When Elephant Revival took to the studio in Maine to record their 4^th LP – Petals(Thirty Tigers), with Josh Ritter’s long time collaborator and producer Sam Kassirer, it would be the first time doing so without founding member and singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Sage Cook.  It would also be the band’s studio introduction of Charlie Rose who stepped in Sage Cook’s place following his departure.  For the uninitiated, Elephant Revival is a self-described Transcendental Folk Quintet band consisting of members: Bonnie Paine (vocals, washboard, stomp board, djembe, and musical saw), Charlie Rose (vocals, pedal steel, banjo, cello, trumpet, trombone), Dango Rose (double-bass, mandolin, banjo, vocals), Daniel Rodriguez (acoustic guitar, electric banjo/guitar vocals), Bridget Law (fiddle and vocals).  Their music expresses many influences, including Folk, Celtic Traditional, Americana and Bluegrass to create a kind of Rootsicana - Folkadelic Transcendental musical experience.  Elephant Revival has performed at festivals throughout the country since 2006, including Summer Camp Music Festival, Newport Folk Festival, Telluride Bluegrass Festival, Joshua Tree Music Festival, Wakarusa Music Festival, and Suwannee Springfest.

Petals, set to be released April 1, 2016, offers the listener an unapologetic and emotional journey through the fundamental elements of the human existence and spirit.  Love and loss, healing and sorrow, thanksgiving and prayer, and death and rebirth are all prevailing themes in Petals.  The album is also an homage to a fallen dear friend of the band, whose spirit and influence is honored in this emotive effort with captivating lyrical composition and dynamic instrumentation that Elephant Revival is renowned for.  Petals has thoughtful and intelligent lyrics that touch the listener’s inner self, expressing the essence of emotions while inspiriting the soul and warming the heart.  The tender, haunting, ambient vocals of Bonnie Paine are beset on all sides by steady, danceable music composed of percussive strings and rhythmic washboards, hand drums and foot drums.

The opening track “Hello You Who” fittingly offers the listener an introduction to the musical experience provided by the album.  With the addition of Charlie Rose, no relation to Dango Rose, comes the introduction of the Steel Pedal to the already impressive list of instruments engaged by the band, and the Steel Pedal makes its entrance with the starting notes of the very first track.  “Peace Tonight” follows with a song about thanksgiving, forgiveness and prayer.  “She thanks the sky, and she walks the earth, and the tears that fall are beautiful…all the lovers out there, peace tonight.”  The title-track follows with a heavier exploration into the metaphorical representation of petals pressed into the pages of a book, representing memories pressed into the pages in an individual’s “book”.  “But jaded or tainted by memories, in fact I’m enjoying the lifting of morning, these petals intended for giving release.”

"On and On” brings Dan Rodriguez’ vocals to the forefront and balance beautifully with Paine’s harmonies in an expression of the cyclical nature of our lives and existence: death and rebirth, waxing and waning, on and on.  The next two tracks “Raindrops” and “Season Song” evoke images of Mother Nature and our unrelenting unity with Her, both physically and spiritually.  “Furthest Shore” is a dark and heavy Celtic Treble Jig with brooding lyrics and a catchy percussive interlude.  “Sea Monster” provides an up-tempo jazzy banjo rhythm à la Béla Fleck, supported by softly harmonized vocals, and brought to crescendo by Bridget Law’s fiddle.  “When I Fall” begins with a powerful unison chorus/intro that elicits memories of Funkadelic’s “Can You Get to That”, and the track’s story progresses from love and beauty, to a place of pain and heartache, only to be built back up by love and support in a transformative and transcendental journey.  The final tracks “Home in Your Heart” and “Close as Can Be” appropriately provide closure to the listener, with expressions of desire to be with those you love most and what that actually means; by keeping your loved ones close to your heart you are able to honor them and keep them close.

Follow Elephant Revival in 2016 by picking up Petals on April 1 and go see them live during their West Coast to East Coast Spring Tour, their 1^st ever headlining of Red Rocks, or one of the many festivals they are performing at including DelFest, FloydFest and High Sierra Music Festival.

