Thu, 07/13/2017 - 12:39 pm

“The festival gods smiled on Levitate,” shouted Dispatch frontman Chad Stokes as the sun set on the first day of the intimate jam band gathering on the South Shore of Massachusetts. Just twenty-four hours earlier, thunderstorms had been in the forecast, threatening to stop the feel-good summertime festivities in their tracks, but fans were instead treated to a hot and sunny day, with the one smattering of rain serving as both an excellent cool-down and an “epic” (to quote the girl next to me in the crowd) set piece for the beginning of Dispatch’s headlining set.

Not all of Levitate Music Festival’s success can be attributed to the “festival gods,” though; credit has to be given to the team behind the festival, who brought together their strongest batch of artists yet. This year’s lineup was an offering that was at once cohesive and diverse. The music itself was diverse enough for every act to set themselves apart, but all felt bound by an unspoken energy and ethos that was apparent from the moment you set foot on the festival grounds.

After easing into the day with the obligatory reggae and brass band sets, things kicked into a notably higher gear with the early afternoon arrival of 2014 Levitate veterans Rubblebucket, whose blend of funky horns and beats and smart, catchy songwriting had just about everybody in the crowd up front surrendering to the undeniable urge to dance. Deer Tick kept things relatively subdued, but turned in a solid set full of fan favorites like “Houston, TX” and “Dirty Dishes” while also debuting a handful of new songs off their upcoming pair of self-titled albums.

The Revivalists and Levitate favorites Stick Figure brought increasingly massive crowds to the main stage, and each turned in energetic and crowd-pleasing (if predictable at times) performances to match, complete with the latter group ending their song “Breathe” with the coda from “Hey Jude.” Meanwhile Umphrey’s McGee laid waste to the second stage over the course of two sets with their virtuosic jams on full display, likely leaving any newcomers completely converted by the end of things, especially after busting out their cover of The Who’s classic “Baba O’Riley.” Coincidentally, that same song had been featured in the foot-stomping set from Maine folk troupe Ghost of Paul Revere shortly before, though in a notably different style.

Ultimately, it was Dispatch’s night though, a fact that became clear as sing-alongs to an assortment of their bigger hits broke out among sections of the crowd before the band even took the stage, and clearer still once their set began. This marked the Boston-bred group’s only performance in their home state this year, as they tour in support of their new record America, Location 12, and the audience seemed prepared to wring them of every last drop. It felt as though they could have played for another hour if it weren’t for the festival’s 10 o’clock curfew. The aforementioned rain provided the opening salvo of tunes with a mythical atmosphere, old favorites led to roaring, exuberant sing-alongs, a mid-song jump into a stellar reggae version of Pink Floyd’s “Time” surprised many in the crowd, and new tunes like “Midnight Lorry” and “Only the Wild Ones” proved welcome additions to Dispatch’s live repertoire.

This was Levitate’s biggest year yet, expanding from one day to two (we were unfortunately only able to attend day one) and building up its lineup to new heights, and while it occasionally was apparent that this small-town fest had grown bigger than its organizers were prepared for, it was ultimately a success. Music festivals are meant to serve our escapist aims, and as such, the Marshfield Fair Grounds, situated dead in the middle of small-town Massachusetts, isn’t the most obvious spot to hold an event of this scale. More often than not, though, that escapism was there to be found, and perhaps that’s the greatest testament to what Levitate and all of the people and performers there came together to create.

Check out more photos from Levitate 2017.

Mon, 08/07/2017 - 4:51 pm

There’s always been something mythical about Fleet Foxes’ music; those intricate harmonies and swelling arrangements intertwined with frontman Robin Pecknold’s often-lofty poetry convey intimacy while conjuring up Homeric images of cloudy mountain forests, stormy seas, and some connection to the spirit of the earth long-since forgotten. As such, there’s a risk when bringing their music to the stage that something will get lost in translation. The fact that Fleet Foxes is really just a group of seemingly normal guys could prove discordant with the mythic grandeur of the songs they’re playing, especially when considering how their five-year disappearance has let their music outgrow the faces behind it. At the first show of their North American tour, though, all of those fears melted away as the band brought their music to life with the kind of perfection you might expect and a sense of exploration you might not.

