I'm writing this blog as I listen to Prince's new rocker "Screwdriver." Great sex song. "I'm your driver, you're my screw."
It's also a great way to tune out the newsroom white noise and write a blog.
Speaking of good music, got a bunch of new shows to tell you about, including the return of country renegade Brantley Gilbert and his "Hell on Wheels" tour to the area.
Gilbert will be joined by emerging star Kip Moore on this leg of the tour, which rolls into the Inn of the Mountain Gods near Ruidoso at 8 p.m. April 12.
Tickets are $35, $40, $60, $70 and $90, plus service charges, at the box office, Ticketmaster outlets, ticketmaster.com and 800.745.3000.
The Inn, btw, also has put that April 26 show by '90s country stars Lorrie Morgan and Pam Tillis on sale.
It's an 8 p.m. show.
Tickets are $25, $35, $55, $65 and $75, plus SC, at the same locations.
• Grupo Bryndis, the California-based cumbia band, heads the next concert and dance at the Coliseum.
The show is at 8 p.m. March 9 and also will include sets from Los Caminantes with Cadetes De Linares, Los Humildes, Sonoro Tropicano and Los Frontera.
Tickets are $30 and $37.50, plus service charges, at the box and Ticketmaster.
• "Bless Me, Ultima," which had successful runs in El Paso and Mesilla last fall and early this year, is going into wider release on Feb. 22.
It's opening in more than 200 theaters in 29 cities with substantial Hispanic populations in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Nevada and Texas.
Among them are Chicago, Los Angeles, Dallas, Houston, Miami, San Antonio, San Francisco, San Diego, Phoenix, Denver and Las Vegas.
The low-budget film, shot in New Mexico, is based on the book by Rudolfo Anaya.
• Veteran Jamaican reggae band the Melodians will headline a rocksteady bill at 8 p.m. April 19 at Tricky Falls.
They'll be joined by local acolytes Radio La Chusma, Mexklan and Steady Shakedown.
Those tickets are $10 at Holdmyticket.
• Splendid Sun Productions, the folks who stage the Neon Desert Music Festival, have lined up a black and white weekend in late April at the Lowbrow Palace.
Black Bananas will be there at 9 p.m. April 25. Tickets are $8 in advance, $10 day of show, $3 for those 18- to 20-years old.
They'll be followed by White Fence at 9 p.m. April 26. Those tickets are $10 adv., $12 DOS, plus $3 for the young 'uns.
Also, Born Ruffians will play the Lowbrow at 9 p.m. May 2. Those tix are $10/$12, and plus $3.
The Tera Melos date originally announced for May 21 has been moved up a day to May 20, or five days before NDMF on May 25 (the lineup of which will be announced every 15 minutes starting at 8 a.m. March 6 via their Facebook page).
Tickets are available at All That Music & Video, Happy House, the Headstand, the Pizza Joint and Holdmyticket.
• Switching to EDM, SMG Events and Donnie Disco Events bring Slovenian-born DJ Umek back to town at 9 p.m. March 15 at Tricky Falls.
Canadian DJ duo Blond:ish will open the show.
Tickets are $16 in advance, $21 day of show, on sale at Happy House, the Headstand and umekelpaso-facebook.eventbrite.com.
• Comic hypnotist The Sandman, always a big draw at the El Paso Comic Strip, returns to Bart Reed's comedy club for seven shows March 13-17.
He'll do single sets at 8 p.m. March 13 and 14, and two shows nightly at 8:30 and 10:45 p.m. March 15-16, plus an X-rated show at 8 p.m. March 17.
The Sandman is famous for getting audience members to do all kinds of funny and embarrassing things. I guess you could say he's big on audience participation.
Tickets are $6 GA, $16 for a VIP booth for the March 13-14 shows; $12 GA, $22 VIP for the rest, on sale at the club and ticketweb.com.
• Add Austin honky tonkers the Derailers to the small but growing list of bands who'll play the State Line's free concert series this summer.
They'll be there May 1.
They join Del Castillo on June 12 and Curtis Grimes on June 26.
• Puerto Rico's Angel & Khriz headline the Reggaeton Explosion show at 9 p.m. April 26 at Nova Luna.
Tickets are $30 in advance, $40 day of show, $50 VIP, on sale at Ticketbully.
• La Parada, the monthly music and arts event at the San Carlos Building, will host a Spring Kick Off Party at 8:30 p.m. March 1.
L.I.G.R.E. and DJs Ray Mendoza, Rob Bass and Manoslentas will perform outside, with WSTRN PLYLND, Cult Heroes and Slime Time inside.
Gera Luz and Tino Ortega of the Purple Pop-Up Gallery will make art on the spot.
It's 18-and-over, with a $5 cover.
• Souldies, the folks putting on the 18-band So!Sick! Fest!!! on March 18 at the Lowbrow and Black Market, will host a pre-SXSW event called Barba Q at 9 p.m. March 11 at Black Market.
San Francisco's Apache (with former El Pasoans among its members) and Glitz, the Shivas of Portland, OR, Oakland's Bad Vibes and El Paso's Nalgadas (great name) will perform.
It's 21+, 5 bucks at the door.
• Rock singer, songwriter and guitarist Tiffany Christopher, an indie artist from the Midwest, is doing a couple of free solo shows in the area.
She's playing the High Desert Brewing Co. in Las Cruces at 8 p.m. Feb. 28, followed by a set at 8 p.m. March 14 at Joe Vinny & Bronsons Bohemian Cafe, 824 N. Piedras.
JV&B, by the way, will host a benefit for the Sunset Heights Block Party featuring Mississippi singer-songwriter Teneia Sanders.
It's at 4 p.m. March 10.
Also performing: Selina Nevarez, and Christina Velia and Patrick Kell.
There's another SHBP benefit at 10 p.m. March 2 at Black Market.
Biscuit Roller, Bumpstreet Fonanza, Get the Honey and Miidas will perform.
There's no cover, but donations will be accepted for the fall music bash.
Black Market, by the way, is hosting a free show by Austin (and former El Paso) psych-rockers Holy Wave at 9 p.m. Feb. 23.
The band has a new album coming out in April.
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