My first introduction to The Hip Abduction (“THA”) was in review of their upcoming release Gold Under the Glow (ILS Group/Caroline/Universal), and immediately I was taken in by the infectious grooves and catchy vocals the septet from the Gulf Coast of South Florida offer.  I immediately felt transported to a tropical beach with an umbrella drink in hand, an ocean breeze brushing against my face and warm sand between my toes, dancing with a beautiful collection of people carrying smiles as big as mine.   THA has a variety of global influences evident in their music, from Afrobeat to Dub-Reggae, Indie-Pop to Caribbean Soca, and Roots to Rock.  Their music is typified by deep Dub bass lines, funky Afrobeat percussion, African and Island strings, lively horns and a catchy pop edge to the lyrics and vocals that are complimented nicely by the world music surroundings.  THA is a high energy, tightly composed outfit with honest and engaging lyrics.  Their music sounds as if John Brown’s Body and Lotus were to provide the rhythm and instrumentation for a Paul Simon and Chris Berry collaboration.  THA has shared the stage with an incredible collection of artists, including Ziggy Marley, 311, Thievery Corporation, Umphrey’s McGee, moe., The Funky Meters, Galactic, and Easy Star All-Stars.  They have performed at various festivals in the past, including Wanee Music Festival, String Cheese Incident’s Suwanee Hulaween, and The BIG What? Festival. 

Gold Under the Glow, set to be released March 11, 2016, will be the band’s 3^rd LP and is the first studio effort since their critically acclaimed self-titled release in 2013, which debuted at #5 on the Billboard Reggae Charts.  Recorded in Nashville and produced by Dabney Morris (Wild Cub), the band has expanded their polyrhythmic, world vision with more indie and afro pop applications.  The band consists of David New (Vocals, Guitar), Pat Klemawesch (Kora, Percussion, Vocals), Chris Powers (Bass), Dave Johnson (Bari Sax, Tenor Sax), Paul Chlapowski (Keyboard), Matt Poynter (Drums, Vocals), and John Holt III (Kamal Ngoni, Vocals, Guitar).   

The album’s opening track “Before We Lose Our Mind” was released as a single at the beginning of 2016 and proudly demonstrates the diversity of influences on THA.  The track opens with a soft ambient intro that transitions to a synth driven rhythm which then gives way to the island rhythms and a real calypso feel backing David New’s lead vocals.  The album is structured with a nice compliment of upbeat, higher energy tracks with slower, groove oriented tracks.   Both “Higher” and “Lifted” present Reggae-heavy beats and instrumentation with subtle dubstep overtones.  “All I Need” is a catchy tune where the chorus really provides a fitting maxim for the band: “I don’t really know why, but your love is all I need.”  “Crazy” and “Come Alive” are both buoyant tracks that are driven by the Caribbean/Afrobeat percussion and melodious refrains.  “Stand Up For Love” and “Light it Up” both stuck out on this album, where artists’ influences on the band really come to the forefront.  “Stand Up For Love” has a soft acoustic intro that pops into polyrhythmic percussion and a driving bass line, and one could easily place the track right in the middle of the Talking Heads’ Remain in the Light.  “Light it Up” conjures the image of Paul Simon writing music on the beaches of Jamaica, with a funky bass line, active percussion, and vibrant horns with an overall Caribbean tone.  “Ka’iwi” is a slower, melodic Rocksteady beat with percussive strings and pronounced guitar work.  “Wander Away” closes the album in similar fashion as it opens, an upbeat island/calypso rhythm supporting a strong vocal-led track with a chorus that feels as though it could be used in the Lion King. 

The album as a whole has a great flow to it, with most if not all of the tracks working in both a studio setting as well as a live setting.  The energy THA brings in their performances is tough to match, as the name The Hip Abduction would indicate, and it should be expected to see them at more festivals and venues throughout the country and the world in years to come.  Come out and support this dynamic, positive, and cohesive septet by purchasing their album, available March 11, and catching them on the road in 2016.  They have dates throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast during the Spring, and are already scheduled for a handful of festivals including Slide Into Spring Festival, Shaky Knees Festival, and The Purple Hatter’s Ball.