Looking out to sea from the stage of Thompson’s Point in Portland, Maine, Robin Pecknold and co. got things off to a relatively slow start. The show opened with the same trio of tracks that open their new record, Crack-Up, with the familiar strum of the acoustic guitar and the group’s unmistakable harmonies washing over the audience and evoking an almost blissful feeling that did more to soothe than it did to excite. That was quickly remedied, however, with a quick transition into “Grown Ocean,” a highlight off their 2011 masterpiece Helplessness Blues, and the pent up love the crowd had for this band was immediately on full display, carrying through into subsequent sing-alongs on “Ragged Wood” and “Your Protector.”

As the sun finally set behind the horizon, the band embraced the coming night with another string of new tracks, this time to far greater success. Aided by some stunning projections and lighting, “Mearcstapa” sent things into a decidedly psychedelic direction; the band merely silhouettes as instruments and voices swirled around each other with dark foreboding.

Something seemed to click during that song and from there on out the performance grew into a stunner. New songs would seamlessly flow into old ones and vice-versa, Pecknold’s vocals showcased an uncharacteristic intensity on passionate renditions of “Mykonos,” “Third of May,” and “The Shrine/An Argument,” and the band grew stronger with each song, providing the latter tune with a thunderous freak-out of an ending and building “Crack-Up” into the kind of massive, glorious closing number this show required.

Robin’s joy at being back in the game was palpable throughout the evening, from the beaming smile on his face as he and the rest of the band took the stage, to the tease of Phish’s “Bouncing Around the Room” he played in response to their cover of “White Winter Hymnal” the night before, to his casual banter with the crowd. In the moments where took the stage by himself, as he did for a rare performance of “Montezuma” to open the encore, you could feel the intimacy in the air; that crackling electricity between him and the audience. The band never quite broke that mythic façade, but gave it a human face, a hero, to lend it an even greater weight.

Undoubtedly, this was a show for the faithful. Fleet Foxes are at the level where they can simply let the songs speak for themselves and bring the audience along with them. But if the journey continues to be this powerful, filled with beauty, darkness, and light, like the sunset that divided the set, then all those who come along for the ride will be reluctant to get off.

Thu, 09/07/2017 - 5:21 pm

On the weekend of September 23 and 24, Williamsburg will be the place to be for jamband fans. Brooklyn Comes Alive, the multi-venue music festival that began in 2015, is returning this year with an expanded production that’s sure to make for a whole lot of incredible music and more than a few tough decisions. A wealth of supergroups, unique collaborations, and tribute sets throughout the lineup have left us without a clue of what to expect and all the more excited for it.

This year, in its most notable change from its first two iterations, the fest has expanded to occupy the full weekend, nearly doubling the amount of sets attendees will get to choose between. From early afternoon until late into the night, Brooklyn Comes Alive takes over jam haven Brooklyn Bowl along with Music Hall of Williamsburg and Schimanski, a club that opened last fall in the space formerly occupied by Verboten, which played host to the first edition of the festival.

As in years past, the crop of musicians assembled come from every corner of the jamband world and beyond, and while a few of the bigger names grab the eye, the more you dig the more impossible it becomes to contain your excitement. Each day offers something for everyone, whether you’re coming to witness jaw-dropping musicianship, lose yourself in electronic waves, sing along to some old (and new) favorites, or simply to expand your mind, Brooklyn Comes Alive seemingly has you covered.

Saturday offers top line tributes to the Dead and the Allman Brothers, the latter of which – led by Gregg Allman’s longtime musical director Scot Sharrard and featuring members of moe. along with drumming legend Bernard Purdie with guest appearances from Eric Krasno and Brandon “Taz” Niederauer among others – will likely make for the most emotional moment of the weekend given the deaths of Gregg Allman and Butch Trucks earlier this year.

The fest’s first day doesn’t stop there, though, with The Crystal Method, Dave Harrington’s Merry Pranksters, and Roosevelt Collier’s Brooklyn Get-Down, among others, all sure to turn in memorable sets. DJ Logic will be teaming up with Brooklyn drum extraordinaire Daru Jones (Jack White) along with bassist MonoNeon (Prince) and guitarist Marcus Machado, Grahame Lesh’s Midnight North will be performing the music of CSNY and a big crop of musicians led by Luke Quaranta and Weedie Braimah are bringing West African music to Williamsburg in a set dubbed Future Folklore.

