BEN HARPER AT ELECTRIC LADYLAND: HE ROCKED

I actually got to see the great Ben Harper perform twice today: once at the SIRIUS XM studios (his performance aired live on Jam_ON and will be rebroadcast a few times if you missed it) and then tonight at Electric Ladyland for WFUV. He has a new band, Relentless 7 (it's actually just four guys, including Ben) and it's much more of a rock thing than his other band, The Innocent Criminals. I thought it was really good. As good as the Criminals? I don't know yet. But I do know that Neil Young & Crazy Horse benefit from the fact that Neil doesn't always play with them; ditto for Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band. I look forward to hearing their album White Lies For Dark Times, it comes out on May 5. (Hey, if anyone has a picture from Electric Ladyland, I'd love to post it, I'll give you credit!)