Umphrey’s McGee concluded their 2016 Winter West Coast Tour at the Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles on Saturday night.  The tour has been highlighted by a variety of bust-outs, debuts and collaborations and this night would prove to be no different.  The crowd began filtering in more than 2 hours before Umphrey’s McGee was ready to start, and those that did were greeted with a fiery opening set from Prog-rock all-stars TAUK.  By the time Umphrey’s took the stage the crowd was already at near capacity and was raring to go.

The evening got off to a great start with a “Le Blitz” > “Educated Guess” opener and proved to be a dynamic start that would be reflective of the set that would follow.  “Crooked One”, once heavy in the rotation but is now played more sparingly, was crisp and energetic and gave way to a groovy “Example 1”.  The highlight of the first set followed “Attachments” when Arthur Barrow of Frank Zappa fame took the reins on Ryan Stasik’s bass for a jazzy, instrumental trio of “Soul Food I” > “Treacherous Cretins” > “Glory”.  The Zappa original “Treacherous Cretins” was a debut for Umphrey’s, though it was executed as if it’s been in the repertoire since 2000.  The first set concluded with “Piranahs” into the crowd favorite “Wizard Burial Ground”, which met it’s usually lofty expectations. 

The second set kicked off with an original classic “40’s Theme”, as the late crowd trailed in from set-break they were welcomed with a heavy mid-song groove reminiscent of “Booth Love”.  An unfinished “Puppet String” was segued into the Mark Ronson original “Daffodils”, originally debuted during this year’s New Years run and had only been played one other time prior, featuring drummer Kris Myers on falsetto vocals.   Brendan resumed vocals duty with “Wappy Sprayberry”, which was met with a raucous response from the audience and was complete with Kris Myers and Andy Farag getting the spotlight for a “Drums” section and then succinctly dropped into “Bottom Half”.  The set closing “Hindsight” followed “Hurt Bird Bath” and was well played but the crowd responded in a manner indicating they were wanting more.  When Umphrey’s returned, they delivered on the crowd’s desire with a 3-song encore.  Brendan Bayliss took center stage for a fun, and quirky, take on R. Kelly’s “Ignition” as a little treat to all the ladies in the audience.  The show closed out with “Upward” that transitioned into the resumption of “Puppet String”.

As the crowd filtered out through the arching lobby of the Wiltern, making one last pit-stop or picking up some swag at the merchandise table, the crowd’s energy was still appreciable and the affirmative commentary of the show echoed throughout.  Outside the venue the hotdog vendors were slinging their customary bacon-wrapped dogs as everyone headed their separated ways, only to meet again next time.

Check out more photos from the show.

Set 1: Le Blitz > Educated Guess, The Crooked One > Example 1, Attachments, Soul Food I^[1] > Treacherous Cretins^[2] > Glory^[1], Piranhas > Wizard Burial Ground

Set 2: 40's Theme, Puppet String > Daffodils, Wappy Sprayberry > The Bottom Half, Hurt Bird Bath, Hindsight

Encore: Ignition, Upward > Puppet String

^[1] With Arthur Barrow replacing Ryan on bass

^[2] Debut, Frank Zappa; with Arthur Barrow replacing Ryan on bass

On Friday night, Goodnight, Texas & Midnight North descended on Phil Lesh’s own The Grate Room @ Terrapin Crossroads in San Rafael.  This was the first time GN, TX played together at Terrapin, meanwhile Midnight North has been a resident artist since their inception in 2013.  The night was met with additional anticipation as Phil Lesh was billed as a guest bassist for GN, TX, and he did not disappoint.  I arrived 2 hours before the show intent on walking the grounds on my first trip to Terrapin Crossroads, and the restaurant was hopping as the 4:20 Happy Hour was coming to a close and the Friday dinner crowd was rolling in.  For those that have never visited, the facility is complete with Bar, Restaurant, Outdoor Patio, The Grate Room, play area for kids, and the long awaited outdoor stage opening on April 17 – The Backyard, all with an expectedly heavy dose of Grateful Dead and Phil Lesh memorabilia.