Sunday brings with it another handful of tribute sets, including ones dedicated to Herbie Hancock and Jamiroquai both led by Joey Porter (The Motet) along with a performance of Green Day’s Dookie (because why the hell not!) featuring members of Umphrey’s McGee and Aqueous. Aqueous will also be performing their own set joined by Al Schnier and Vinnie Amico of moe. John Scofield, Jon Cleary, and Umphrey’s Joel Cummins will make numerous appearances throughout the day, including solo piano performances from both the latter two musicians, while Eric Krasno and George Porter Jr. seem like they might show up just about anywhere they damn well please outside of their already announced appearances.

Brooklyn Comes Alive has yet to release the schedule of performances, which is sure to be headache inducing, but this is also one of those festivals where whatever you plan beforehand should be thrown out the window as soon as the festivities begin. Tickets are still on sale.

Sat, 09/09/2017 - 10:04 am

As the sun crested the sky on one of the more perfect afternoons you could ask for in the middle of New York City at the end of August, Phil LeshLesh and his Terrapin Family Band huddled at the side of the stage as the audience hooted and hollered, unable to contain their excitement for the music that was about to come. It feels as though this year, even more than in years past, Phil Lesh has made New York his home away from home, with multiple runs at Brooklyn Bowl and the Capitol Theatre already in the books, so it only made sense for the Grateful Dead bassist to make his way back to town to cap off the summer with one marathon performance at Central Park’s Summerstage.

Hot off a run down south at Virginia’s Lockn’ Festival, Lesh and company wasted no time getting the fire burning, opening with a sizzling rendition of Bob Dylan’s “Tangled Up in Blue” sung with a cigarette-soaked growl by guitarist Ross James. The show had promised a full set of Jerry Garcia Band material, made particularly powerful with longtime JGB organist Melvin Seals joining the fold for the night, and the Dylan cover led them into a non-stop ride on some of that outfit’s strongest cuts, including a moving “Mission in the Rain,” and spirited takes on Marvin Gaye’s “How Sweet It Is” and Smokey Robinson’s “I Second That Emotion,” the latter two led with perfection by the evening’s other special guest, Nicki Bluhm. While there was never a dull moment to be found, the set did suffer slightly in its relatively formulaic approach to the instrumental breaks with just about every song featuring Jason Crosby’s keyboard work giving way to a ripping organ solo from Seals before the two guitarists would each give it a go.Lesh and company wasted no time getting the fire burning, opening with a sizzling rendition of Bob Dylan’s “Tangled Up in Blue” sung with a cigarette-soaked growl by guitarist Ross James. The show had promised a full set of Jerry Garcia Band material, made particularly powerful with longtime JGB organist Melvin Seals joining the fold for the night, and the Dylan cover led them into a non-stop ride on some of that outfit’s strongest cuts, including a moving “Mission in the Rain,” and spirited takes on Marvin Gaye’s “How Sweet It Is” and Smokey Robinson’s “I Second That Emotion,” the latter two led with perfection by the evening’s other special guest, Nicki Bluhm. While there was never a dull moment to be found, the set did suffer slightly in its relatively formulaic approach to the instrumental breaks with just about every song featuring Jason Crosby’s keyboard work giving way to a ripping organ solo from Seals before the two guitarists would each give it a go.

Though it could be that the group was just flexing their muscles, because the second set suffered no such fate. With darkness falling, the group embarked on a nearly two-hour odyssey with the dark groove of “Shakedown Street” and a punchy “Music Never Stopped,” both of which featured jams that descended into more interesting and exploratory realms than anything the first set had offered up. “Gallilee,” a Terrapin Family original, garnered a few thrown-off audience members turning to their friends and asking if they knew what the song was, but it made for a strong addition to the band’s repertoire, with Grahame Lesh’s vocals anchoring it comfortably. What followed, though, was the kind of outstanding sequence that proves just how strong this troupe has become and why it is that Phil appears to have settled on this crop of musicians.Lesh’s vocals anchoring it comfortably. What followed, though, was the kind of outstanding sequence that proves just how strong this troupe has become and why it is that Phil appears to have settled on this crop of musicians.

“Playing in the Band” had each player gradually working around each other in a slow-burning jam that led into a gentle “Wheel” before the band let themselves get properly loose on a terrific “Dark Star,” which also featured Phil’s only vocal performance of the night. That in turn gave way to an absolutely spellbinding “Morning Dew,” which split vocal duties between Bluhm and drummer Alex Koford. Bluhm made for a valuable asset the entire show, but here she stunned as, over the course of 13 minutes, her vocals grew from comforting lilt to soaring cries of “It doesn’t matter anyway” as Grahame Lesh’s guitar led the band into an extraordinary climax.Lesh’s guitar led the band into an extraordinary climax.

