anger forever. We took a long break from each other, which I think was good, and started burying the hatchet, and became friendly and close on a personal level again. It takes two to tango, in our case it took five. I think it was a lot to do with how much we were working, which happens with a lot of bands. You spend that much time with people in very close proximity, that kind of stuff is bound to come up. We’re older, we’re wiser, we’re back together, bygones are bygones.”

The band will be playing How To Start A Fire in its entirety, but also songs from The Moon Is Down and Hide Nothing. Gleason, who has continued with various projects in his time away from the band is confident they can deliver.

“I would assume people are expecting it to be as good as it was back in the day, and I think we’re definitely prepared to do that” Gleason said. “It’s just like riding a bike. It was funny, we went down for rehearsals in January, and actually, it was kind of like the audition back when I was 19 years old. Everything kind of clicked, and we’re ready to roll. It’s almost like we just picked up again after the last tour.”

“Time waits for no one,” Gleason warns on How To Start A Fire’s “The Deep”, an eternal truth that probably strikes an even greater chord with him now than when he was a teenager writing and singing those same words. After all this time does the album still resonate with him?

“The core issues I was writing about I still think about and deal with as a human,” Gleason said. “I think really with any music, whether it’s my own music or music that I love from other artists, things change over time and you get to listen to lyrics in different ways at different points.

“Last night on my drive home from work I listened to Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew, which is one of my favorite jazz albums. “I just sat in my car for, I don’t know, 25 minutes when I got home, just listening to “John McLaughlin.” There’s this interplay between the snare and the guitar that’s going on the whole tune that I never realized before. That’s kind of the beauty of music. It can constantly be changing and it’s different for anybody that listens to it.”

There was one dark cloud for Further Seems Forever in light of this reunion, the unexpected passing of former frontman Jon Bunch. An event that made Gleason’s reconciliation with the band all the more poignant.

“It was a devastating hit, nobody expected it,” Gleason said. “We had planned, obviously, to have Jon up on stage and sing some songs when we came to L.A. I definitely feel a sense of duty now to convey his legacy and how he saw the songs. Singing Jon’s songs, there’s definitely a pressure there to keep it real. I always remember thinking Jon was just like this larger-than-life rock God thing. He was a really great guy, he’s sorely missed, and we’re very happy he’s part of the Forever legacy, and he’ll still be able to live through his records.”

As far as Gleason’s own legacy in the band, the future is uncertain. When asked about continuing on with Further Seems Forever after these reunion shows, Gleason is hesitant.

“I guess I’ll answer that by saying, did anybody think that we were gonna ever play these shows in the first place? We’re all older, we have our lives and jobs and families. I can’t foresee the band getting back together and going out on tour full time again. But, I can totally see us writing another jam or two and recording it, maybe playing some one-off shows here and there.

“What we’re most likely going to be doing is some more dates in the summer, hit some of the rest of the spots in the country that we’re not hitting. That’s pretty open-ended right? [laughs] We’ll leave it there.”

True, he may hold one of the most coveted band slots of all time, lead guitarist for Sir Paul McCartney, but Rusty Anderson has been a legend in his own right since he was a teenager. With his own namesake Gibson model guitar, guest spots on countless hits, and a professional music career that began before he even hit puberty, the man is one of the busiest guys in show biz. You can catch him with his band, Rusty Anderson Afternoon, at The Coach House Mar. 16 for a night of feel-good rock-n-roll.

Concert Guide Live caught up with Anderson on a rare day off from his hectic schedule to talk influences, being a one-man Wrecking Crew, and of course, Paul McCartney.

Concert Guide Live: Do you ever get days off?
RUSTY ANDERSON: It doesn’t feel like it. I’ve been working on a record (with Rusty Anderson Afternoon) that’s going to be out very shortly. I’ve booked these March shows, and we start up a tour with Paul (McCartney). So, between that and all the things you have to do at home that you can’t do when you’re on the road, it doesn’t feel like I’ve had much time off, actually.

CGL: You’ve played HUGE shows with Paul McCartney like the Opening Ceremonies at the Olympics, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, are there any nerves involved, or is it just a pure rush?
RA: It’s funny because in a lot of ways, I feel more comfortable on stage than off stage, which is kind of sad [laughs]. If something gets screwed up or goes wrong, there’s always that worry, but I think the main thing is you try to get everything as organized, prepared, and together, before you go out, and then just have a good time and that’s that.

CGL: So it’s more about preparation?
RA: I did make the mistake once of doing a show with Paul, I think it was in Spain, and I fell asleep back stage. I woke up on this couch, and I’m like, ‘Oh my God, we’ve gotta go on soon’.

So, I started getting ready, but all of a sudden I found myself out on stage in front of 30,000 people, like, half asleep, and it’s just not the right mixture of modes. It’s not something I’d recommend for anybody. It’s like going 0 to 100 all of a sudden, you’re not really ready. You want to get in that zone first.

CGL: You’re from SoCal and you’ve played around here since you were a kid. Does it feel special when you play here now?
RA: Oh yeah! I end up knowing a lot of people in the audience. It’s really a kick. Because my schedule is so busy I don’t usually get to play a ton of shows of my own, they’re a little more limited. So it’s exciting! I’m really glad I was able to get these shows between recording and touring.

CGL: You played the solo on New Radicals’ “You Get What You Give,” and you played the solo on Ricky Martin’s “Livin La Vida Loca,” among other things. You’re like the guitar player equivalent of The Wrecking Crew!

RA: [laughs] There’s definitely some of that. You end up getting into a groove with different producers and different artists. The last thing I did was Lana Del Rey, and it’s always fun. My focus lately has been with my own group, and obviously playing with Paul McCartney, which takes up a lot of time. As a matter of fact, we’re going to be doing some recording coming up here soon for Paul’s new record. No shortage of things to do, which is good.”

CGL: You’ve said in other interviews that The Beatles were the reason you started playing music. What influenced you to start writing your own stuff?

RA: When I was five, my older sister was playing Beatle records and I was like, ‘Wow! What’s that?! That’s cool! Look at those guys! How cool!’ That started my whole thing and my focus on music. Then my older brother passed away right at that time, and I think I subconsciously said, ‘Wow, real life sucks, music is amazing.’ Music has this fantastical quality to it. Once you get the bug, it’s something you can’t stop doing. It’s such an expression, such a communication that is totally different from any other thing.

CGL: What would you say is the biggest thing that has rubbed off on you from actually working with Paul McCartney?

RA: In some ways I feel like I was born in a barn yesterday [laughs]. Working with Paul I’ve learned a lot, mostly exercising my social muscles. I’ve certainly spent a lot of time sitting in my room writing or playing guitar, and it’s a very intimate, non-social experience.

That has really changed because there’s so many people on the road. We’re traveling around with 100 people or more. Paul is such an amazing inspiration. He wears a lot of hats. It makes you aware of how important it is to seamlessly go between being the performer, the family person, hanging out with your friends, doing business stuff. That I think, through osmosis, has rubbed off on me.