San Francisco local Midnight North took the stage just after 8PM, and treated the crowd to a full set of their country/folk rock sound.  Elliot Peck and Alex Jordan alternated throughout the set on guitar and keys, with Peck usually on acoustic and Jordan on electric.  Peck, Jordan, and guitarist Grahame Lesh took on the bulk of vocals duties, alternating leads and harmonizing choruses.  Connor Croonn and Alex Koford had the duty of keeping the group in rhythm, manning the bass and drums respectively.

Following a quick stage shuffle, Goodnight, Texas was ready to take the stage.  The band is comprised of two singer-songwriters Avi Vinocur and Patrick Dyer Wolf on guitar, and supported by the rhythm section of Scott G. Padden on bass and Alex Nash on drums.  Similar to Midnight North, many of the musicians displayed their capabilities on a variety of instruments to help create their hard-bluegrass, folk-rock sound.  There is something very American about Goodnight, Texas, from the name of their band, to the look of the musicians in the band, to the sound of their music.  The band is named after an unincorporated hamlet in Texas just south east of Amarillo, with a population of 28, that represents the geographical midway point between the founding members: Vinocur(San Francisco, CA) and Wolf(Chapel Hill, NC).  After meeting in 2007 and doing some work on and off together, the 2 picked up steam when Nash and Padden joined and they released their first LP in 2012.

After a rousing start to their set and the crowd already clapping their hands and stomping their feet, Vinocur came to the mic and introduced their special guest for the evening, Mr. Phil Lesh of the Grateful Dead joining on bass.  That moved Padden over to guitar as they carried through a four-song mini-set with Phil as the bassist.  After they wheeled through a playful “Dire Wolf”, most of the members of Midnight North came out on stage as well and the 9-piece outfit rocked out a high energy, string intensive “Cumberland Blues” > “Nebraska, Hello”.   GN, TX continued to power through their remaining set, keeping the people dancing and the hands clapping, all while each of the players demonstrated their precise musicianship on multiple instruments and in various capacities.  The night even featured two happy birthday songs back-to-back, one to a fan in the crowd who came to the show for her birthday and the other to the sound engineer of Terrapin Crossroads.  The night concluded with a three-song encore that began with a tribute to the late Merle Haggard, the Grateful Dead staple “Mama Tried”.  The final two songs included members of Midnight North again and both were Grateful Dead tracks as they busted out grassy versions of the Workingman’s Dead classic “New Speedway Boogie” and the time immemorial “Bertha” to end the show.

The intimate crowd showed their appreciation to all 10 musicians that performed during the evening, giving a raucous applause as the house lights came up.  Then, true to San Francisco form, the crowd was greeted by a steady rainstorm as they exited that would accompany each of them on their journey home.

Check out more photos from the show.

Billy & the Kids made their San Francisco debut on Saturday, April 9, 2016, with a performance at The Warfield Theatre with The Greyboy Allstars supporting.  The previous night was Billy & the Kids’ first show in northern California, as Bob Weir joined the gang up at Bob’s Mill Valley venue Sweetwater Music Hall, an event that certainly dominated conversation amongst the concertgoers in advance of the show.  With show time the approaching crowd was filling in and those that were there were ready to go by 8PM.  Karl Denson and his SoCal funk squad got the night off to a blazing start, running through a full repertoire of West Coast Boogaloo.  B3 Hammond organ extraordinaire Robert Walter delighted the crowd with a variety of rave-ups, guitarist Elgin Park showed some chops with a variety of high-energy solos and steady guitar support, and Chris Stillwell on bass and Aaron Redfield on drums held the pocket throughout.

The end of the Greyboy Allstars opening set gave way to a quick stage change and room was cleared for Billy & the Kids.  This night was highlighted in advance with the addition of Eric Krasno (Soulive, Lettuce) on guitar throughout the evening.  His playing style compliments Tom Hamilton (Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, American Babies) incredibly well in this setting and offers additional flexibility with both his guitar and his vocals to the already dynamic four-piece in the Grateful Dead/JGB/Jerry-extended catalogue.  The rest of the band includes the indomitable Reed Mathis (Tea Leaf Green, Golden Gate Wingmen) on bass and vocals, the always experimental Aron Magner (Disco Biscuits, Conspirator) on keys and vocals, and the legendary Bill Kreutzman (Grateful Dead) on drums.  The 95-year-old, 2,300-person theater was at about 2/3 capacity, but those in attendance were about ready to explode by the time Billy & the Kids took the stage.