The group returned to a groovier “Dark Star” jam to follow before bringing things properly up-tempo with a rousing “St. Stephen” that featured Kosof breaking into a bit of “Whole Lotta Love,” as well as Grahame and Ross James teasing a bit of the Allman Brothers’ “Blue Sky” in their guitar interplay, followed by a fun closing romp on “Turn On Your Lovelight” that made for the perfect showcase for Seals’ organ skills – not that they weren’t on display all night. “Sugaree” made for the perfect encore for the night, leading the audience in a breezy sway as Koford and Bluhm once again shared vocal duties, with Bluhm lending a bluesy swagger to the song’s final verse.

If there were any show to usher out the summer with, this would be the one. The band brought to life so much of what makes the Dead’s music so great, from jaw-dropping virtuosity to pure jubilant fun to that special brand of mystical, heart-wrenching emotion. Melvin Seals and Nicki Bluhm weren’t just special guests, but essential to the magic that happened on stage; redefining the band, and in Bluhm’s case the music itself. It might be Phil’s name that draws in the crowd, but as has always been the case with the Dead, it’s really a family affair.

Fri, 09/29/2017 - 5:56 pm

If you happened to be walking around Williamsburg in the late September weekend, taking in the unseasonably warm weather or grabbing a bite to eat, things would have seemed like any other weekend. Maybe you noticed the matching wristbands of the people walking back and forth along Wythe Avenue, or you saw the groups of people hanging around smoking cigarettes outside a few music venues from early afternoon until late into the night, but nothing that struck you as particularly noteworthy. Had you entered any one of the three venues playing host to Brooklyn Comes Alive, though, you’d have been stepping into an entirely different world.

Brooklyn Comes Alive | photo by Marc Millman

The festival, now in its third year, brought together musicians from the jamband world and beyond for unique collaborations, tributes, and one-off sets, and had fans from all around bouncing around from venue to venue excited, or at least curious, to hear what was about to come next. Despite a few gripes that seemed to be shared among many attendees – Schimanski can go to hell for refusing to provide free water – the festival as a whole was a resounding success. All those in attendance, musicians and fans alike, were in high spirits from the opening notes of Leslie Mendelson’s or Midnight North’s sets early Saturday afternoon to the dance freakout of Sunsquabi on Sunday night. It was nearly impossible to stumble upon anything close to a “bad” set, and those with an eye on the schedule may have had to make a few tough calls but there really were no wrong decisions. As such, narrowing this list down to just 7 picks is something of a futile effort and some amazing sets will inevitably be left off, but here goes nothing.

  1. Rooster Conspiracy (Eric Krasno, Reed Mathis, Todd Stoops, and Jay Lane)

After performing under this name with Bill Kreutzmann earlier this year, the trio of Krasno, Mathis, and Stoops recruited veteran drummer Jay Lane to join them for their east coast debut, the first real all-star set of this year’s festivities. The group had promised a Grateful Dead theme to the set, but beyond that it was anyone’s guess what shape the music. Eric Krasno introduced the set by promising a balance between “the unknown and the familiar” and that proved to be on the mark as the ensemble embarked on what was essentially a single, stellar, extended jam, with Mathis serving as quasi bandleader.

Krasno, Mathis & Jane | photo by Scott Harris

Within that improvisatory workout the group wove in and out of both “Deal” and “Cassidy,” along with various other teases from all the band members, notably Krasno’s riffing on Hendrix’s “Third Stone From the Sun” and The Beatles’ “Get Back” (the latter of which he’d return to in his Eric Krasno & Friends set the next night) while shifting up the feel from blues to funk to spacey grooves, to hard rock. Singer Hayley Jane joined in on the fun and brought a fiery passion as the set reached its conclusion and the band returned to the chorus of “Deal” one last time, bringing the house down with ‘em.

