Wild Honey, Lenny Kaye, Rhino to Celebrate 50 Years of ‘Nuggets’

URL SlugBenefit concert producers the Wild Honey Foundation, original compilation curator Lenny Kaye, and archival label Rhino Records will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the “Nuggets: Original Artyfacts From the First Psychedelic Era, 1965-1968” double LP on Elektra Records by presenting a live concert at the historic Alex Theatre in Glendale on Friday, May 19.

Starting at 8 p.m., the live performance will feature songs from the legendary album plus bonus material from the era. Kaye, Patti Smith’s guitarist for the past 50 years, is collaborating on the setlist and the performances with the Wild Honey Orchestra led by Rob Laufer and Andrew Sandoval.

Guest performers set so far to join them onstage include Johnny Echols (Love), Peter Buck (R.E.M.), Elliot Easton (The Cars), Darian Sahanaja & Debbie Shair (Brian Wilson Band), Scott McCaughey (Minus 5, Young Fresh Fellows, Baseball Project), Jim Pons (The Leaves), David Aguilar (Chocolate Watchband), Billy Vera, Peter Case, Carla Olson, and Evie Sands, with many more to be announced soon, according to Paul Rock, founder-director of the Wild Honey Foundation and producer of the concert.

Led by Kaye, Laufer, and Sandoval, the Wild Honey Orchestra Nuggets All-Star Band will include Alec Palao, Jim Laspesa, Nick Vincent, Willie Aron, Jordan Summers, David Nolte, Robbie Scharf, Nelson Bragg, and Derrick Anderson.

“Lenny and Wild Honey will celebrate this legendary LP with style, energy, and a fierce love for these classic songs,” Rock said in a Wild Honey press release. “This will be one for the ages!”

“Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era” is the influential 1972 compilation album of American psychedelic and garage-rock singles that were released during the mid-to-late 1960s. Curated by Kaye, the original album included liner notes containing one of the first mentions of the phrase “punk rock.”

The “Nuggets” series has influenced many generations of rockers from the Ramones to the Lemon Twigs. With Rhino Records releasing a limited Record Store Day version this spring, “Nuggets” continues to influence young bands across the globe with its visceral garage/psychedelic power with songs like “Gloria,” “96 Tears,” “I Had Too Much To Dream Last Night,” “Psychotic Reaction,” “Pushin’ Too Hard,” “Dirty Water,” “7 and 7 Is,” and more than 20 other classics.

Regular tickets for the May 19 concert range from $40-$75; VIP tickets are $105 (ticket price includes event reception and soundcheck access at 5 p.m., a meet-and-greet with the artists around 6 p.m., and a show poster suitable for autographs). General tickets will be available until the 1,400-seat venue sells out (Wild Honey events usually do). There will also be a silent auction.

Separately, Rock noted in a Facebook post, for a $100 donation, concertgoers may attend the dress rehearsal at the Alex on Thursday night, May 18, from 8-11. This donation includes automatic access to the presale (concertgoers will still need to purchase a ticket to the actual show). Dress rehearsal donations will go to cover show expenses. Donate at PayPal (send to wildhoneyfoundation@yahoo.com) or mail a check to Wild Honey Foundation, 1167 Kipling Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90041.

About the Autism Healthcare Collaborative

Proceeds from the “Nuggets” concert and silent auction will benefit the Autism Healthcare Collaborative. According to Rock’s release, it’s “an internationally recognized non-profit organization committed to facilitating the medical and psychosocial stabilization of individuals and families living with autism. AHC provides a multidisciplinary team approach to the identification and treatment of the complicated medical comorbidities of autism by connecting medical experts to families and physicians around the world through medical videoconferencing. AHC offers innovative solutions for individuals with autism, across the spectrum and throughout their lifetime, through comprehensive case management, community outreach, advocacy, and education.”

About the Wild Honey Foundation

“Since 1994, Wild Honey Foundation, a 501(c)(3), non-profit, has produced concerts, film screenings, online fundraisers, and live-stream events to benefit autism treatment/research and members of the music community in need,” according to the press release. Led by Paul Rock, David Jenkins, and Andrew Sandoval, Wild Honey is a “grassroots, volunteer organization dedicated to passing on the passion, creativity, and idealism found in rock, rhythm & blues, folk, classical, and pop music to future generations through cultural events of all types.”

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Here’s Lenny Kaye’s tracklist from the 1973 “Nuggets: Original Artyfacts From the First Psychedelic Era, 1965-1968” double album (the May 19 concert’s setlist, though not yet announced, will likely include many of these):

Side 1
The Electric Prunes: “I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night)”
The Standells: “Dirty Water”
The Strangeloves: “Night Time”
The Knickerbockers: “Lies”
The Vagrants: “Respect”
Mouse: “A Public Execution”
The Blues Project: “No Time Like the Right Time”

Side 2
The Shadows of Knight: “Oh Yeah”
The Seeds: “Pushin’ Too Hard”
The Barbarians: “Moulty”
The Remains: “Don’t Look Back”
The Magicians: “An Invitation to Cry”
The Castaways: “Liar, Liar”
The 13th Floor Elevators: “You’re Gonna Miss Me”

Side 3
Count Five: “Psychotic Reaction”
The Leaves: “Hey Joe”
Michael and the Messengers: “Romeo & Juliet”
The Cryan’ Shames: “Sugar and Spice”
The Amboy Dukes: “Baby Please Don’t Go”
Blues Magoos: “Tobacco Road”

Side 4
The Chocolate Watchband: “Let’s Talk About Girls”
The Mojo Men: “Sit Down, I Think I Love You”
The Third Rail: “Run, Run, Run”
Sagittarius: “My World Fell Down”
Nazz: “Open My Eyes”
The Premiers: “Farmer John”
The Magic Mushrooms: “It’s-a-Happening”

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Stephen K. Peeples is a Grammy-nominated multi-media writer-producer and award-winning radio/record-industry veteran raised in Miami and Los Angeles by career newspaper journalists and music lovers. Based in Santa Clarita, California, he wrapped a 45-year media career in 2021, and as of early 2023, is co-authoring a new book with artist and pop-culture legend John Van Hamersveld commemorating the 60th anniversary in 2023-2024 of Hammer’s iconic poster for Bruce Brown’s epic surf movie “The Endless Summer.” Peeples is also conspiring with Cindy Johnson and Jeri Jenkins, founders of Home at Last, the Miami-based mansions-and-maids concierge service for rock stars recording at Criteria and Bayshore Studios in the 1970s and early ’80s, on researching and writing the dynamic duo’s memoir. And he is developing an art book/biography, “Boyd Elder, Artlaw: The Greatest Artist You’ve Never Heard Of,” about the artist who created the skull art for three classic albums by the rock group Eagles and much more (due in 2024-25). See the “Stephen K. Peeples” page on his website. More original stories and exclusive interviews are posted there and on his YouTube channel.

Article: Wild Honey, Lenny Kaye, Rhino Celebrate 50 Years of ‘Nuggets’
Category: News and Reviews
Author: Stephen K. Peeples
Article Source: stephenkpeeples.com