Billy & the Kids shows are known for their daring takes on some less frequently played tunes within the Jerry/Dead catalog and tonight would be no different.  Mathis got the evening started with the calling card thumps of “Ramble on Rose” featuring Hamilton on vocals.  Next up was a regular staple originally with Jerry Garcia & Merl Saunders and later with the Jerry Garcia Band, a touching and meticulously executed version of Smoke Robinson’s “I Second That Emotion”.  Out of the ashes arose a spacey “Feel Like a Stranger” as the last chorus gave way to a little first-set space segment before coming back to earth to close the song out.  “Stranger” gave way to a popping blues-traditional “Sitting on Top of the World” that seamlessly slipped into a fun take on the Johnny Cash original “Big River”.  The first set concluded after “Eyes of the World”, which also featured a distant, spacey interlude, and transitioned right into the Dead classic “Bertha”.

After a lengthy set break, the boys got right back into rhythm in a set that would feature multiple debuts for the band, carrying the rockabilly theme from the first set on into the second set with a rollicking rendering on the one-man band Jesse Fuller’s “Beat it on Down the Line”, complete with Magner, Krasno, and Hamilton all taking solos during the jam.  The opening notes to “Estimated Prophet” were met with an uproarious response from the crowd, and the song gave way to a short but sweet “The Music Never Stopped”, which then slipped into the “Drums” > “Space” segment of the show.  Seeing Billy solo during “Drums” brought back imagines of the Dead’s “Drums” during the ’72 – ’74 period and Billy proved he was obviously more than up to the task.  After the psychedelic session had concluded, the band emerged from the chaos to take on perhaps the most challenging piece of the night in “Mission in the Rain”. Hamilton did a remarkable job vocally on the song, but that did not overshadow the patient guitar interplay between Hamilton and Krasno, as the crowd showered the band with expected appreciation as a rising cheer arose during the apropos words “There’s some satisfaction in the San Francisco rain”.  Fittingly, the band took us to space one more time after the beautiful “Mission” before coming home to land with their takes on “Terrapin Station” and “One More Saturday Night”.  After a short break, the band returned for a 2-song encore starting with a tribute to the recently passed Merle Haggard in playing “Mama Tried”, then impeccably segueing into “Brokedown Palace” and offering the crowd to “Fare Thee Well” and “Listen to the river sing sweet songs, to rock my soul”.

The crowd concluded the show on their feet in a show of appreciation for the five-piece’s performance, and the band returned to the stage following the encore to take a collective bow as they were showered with applause and cheers.  The crowd quickly receded as the house lights returned, concertgoers moving throughout the historic lobby as people took pictures next to the images of some of their favorite musicians on the wall or picked up some of the remaining merchandise from the merch table, and flooded out onto the Market St. sidewalk and then filtered back into the drizzly San Francisco night.

Check out more photos from the show.

Set 1:

Ramble on Rose (TH), I Second That Emotion* (EK, RM), Feel Like a Stranger (AM), Sitting on Top of the World (All) > Big River (RM), Eyes of the World (TH) > Bertha (TH)

Set 2:

Beat it on Down the Line* (RM), Estimate Prophet (RM) > The Music Never Stopped* (TH) > Drums > Space > Mission in the Rain* (TH) > Terrapin Station* (TH), One More Saturday Night (AM)

Encore:

Mama Tried (RM) > Brokedown Palace (TH)

* First Time Played

Assembly of Dust (AOD) will be releasing their latest offering of live concert cuts in Tales From The Oregon Trail on May 3, a demonstration of when the jamband legends brought their face-melting folk-rock to Portland, Oregon.  While the lineup has changed a bit over the years, the current lineup brings the same level a musicianship, energy, and improvisation that AOD has been known for since their formation in 2002.  AOD was created by former Strangefolk front-man Reid Genauer and current members Adam Terrell (Lead Guitar) and John Leccesse (Bass).  Former members Nate Wilson (Keys) and Andy Herrick (Drums) have since been replaced by multi-instrumentalist extraordinaire Jason Crosby (Keys, Violin), known for his work with Phil Lesh & Friends and God Street Wine to name just a few, and drummer/multi-instrumentalist Dave Diamond(Drums) of Zen Tricksters fame.  To add to the experience, Mark Karan, of Bob Weir & RatDog and The Other Ones notoriety, joined the quintet as a special guest musician.    

