Beck Going Country For One Show Only

Beck fans, start practicing your twangs! The alt-folk artist has announced a country-blues concert on Nov. 19 at the El Rey Theater in Los Angeles.

The one-off show, titled Beck Acoustic With Friends, was inspired by Beck's performance with Willie Nelson at Farm Aid earlier this year, according to Dennis Dennehy, Beck's publicist at Geffen Records. Beck and Nelson performed, "Peach Pickin' Time in Georgia," a Jimmie Rogers song. For the one-time show in L.A., Beck's set list will be culled from his own material as well as some Rogers-inspired tunes.

Joining Beck on stage will be 19-year-old fiddler Gabe Witcher, Jay Dee Maness on pedal steel and Little Feat keyboardist Billy Payne.

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Song Stories

“Time to Pretend”

MGMT | 2008

Listening to MGMT’s breakthrough song, one might interpret it as being about the excesses of rock stardom, but it’s actually about the duo’s pet praying mantis. Ben Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden told Rolling Stone they got the idea from the insect's jerky movements. The mantis died, but the two bandmates kept the egg sack and allowed the hundreds of eggs to hatch. “We tried to name them all, but they died after a day,” said Goldwasser, with VanWyngarden chiming in, “But the praying mantis dance inspired us.”

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