  1. The Road Goes On Forever: Celebrating the music of the Allman Brothers Band

This held the honor of being the closest thing this festival had to a “headlining” set, with a prime two-hour time-slot at Brooklyn Bowl and one of the biggest crowds of the weekend. It was, of course, organized in the wake of the deaths of both Gregg Allman and Butch Trucks, and the announcement of Charles Bradley’s death just that day threatened to cast a mournful cloud over the affair, but the musicians assembled opted for a more celebratory approach, roaring through tight grooves and bluesy sing-alongs with unexpected force. And with a guestlist that included Eric Krasno, Roosevelt Collier, Dave Harrington, and Rob Compa, it was child prodigy Taz Niederauer who stole the show with a jawdropping 4-minute solo in “Whipping Post” that was easily one of the most memorable moments of the entire weekend.

Taz Niederauer | photo by Scott Harris

  1. Dave Harrington’s Merry Pranksters (Dave Harrington, Skerik, Yuka Honda, Spencer Zahn, Mauro Refosco, and Ian Chang)

This set proved to be one of Brooklyn Comes Alive’s biggest outliers this year; there was nothing else on the lineup quite like it, and it was absolutely stunning. Following the high energy of the Allman’s tribute, Music Hall of Williamsburg was the place to be as the Pranksters began their set at with zero fanfare, never a word, and gradually led the audience down the rabbit hole. Like any Merry Pranksters show, this was best experienced from beginning to end, as the fully improvised set grew established hypnotic currents of dark psychedelia that underscored ambient soundscapes and trance-like dance grooves. Each member of the impressive lineup Harrington had assembled for this performance proved vital, most notably percussionist Mauro Refosco (Atoms For Peace) who was able to shift the energy in the room with every musical move, but the strange beauty of what the Merry Pranksters do comes from the complete sacrifice of ego that each musician makes when stepping on stage. There are no solos, there is no leader, it’s a group of people coming together to build something out of nothing and then, once it’s been built, let it return to nothing again.

  1. Jazz(-ish) at Schimanski

George Porter Jr. | Brooklyn Comes Alive | photo by Marc Millman

This is a bit of a cheat, but like I said, choosing just 7 sets couldn’t hope to do the breadth of this festival justice. For much of Sunday afternoon, Schimanski played host to some truly extraordinary sets of jazz, which proved to be the perfect way to break up the more dance-intensive sets while taking in some of the best names in the biz. The always-incredible John Scofield paired up with pianist and singer Jon Cleary for a powerful set of relaxed duo set of R&B and blues standards, including a captivating performance of “Fever.” Their set was followed up by a team-up between George Porter Jr., who proved a regular face throughout the weekend, drummer Johnny Vidacovich, and pianist Henry Butler in a more freewheeling set that would swing from New Orleans jazz, to Curtis Mayfield covers (a perfectly moody “Here But I’m Gone”), to slowed down, singalong funk, with the audience on board at every turn.

  1. Marc Brownstein/Aron Magner/Joel Cummins/Mike Greenfield/Ryan Jalbert/Natalie Cressman/Jennifer Hartswick

Natalie Cressman | photo by Scott Harris

Those names were the thing to know about this set before it took over Brooklyn Bowl. Sunday upped the ante on jamband staples, with this mashup of members of The Disco Biscuits, Umphrey’s McGee, Lotus, The Motet, and Trey Anastasio Band serves as the perfect example. After opening with a near-20 minute jam, the supergroup showed what they were all about an assortment of covers and a willingness to spin each tune in a new direction in a performance that just kept getting better and better. Hartswick vocal turns on a spaced out take on Blondie’s “Rapture” and a funk-as-hell “Just Stopped In To See What Condition My Condition Was in” (dedicated to Sharon Jones and Charles Bradley)were stunning and Cressman’s sultry turn at the mic on Britney Spears’ “Toxic” was simply stunning.

  1. Moe.queous

Moe.queous | Brookyln Comes Alive | photo by Scott Harris

It didn’t take long for this set to shoot off into the stratosphere. The pairing of the moe.’s Al Schnier and Vinnie Amico with their Buffalo disciples featured a mix of songs from both of their catalogs and some of the best proper jams of the festival, hands down. The opening run took them on a nearly 30 minute journey from moe.’s “Head” into Aqueous’ multipart “Origami” and back again with a jet fuel-powered intensity bolstering it’s forays into prog rock, reggae, funk, country, and Dead-like dreaminess. It seemed as though there wasn’t a soul on the Brooklyn Bowl floor not completely enthralled; most of them couldn’t stop dancing from beginning to end. Schnier gave an emotional shoutout to moe. bassist Rob Derhak, whose battle with cancer has taken the band off the road for the time being. I have to shamefully confess here that I left this set early and in doing so missed the group’s cover of “Bertha” along with moe. standout “32 Things.” Don’t worry, I’m still kicking myself.