AOD provides the freedom and soul of 70’s rock acts The Band, Neil Young, and The Allman Brothers, with their meaningful lyrics, acoustic/electric interplay, and intricate harmonies, while engaging the sound of today with cohesive yet exploratory jams that seem to rise up from the middle of the songs and wholly take over the experience.  The musicians from AOD have shared the stage with legends such as Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, Bela Fleck, Richie Havens, Martin Sexton, Keller Williams, Bill Nershi, Sam Bush, David Grisman, moe., Mike Gordon, Dickey Betts, Tony Rice, Victor Wooten, and many, many more.  Tales From The Oregon Trail, their first release since the 2013 critically acclaimed release Sun Shot, provides an enticing journey through the AOD catalogue, with tracks dating back to the mid-nineties Strangefolk era to previously unreleased material.  As Reid Genauer remarks:

“Ever since I heard the Grateful Dead Live Dead in the 8th grade I knew what I wanted to do - listen to a shit ton of Grateful Dead music and try and create music that makes me and others feel the way that The Dead does.  I am unabashed about being influenced by The Dead and others. But the trick is to take other influences and ideally infuse the music you make with musicality and emotional content that is authentically your own. I think the key to that is understanding what makes the music you love work at a high level, like not the exact notes or exact words but the chemistry and the building blocks of the music and to try and build something new that is informed by that roadmap. For me key elements of The Dead were world class songwriting, collaborative /conversational performance and an authenticity that is both bad ass and beautiful at the same time. We have tried to capture elements of that recipe in our live performances.  If Tales From The Oregon Trail creates 1/10 of the pleasure I've gotten from the Grateful Dead's music for our listeners I would count it as home run.”

The album jumps right in with both feet on “Second Song”, originally released on the 2009 album Some Assembly Required, featuring Genauer’s signature voice and vocal/guitar interplay with Terrell and special guest Mark Karan.   “All That I Am Now” is a track with two personalities.  The first four minutes representing AOD’s classic folk sound, with light guitar and keys supporting Genauer’s vocal melodies as he winds through powerful lyrics of passing by from birth to death.  The track seizes new life as the guitars take center stage, supported by Diamond’s rhythms and Crosby’s keys, and crescendos into a version of The Allman Brother’s “Ramblin’ Man”.  “Filter” is a classic AOD song that provides a platform for Crosby to show his skills on keys and he takes full advantage, even throwing in a tease of Herbie Hancock’s “Chameleon” for good measure.  “Mama” features Mark Karan on guitar and “Rachel” is delivered with the usual foot-stomping zest that it has been known for since it was first played 20 years ago, both of which are Strangefolk originals that are now AOD staples.  “Stone Choir”, lead appropriately by Crosby’s keys, gives way to an intense guitarmageddon jam session that defines the song’s performance.  “Myth of Mine” offers a preview to a later track, as Genauer channels Neil Young’s vocals wrapped in powerful, instrumental melodies.  “Myth of Mine” segues into the AOD classic “Samuel Aging”, from the 2007 album Recollections, which rounds out the full band tracks on the album and is played with it’s usual ardor and fervor, including yet another remarkable display of musicianship with Crosby, Terrell, and Karan each taking solos to close the song out.  The final two tracks are solo acoustic cuts with Genauer, including a touching take on Neil Young’s “Comes a Time”.  Few musicians can successfully pull off covering Neil Young, both because of his range and unique styling, but Genauer does so masterfully.

Catch Assembly of Dust this summer at their Phish after-party June 24 & 25 at Martyrs’ in Chicago, July 16 at Cervantes’ Masterpiece in Denver, or in New York, Philadelphia, and/or Washington DC at dates TBD. 

