Reviews
I have to admit, I like to take an angle when I write. Often times, I will have a phrase or concept thought out, which may be developed into an introduction, even before I go to see a band. How can that be, you may be asking. Well, most of the bands I review I have seen before and I can figure out what to expect. But, last Sunday night's show left me dumbfounded.
It seems like I have been on a huge My Morning Jacket kick since I first saw them at the Bonnaroo Music Festival in 2003. Then, their epic performance in the pouring rain the following year made me a real die hard fan. They seemed to etch their names into fame through the Bonnaroo vehicle as ten of thousands of fans have grown to love the Louisville, Kentucky rock band.
Michael Falzarano is like a hidden hand, we've all heard his music, but many would be surprised by his musical resume. So it might be helpful to start with Michael's past in order to explain how his new album came to be. For over 35 years Falzarano has been a member of some of the more influential groups in jamband history.
Another Friday night in Downtown Boulder, CO. It was one of the biggest crowds I'd seen lately at the Boulder Theater, the kind where once you're in, you're only getting out again at the expense of your standing room – it would be filled by someone else when you get back. I felt extremely lucky to have been there at all, since the show was sold out, had been for a week or more, and I only just got the call telling me I would be on the clock covering the show earlier in the afternoon. 
I hope that you and I have something in common. I hope, like me, you have a few events in your life, maybe a handful even, that are unique. Not unique because they only happened to you, like that time your Aunt Rosemary pinched your ass as you walked by her at Easter Brunch. You can save that unique event for your therapist. No, I'm talking about the type of unique event where you didn't wonder if this was going to be a momentous occasion while you were experiencing it. You knew it was going to be important before it ever took place.
At last....the rumors can be put to rest, as Phish announce their triumphant reunion and return to the road. The group officially stated on their website yesterday they will be performing a three-night run at one of their favorite venues, the Hampton Coliseum in Hampton, Virginia. The shows will take place March 6th-8th of 2009, with more dates to be announced later this year.
It's a fucked up world out there, and lately it seems to be getting worse by the day. The economy is crashing, the war seems never-ending, and Washington D.C. seems as silly and out of touch as ever. Maybe I'm more obsessive than most, more indignant too perhaps, but if you're like me, I recommend a heavy dose of lighthearted tunes to put you in a better state of mind. Everybody needs to escape occasionally, and music has always been a means to do so.
When Phish broke up the first and second time, there was a large void left in my life. Yours too, otherwise you probably wouldn't be reading this article. As I've eluded to in past reviews, the nomadic nature instilled in me by that foursome from the north lead me on many a fruitless, and sometimes fruitful quest to find new, interesting, dynamic and hypnotic sounds like those that I still long for.
"The show is tonight, not tomorrow." A statement like this one can upend your day and, for me, it did. Mere inches away from walking onto the ferry that would take me back to New York; I fielded a call from my incredibly observant wife.