  1. A Tribute to Jamiroquai

The Motet with Jennifer and Natalie | photo by Scott Harris

British funk masters Jamiroquai came back on the scene this year after a few years away, but they’ve still yet to bring their renowned live show back stateside. So, in their stead, most of The Motet along with Todd Stoops, Natalie Cressman, and Jennifer Hartswick decided they’d bring the party themselves in what was potentially the most stupidly fun set of the weekend. Motet frontman Lyle Divinsky proved the perfect MC for the affair, equally as amazed as the crowd at the level of musicianship sharing the stage with him and singing the songs with funky abandon. By that point on Sunday night, the wear and tear from the festival was setting in, and it seemed the only way to effectively stave it off was to just keep dancing, and that’s what this crowd did. The harder they danced, the harder the band played, and the whole thing felt downright explosive by the time it reached finale. There was a whole lot of funkiness across both days of Brooklyn Comes Alive, but this one took it all to a different level.

Wed, 10/04/2017 - 2:50 pm

Langhorne Slim is one of those artists that really deserves to be bigger than he is. Everything about his show at New York’s Bowery Ballroom served as proof of that; he’s got the songs, he’s got the charisma, he’s got the sound, and god dammit does he have the stage presence. Granted, selling out the Bowery is no small feat, and it was more than apparent that his fans knew exactly what kind of musical force of nature they were witnessing. Over the course of nearly 20 songs, Slim delivered a performance that was both intimate and gargantuan, filled with rambling stories, joyous dancing, and triumphant sing-alongs galore.

Following an excellent opening set from psych-folk troupe Twain, Langhorne took the stage with just his acoustic guitar, leaving his band waiting in the wings, and jokingly told the audience he didn’t really know what he was doing. It was the first notes of a rapport with the crowd that few songwriters are able to achieve. The kind that feels bred from years of playing coffee shops and bars for no one but your friends and cultivating a fanbase that have developed an almost familial relationship with the Pennsylvania-bred songwriter. He started things off with solo performances of “Never Break,” a new song which he dedicated to soul singer Charles Bradley, that shows off Slim’s knack for writing quasi-hymnals that never seem to leave your head, and by the end of just his first song the feeling of witnessing something special was palpable throughout the crowd.

Whether his band was on stage, or it was just him, Langhorne was a tough figure to tear your eyes away from; seemingly conducting the music through his whole body like a lightning rod. He perfectly walks the line between working the stage and fully surrendering to the feeling; one moment he’s sinking to his knees at the front of the stage on a song like “Alligator Girl,” gently swaying back and forth with the drums, the next he’s making his way into the crowd with his voice rising to a soulful howl, leading his fans in musical praise from among them.

While the batch of new songs that made their way onto the setlist, all pulled from Langhorne’s forthcoming record Lost at Last Vol. 1, were almost uniformly excellent, it was his classics that many in the crowd were waiting for and which they greeted with the most love. A rowdy tear through “Cinderella,” saw Slim and his band kick up a bit of a frenzy, while both “Changes” and “The Way We Move,” having established themselves as perhaps the closest things Slim has to radio “hits,” earned powerful sing-alongs. “Song for Sid,” an emotional ballad about Slim’s grandfather written after his passing, remains one of the best pieces of songwriting that Langhorne’s got in his arsenal and he preceded it with a touching story connecting the song with Bill Withers’ “Grandma’s Hands” – the Live At Carnegie Hall version to be specific. The song used to be the tearjerker of his set, and for many it probably still is, but the story transformed it into something uplifting.

That’s not an uncommon quality for Langhorne Slim to bring out. In fact, one could argue that it’s exactly what makes him so compelling. In the more powerful moments of his set, he managed to transform sadness into forward and upward momentum, carrying the musical spirit of the audience towards some higher power, or at least towards some brighter feeling. Never was this more the case than during the soaring closing rendition of “Past Lives,” where once again Slim found himself wandering onto the floor, amid the packed crowd, as he belted out the song’s “I ain’t dead!” refrain in his signature rasp and the audience responded in kind until the room literally shook with the sound of voices. Maybe he’ll need a bigger room his next time around.