Assembly of Dust – Tales From The Oregon Trail

1. The Second Song (Featuring Mark Karan)

2. All That I Am Now =>  Ramblin’ Man 

3. Filter 

4. Mama (Featuring Mark Karan)

5. Rachel

6. Stone Choir

7. Myth of Mine  

8. Samuel Aging 

9. Comes a Time (Neil Young) - (Reid Genauer Solo Acoustic)

10. Crest of My Wing (Reid Genauer Solo Acoustic)

Engineered, Mixed and Mastered by John Coretto

Mixed and Mastered at Thundering Sky Studio - South Berwick, ME     

The Haunted Windchimes took to the studio with Guitarist/Mandolinist/Producer Chandler Pratt, best known for his work with The Good Luck Thrift Store Outfit, to record their 6^th album, an LP on their own label Blank Tape Records.  Rattle Your Bones offered an opportunity for the talented quartet from Pueblo, CO to release another fine example of their unique brand of Americana-Roots.  The band consists of Inaiah Lujan (Acoustic and Electric Guitar, Bass, Percussion, Vocals), Chela Lujan (Banjo, Vocals), Desirae Garcia (Baritone Ukulele, Bass, Vocals) and Mike Clark (Acoustic Guitar, Violin, Mandolin, Vocals), as well as featured guest musicians Pratt (Tambourine, Mandolin, Electric Guitar) and eminent LA and Nashville session musician Mike Witcher(Lap Steel, Dobro), well-known for his work with bluegrass legend Peter Rowan.

If the name elicits images of a rumbling-ragtime outfit barnstorming the dust bowl with carnies, magicians, and snake-oil salesmen, then the music won’t surprise you one bit.  Between the use of traditional instrumentation, musical influences and timeless lyrics, a listener can imagine the The Haunted Windchimes playing at a folk festival today while sharing the stage with Sam Bush or kicking up dust in a town square with Django Reinhardt.  Their styles incorporate Americana, Blues, Bluegrass, and influences can be heard from the likes of Simon and Garfunkel, Joni Mitchell, Woody Guthrie, and Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young.

Rattle Your Bones gives a complete, if brief, taste of the various musical styles The Haunted Windchimes compose.  “Everybody Talking”, the album’s opening track, gets the juices flowing with a playful, ragtime-swing tune capturing the ongoing frustration everyone has felt at one point or another, when everybody is talking and nobody is listening.  “River Song” and “I’m Sorry (I’m In Love With Someone Else)” are slower, rootsy ballads demonstrating the enchanting vocal harmonies of the quartet with serene, thoughtful lyrics.  “Dead And Gone” shows their trademark ironic combination of playfulness and dark lyrical underpinnings.  “Banjo And The Bottle” is reminiscent Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “The Ballad Of Curtis Loew” with a slower country feel, complete with Witcher’s trademark Dobro.  “The Sun Shining Bright” was penned by founder Inaiah Lujan after coming back from the Grateful Dead’s Fare Thee Well celebration in Chicago over the 4^th of July in 2015, and that inspiration is evident as the song feels like it could easily be placed in a Jerry Garcia Acoustic set in between “Deep Elem Blues” and “Jack-A-Roe”.

The Haunted Windchimes will be having their CD Release Party at the Sangre De Cristo Arts Center in Pueblo, CO with Special Guest Jordan Smart on Friday May 13.  While that show is sold out, you can catch them this summer at the Tumbleweed Festival in Garden City, KS in August and the Lost Sierra Hoedown in Johnsonville, CA in September.

“The Sun Shining Bright” Music Video

Twice a year, in May and October, the Joshua Tree Lake RV and Campground awakens from it’s desert slumber to welcome a few thousand music fans from around the world to join together and create one of the most magical communities imaginable.  The 14^th annual Joshua Tree Music Festival took place from May 12 – May 15 and this year proved to be yet another spellbinding experience complete with music from around the globe, light and physical art installations, painters, dancers, stilt walkers, and bodywork instructors of all disciplines.  Beginning as the brainchild of Barnett English 15 years ago, the festival area is nearly entirely composed of recycled materials and comes to life as Barnett and his team of devoted volunteers arrive weeks before the festival to construct the captivating environment in the mystical desert.  One of the most unique characteristics of the festival is that, with but a few exceptions, every band that you want to see on the lineup can be seen.  There are very few schedule conflicts, no mile-long walks from one stage to another, and there is no need to get to a stage early just so you can see the musicians. 

