T.hey F.ucking D.id I.t

WOW, WOW, WOW!!! This is all I have to say after the TFDI show at Anthology’s in San Diego last Sunday night (8/28/2011) ! Now, I know I spoke very badly of Anthology’s a few weeks back when I was last there and while all that stands, they keep getting me to come back because they have some pretty amazing acts! So here goes this week’s edition of The Penguin Gazette! Enjoy…..all 10 of you.

Totally Fuckin' Doin' It or TFDI is the name of one of the most exciting acoustic/rock/singer/songwriter trios that I have heard in years! Tony Lucca, Matt Duke, and Jay Nash are all great musicians on their own (and I mean TRULY GREAT, REAL MUSICIANS), but when their powers combine they become the musical equivalent Captain Planet. Instead of wind, water, fire, earth, and heart, TFDI is made up of a billion parts fire and infinity parts heart!

These guys absolutely pour music from every pore (ha ha….laugh damn you!...no?... oh well), seriously though, there are few people that I can say leave everything on the stage and these 3 are definitely on that list. Song after song, every emotion they had was being pumped into us, like a lyrical IV drip for musically deprived veins.  The harmonies were basically a clinic for singers that wanted to learn about perfection. Honestly, I can’t compare them to other trios because as a group they deserve to be recognized for their own “awesomenisity” (“awesomenisity” a word describing something so phenomenal that only the creation of a word, such as “awesomenisity”, can allow the human brain to comprehend its magnitude). Here are a couple of songs that the trio performed last night.  So TFDI fans enjoy If I was a Ghost, and Darlin' I from their new album "When I Stop Running".

So instead of me saying “them, those guys or they” why don’t I tell you a bit about them as individuals?  The performer that we actually went to see is someone that my wife and I hold very dear to our musical hearts. His name, and please remember this because he is frickin’ awesome, is Tony Lucca. He’s got a bluesy/folk/rock vibe that is both endearing and intriguing, and is constantly evolving with each new song and album he puts out. When I first heard of him I was listening to Ernie Halter’s station on PANDORA and he popped into the rotation. I was stuck on “wow”, and immediately went to the “internets” to find out more about this frizzy-haired lyricist. I listened to everything that I could find and was lucky enough to find out that he would be coming to town with Ernie thanks to my wife’s Facebook (as I do not have one), so that was a two-fer. While we mostly went for Ernie, OH MY GOD did we fall in love with Tony. I already had an appreciation for his music, but I always say you can only measure an artist by his live performances, and wow were we ill-prepared. We did not bring with us the tools necessary to measure his…..you guessed it…..”Awesomenisity” (just trying to get my word out there). I love it when you can find an artist that sounds the same, if not better than all of the albums you know and love. That, along with his personality and gracious demeanor towards his fans makes him one of the better performers I know. This is why every time I know he’s coming to town I try to tell as many people as possible, so they too can come to know the force of musical nature known as Tony Lucca. I unfortunately do not own all of his cds (I’s gots bills to pay), but thank God that the ones I have are digitally preserved because they would be worn thin by now… if that’s possible. So if he comes to your town, I highly recommend that you check him out. If you’re not satisfied, you have no soul! Here he is playing So Long from his “Solo” album. I apologize for the jittery video; I was dodging a lot of stupid waiters that seem like they had a homing device set on my camera.

Then we have Jay Nash. Take some James Taylor, mix in a dash of Willie Nelson, and sprinkle in some Lady Antebellum (mostly the Charles Kelley) and serve it with an amazing side of power vocals that are reminiscent of a young Pavarotti (bet you didn't think i was gonna take it there, did you?). I don’t even think I can mention his guitar playing skills without bringing up the memorable performance of an “Unplugged” Eric Clapton, playing Tears in Heaven, back when MTV used to actually play music instead of horrible “REALITY” shows. He has an endearing awkwardness, and a “slow & low” voice that makes you interested to hear more than just his music. I actually would love the opportunity to get to know the man and hear his stories… hmmm… I guess through his music you get both. His presence on stage made me instantly feel like I had seen him before, I don’t mean that in a bad way, it’s almost as if he was one of my favorite performers that I’ve been following for years. While that wasn’t the case before, I assure you that I will be from now on.  Here he is playing Till I Get Through off his “Diamonds and Blood” album. PICK IT UP NOW!!!

Lastly, but in no way leastly (I know it’s not a word…yet), we have Matt Duke. Let me warn you, Matt Duke’s level of “awesomenisity” is so high that only sharks with frickin’ laser beams on their heads that eat hip-hop dancing hamsters, have the ability to “think” they might have heard him…in a dream…maybe…but, I digress. When you look at Matt (unless you already know him), you would never dream that he would have this much jaw-dropping talent, this is where you would be wrong! I was so amazed by him. Question: What do you get when you cross Kurt Cobain’s intensity (minus the whole shotgun in the mouth thing), “Dave Mathews and Tim Reynolds’” style guitar playing and a voice that can simultaneously, start the fires of hell as well as be wind that the angels use to soar with?.....You get Matt “F***ing” Duke that’s what you get (oh yeah, it’s just like that)!!!  His voice has these incredible highs and lows, that you have to hear to believe, but it’s like I said….sharks, lasers, and hamsters, man….sharks…. lasers……..and let’s not forget….hamsters. Matt has this odd/wonderful split personality. When he is on stage he has a warrior’s intensity, and he gets so deep into the music that, as my wife put it, is almost as if he is in a “trance”. On the other hand, when I met him off stage, he was humble, soft spoken, and almost shy. Absolutely “diculous”, as a matter of fact he is so “diculous” that he is ri-diculous!!! His song Kingdom Underground is by far one of the best songs I have heard in I don’t know how long. You not only hear the beautifully chaotic voice, but with this video I’m going to show you, you’ll also be able to see his intensity, his feeling, and his focus. Please enjoy…

So what have we learned today? We learned that TFDI really did fucking do it, they managed to bring 3 extraordinary solo talents together to make 1 super-group. While they all are great “stand alone” artists, I for one am extremely thankful that they came together to help fight the “good” fight against crappy music and talentless hacks with music (and I use the word loosely) contracts. Thank you TFDI for making all the crappy service at Anthology’s worth it, and though I’m hoping that one day you guys get to sell out stadiums, whether it is solo or together, I can’t wait till the next time you 3 play Lestat’s. If you do, know that we (Anya and I) are extending an invite to all of you to come to our house for a homemade dinner before your show!

OK everyone that wraps up this week’s Penguin Gazette. I hope you had as much fun reading as I had sharing my experience with you. Check back next week for more….. Before I let you go, here is TFDI performing Lover I don't Have to Love by Bright Eyes. Honestly, I think TFDI made this song 10 times better than the original. listen and see for yourself.

-Editor & Chief of The Penguin Gazette,

Rudy

P.S. Do me a favor guys, if you read this far and you dig it a little bit, do me a solid and comment and/or follow. I’m looking for a few good PENGUINS. You know what they say… WE’RE MATES FOR LIFE!

P.S.S. If you are TFDI, please leave a comment so I know you guys made the long journey to my site!