Fri, 10/13/2017 - 10:03 am

When Thundercat last played New York the show came on the heels of the release of his excellent album Drunk, saw guest appearances from comedians Dave Chappelle  and Hannibal Buress along with pianist and record producer Robert Glasper, and left just about everyone in the room scraping up their jaw from the floor by the end of things. The seven months since that night have seen Thundercat – the stage name of bass extraordinaire Stephen Bruner – tour around the world, perform on late night talk shows and become more popular than ever, so it only made sense to swing back through the city on his fall tour, this time with a two-night stand at Brooklyn Steel.

While I had no illusions that lightning of the sort he and his band had produced back in March would be able to strike twice, the feeling that something was just off pervaded the Sunday night show. While no one thing brought the performance down, a confluence of factors seemed to come together to prevent it from ever really taking off. Brooklyn Steel is a venue that, with its high warehouse ceilings and expansive floor space, runs the risk of disengaging an audience from the artist if the place isn’t packed to the brim. It also did Thundercat’s sound no favors, causing the virtuosic auditory onslaughts that he and drummer Justin Brown would unleash on song after song to routinely reverberate into an unfortunate mess of sound.

For their part, though, Bruner and company performed with aplomb, stretching out their tentacles into the realms of funk, jazz, psychedelia, and beyond and testing the boundaries of their respective instruments in ways very few musicians are doing today. At some point this year, Thundercat also brought a violin player into the fold, a curious choice given the sonic realm he inhabits but one that added surprising new textures on songs like the goofy “A Fan’s Mail.” The sense of humor that underlies nearly all of Bruner’s music meant that even the longest, darkest excursions never devolved into self-seriousness and could quickly be brought back to a song about cats or a dance-your-ass-off funk jam.

While the crowd had begun to noticeably thin out towards the end of the night, those who stuck it out were treated to what was by far the strongest and most engaging portion of the show. The set-closing trio of “Tokyo,” “Friend Zone,” and “Oh Sheit it’s X” had many in the crowd who had spent the entire night standing still finally letting their body surrender to the infectious grooves and earned the night’s first real sing-alongs. That vibe would increase ten-fold when the musicians came back to the stage for an encore of the stellar “Them Changes,” which injected the show with the kind of delirious energy that would have worked wonders had it appeared earlier in the show.

When you’ve seen an artist deliver a truly transcendent performance anything less can feel particularly disappointing, but looking through that veil, Thundercat still ably showcased his formidable talents at Brooklyn Steel and continued an ascension that still, frankly, feels remarkable. Hopefully his next stop in New York will see Bruner and his band back at the height of their powers.

Fri, 10/13/2017 - 3:21 pm

Joe Russo’s Almost Dead isn't much of a secret at this point; over the course of the last couple years they have confidently taken the throne as the pre-eminent Dead cover outfit, an ascension that seemed to culminate with their headlining Red Rocks show this past August. Still, it bears repeating just how exceptional this group, and what they accomplish on stage, really is, and making their way back home once more to Brooklyn Bowl for their third annual Fall Ball – their second 6-night, 2-weekend residency of the year – they were firing on all cylinders. We made it out to night two and were treated to three hours of music equal parts explosive and exploratory, propelled perpetually forward by whatever cosmic energy it is that they’ve managed to tap into.

Dave Dreiwitz and Scott Metzger

The chemistry between the five players on that stage was apparent from the moment they walked on and launched right into Bob Dylan’s “Shelter From the Storm,” a fitting choice given that 30 years ago Dylan had played the song with not just the Dead but also Tom Petty, who’s passing was likely on the mind of many in the crowd. Standing up close to the stage, you watch the musical conversation unfold in the faces of each member, with the dynamic between Russo and Scott Metzger appearing to be a guiding force in many of the fiercest jams of the night.

Joe Russo's Almost Dead | Brookyln, NY | 10/6/17After “Shelter” the group stormed through the rest of the first set without a break, knocking out crowd-pleaser after crowd-pleaser with “Good Lovin’,” “Touch of Grey,” and “Fire on the Mountain,” back to back. I’ll come clean, the latter two rank as some of my least favorite Dead staples, but in JRAD’s hands, they were delivered with a rawness and fearless intensity of the sort the Grateful Dead had abandoned by the time those tunes entered the rotation. In fact, it was during “Fire” that the room seemed to burst fully to life with a winding and slow-building guitar solo from Metzger gradually working the crowd into a frenzy that carried through into an absolutely killer “Cassidy.” After a jam that disappointingly provided only teases of “St. Stephen” and “China Cat,” the group rounded out the set with a full-throttle “Cumberland Blues” and a beautiful “He’s Gone” that had the whole room singing along.

