The Filtered Excellence: March 20, 2021

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Bob Geldof once asked us, “Where is the filtered excellence!?” It’s right here. Once a week we take a break from comedy to bring you this week’s picks of the best things to watch, the most interesting things to do, great things to try, the best picks to read, our favorite things to listen to and more.

WATCH THIS

Nate Bargatze: The Greatest Average American. Even with the world under quarantine, Nate Bargatze still found a way to follow up to his critically acclaimed 2019 special The Tennessee Kid. Filmed outdoors with a socially distanced audience at Hollywood’s Universal Studios, Bargatze tackles the pandemic head on, discussing how it’s affected news coverage of UFO sightings; performing at drive-ins and on Zoom; and how COVID has altered his approach to working out at home. He also takes aim at millennials, zoomers and Gen X’ers and how each group looks at various situations. Bargatze also talks about how helping his daughter with Common Core math made remember how bad a student he was, how his parents dealt with serious issues in the 80s and 90s and how having an inquisitive wife isn’t always fun. Pulling off an outdoor door with new protocols isn’t easy (not to mention to the occasional helicopters interrupting the performance), but Bargatze rolls with the punches with ease and shows why he’s mentioned as one of the best stand up working today. Another strong set to one of the best in the game. Nate Bargatze: The Greatest Average American is available now on Netflix.

LISTEN TO THIS

Heavy Sun by Daniel Lanois. The past and the present intersect on Daniel Lanois latest solo album. Working with frequent collaborators guitarist/vocalist Rocco Deluca Jim Wilson on bass and new collaborator Johnny Shepherd on organ, Lanois crafts a cycle of songs honoring the gospel vocal groups recorded in his native Canada; Jamaican dub music of the 60s and 70s; and the moody electronics that he employed on classic albums by U2, Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris Peter Gabriel, The Neville Brothers, among many others. With only a mandate to write positive, uplifting songs, Lanois and his team deliver an album that carries the emotional power of gospel music with the hypnotic grooves of rhythm and blues and reggae. It’s a much needed musical balm to carry us through our post-pandemic funk. One of the year’s best. Heavy Sun by Daniel Lanois is available now through all major streaming outlets.

Love Isn’t Enough by Jahi Sundance. For over 25 years, Jahi Sundance has been an in-demand DJ, multi-instrumentalist and producer, working with such notables as Robert Glasper, Meshell Ndegeocello and Christian McBride. Now with this new six song EP, Sundance gets a much deserved turn as a frontman and the results are astonishing. Working with Ndegeocello, Glasper, and The Ivory Sparrow – Sundance explores the many emotional swings that come out of a breakup, through a musical suite that effortlessly moves from funk, R&B, alt rock and electronic music. It’s a soundtrack to heartache that will provide you a musical light through love’s dark tunnels. Love Isn’t Enough by Jahi Sundance is available now through all major streaming services.

Live At St Pancras Church by Aruba Red. Singer-songwriter Aruba Red continues her creative and spiritual rebirth with this new dynamic live EP. Recorded at St Pancras right before lockdown, it marked the live debut of songs from her 2018 Holy Waters EP and a preview of ‘Blue’ which would later appear on her 2020 release, Shadow Work.
The specter of a global shutdown should have cast a large shadow on the evening, but Aruba Red thrilled the crowd with her songs of resilience and resurgence over several life challenges. This set is yet another reminder of how she is emerging as a force in the UK and global music scene. Live At St Pancras Church by Aruba Red is available now through all major streaming outlets.

DO THIS

Los Angeles. The Comedy Store Drive-In. While The Comedy Store eagerly awaits the chance to re-open, the iconic club continues to curate outdoor shows. The next stop is a three show stand at The Rose Bowl. Bill Burr, David Space, Whitney Cummings, Jeff Ross, and Iliza Shlesinger are some of the comics slated to appear during the three-show stand in Pasadena. COVID protocols will be in place with LED screens available to ensure you get a full show experience from the safety of your car. It’s the next best thing to seeing some of the best comedians working today. The Comedy Store Drive-In at The Rose Bowl will take place March 26th and 27th. You can go to www.showclix.com for tickets and more information.

 

 

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Earl Douglas

Earl Douglas is a writer/photographer based in New York City. A frequent contributor to The Interrobang, Earl is also Executive Director for the New York chapter of The Black Rock Coalition. Earl worked in radio for nearly two decades at WNEW-FM and XM Satellite Radio, which included being the on-air producer for Carol Miller, Scott Muni and Ron & Fez, and a contributor to Opie & Anthony. Earl has also independently published a number of books including Black Rock Volume 1, Urban Abyss, Mobile Uploads, and For Shimmy. His latest project is the photojournalism magazine PRAXIS, which is available exclusively through Blurb.com.
Earl Douglas

Earl Douglas

Earl Douglas is a writer/photographer based in New York City. A frequent contributor to The Interrobang, Earl is also Executive Director for the New York chapter of The Black Rock Coalition. Earl worked in radio for nearly two decades at WNEW-FM and XM Satellite Radio, which included being the on-air producer for Carol Miller, Scott Muni and Ron & Fez, and a contributor to Opie & Anthony. Earl has also independently published a number of books including Black Rock Volume 1, Urban Abyss, Mobile Uploads, and For Shimmy. His latest project is the photojournalism magazine PRAXIS, which is available exclusively through Blurb.com.