Marco Benenevto & Tom Hamilton | Joe Russo's Almost Dead

Returning for round two, the band was sufficiently loosened up and, after reprising “Cumberland,” embarked on a spacey, jammy journey that seemed to move through songs rather than inhabit them. One minute they’d be chugging away on “Alligator” and the next they’d be latching onto one new groove after another until each piece fell into place and the next song began to reveal itself, in this case, the spirited debut of another Dylan cover, “Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues,” which saw bassist Dave Dreiwitz step up to the microphone to handle vocals. From there they wove in and out of each song, launching into extraordinary improvisations as soon as things would appear to be settling in.

Hamilton & Russo | Brookyln Bowl

There’s only so much you can say about these guys at this point, with their reputation as a live juggernaut beginning to precede them. In just one show they displayed how effectively they’ve revitalized this music in a way unlike all of the other recent activity in the Dead world. As a band they deliver the kind of kick in the ass these songs call for and as individuals have each brought something all their own to the table. When they work their magic on stage, it’s easy to forget that they haven’t been playing together their whole lives and that these songs aren’t their own. There are few groups of musicians who could pull that off, but JRAD do.

Tue, 01/30/2018 - 11:57 am

The Devil Makes Three are one of those bands that seemed to emerge out the gate with their vision cast in concrete. There were no hidden tricks up their sleeves, no gimmicks to lure in some hip audience. From the get-go, they’ve managed to invigorate the old soul of bluegrass music with the kind of youthful spirit it seems it was always meant to possess, and in turn, the group has found themselves to be a shining light in the 21st-century scene.  Now boasting more than 15 years under their belt, the trio rolled through New York’s Brooklyn Steel and proved themselves to be growing only stronger; never straying much from the simple formula they set out with, but putting together a show that perfectly emphasizes why this music can be so thrilling, captivating, and just immensely fun.

Pete Bernhard | The Devil Makes Three | photo by Angelys Ocana (GoodPeopleBadHabits)

As the band burned through their setlist at a near-rapid fire pace, the impressive strength of their arsenal of songs came into greater focus. Rollicking highlights like “I’m Gonna Get High” and “Old Number Seven”, both of which had the crowd singing along in fittingly less-than-sober fashion, were offset by some more interesting cuts, including the undeniable stomp of “Tow” and a positively haunting “Graveyard” that saw the group bathed in blood red light as they spun their string of morbid stories.

Lucia Turino | The Devil Makes Three | photo by Angelys Ocana (GoodPeopleBadHabits)

The Devil Makes Three also used this winter outing to test out the new tunes they’ve been cooking up since 2016’s Redemption & Ruin, and it won’t be long before “I Can’t Stop” and “Paint Face” are staples of the group’s shows. The pair of songs proved to be among the strongest moments of the evening, with the former showcasing the band’s knack for new age folk song-craft and the latter settling into such a deep, heady groove that one would almost be tempted to describe it as “sexy.” And if you’re thinking to yourself “Wait, bluegrass can’t be sexy,” think again.

Cooper McBean | The Devil Makes Three | photo by Angelys Ocana (GoodPeopleBadHabits)

But it’s not just the group’s great songs that makes their show succeed. It’s the way each one comes crackling with new energy – an energy owed in large part to the drummer and fiddle/guitar player who the trio have brought on board to augment them. As a three-piece, The Devil Makes Three always seemed to be punching above their weight class; playing music like they were still in some dusty old bar despite pulling in larger and larger crowds. Now they come across like conquerors, filling the venue with a sonic stampede. The click-clack of drumsticks on rims during “I Am the Man” which lent the song a forceful gallop. The way the violin would complement the guitar and banjo work of Cooper McBean before spinning out a lively solo of its own. While the group’s core three members still serve up most of its heart and soul, they’ve also masterfully worked the new musicians into the fold. Not so much altering the vision they set out with as enhancing it.

The Devil Makes Three | Brookyln, New York | January 24th, 2018 | photo by Angelys Ocana (GoodPeopleBadHabits)

That idea could basically be The Devil Makes Three’s mission statement. There’s no feint towards reinventing the wheel, and in fact, the wheel they’re working with is a pretty darn old one. But damn if they haven’t taken that wheel and shown us how well it still spins when you treat it right.