The primary festival music grounds, also known as the Music Bowl, consist of 4 stages: Café, Indian Cove Stage, Copper Mountain Stage, and the Boogaloo Backstage.  The Indian Cove and Copper Mountain stages are the primary stages for music throughout the day as they are the largest and come complete with house lighting and laser projectors.  The two stages rest virtually side by side, so no matter where you are in the Bowl you can see either stage.  The Café is used for performers that play before noon or after midnight, and it really has the feel of an old saloon stage with wooden benches and a little runway for the performers to engage with the crowd.  The Boogaloo Backstage feels as if it is the Wetlands Preserve’s high-desert, hippie-disco complete with Persian rugs on the ground, a walk-around balcony that goes over and around the stage, dancers on stage, and lounge style couches and seats surrounding the main dance floor.  The festival takes on many personalities throughout the day and night and into the morning, but it ultimately feels like Burning Man meets Legoland as the focus on the kids, especially throughout the day, is unmistakable.  The festival is geared towards festivarians young and old, and the daytime is dominated with the distant laughter of children playing in the Kidsville, dancing in their own silent disco, or enjoying their own school bus and attached slide that clearly states NO ADULTS ALLOWED!

The Kidsville is located in the upper festival area that wraps around the Joshua Tree Lake.  This is also where many painters and performance artists will take their post throughout the weekend, as painters for the Sunday Silent Auction craft their pieces and mingle with the folks passing by.  Possibly the two most healing stations on site are also located in the upper festival area: the Vibration Station and Yoga Stage.  All throughout the weekend these two areas offer ongoing opportunities for guided yoga classes of a variety of disciplines and sound baths from Gongs, Singing Bowls, Hangs and Hand Pans, and Didgeridoos.  Even the campground is set up to offer something for everyone; as you drive in the main campground you see general tent and RV camping to your right and Dry Camping and Family Camping to your left, so everyone can feel comfortable and at home with their neighbors throughout the weekend. 

The music kicked off on Thursday with the Boogaloo Backstage hosting all of the musicians for the day, and local DJ Tomas de la Noche was spinning his funky brand of hip-hop, samba, and reggae beats from above the stage in between sets while the bands set up on stage.  High desert native Gene Evaro Jr. and his band were the first ones to take the stage as the sun was getting ready to set, and it would be the first of many times during the weekend that an Evaro was performing at the festival.  They powered though a funky, folky set that not only demonstrated Gene’s powerful songwriting and catchy vocals, but also offered a canvas to all members of the band to splash their colors on the music in a tight, cohesive style.  After another mid-set spin from Tomas de la Noche, Dam-Funk from LA took to the stage and brought his dirty, heavy, nasty brand of funk with him, offering the first of many high-powered funk experiences of the weekend.  Tomas de la Noche then wound things down and the eager crowd carried on their way, either touring through the rest of the festival grounds or back to the camping area to get ready for the first full day of music starting in the morning.

With the first full day of music came the first full day of heat, with temperatures reaching the low 90’s on Friday, and the day got off to a hot start in more ways than one. Tim and Faith Chinnock brought their one-of-a-kind blend of folk, psychedelic rock and indie rock, complete with horns, as The Adobe Collective kicked off the main stage music on the Indian Cove Stage.  The crowd that was up and braving the heat at the noon hour really got a kick out of the Collective when they broke out the Pixie’s “Where Is My Mind” and put their own stamp on the lauded tune.  Next the Rainbow Girls opened the Copper Mountain Stage, and delighted all of the first time listeners, as well as existing fans, with their unadulterated folk-rock experience.  The day carried on, as did the heat, until the Ukrainian sensations Dakhabrakha took to the Copper Mountain Stage.  The crowd, seemingly energized partly by the near setting sun and partly by the other-worldly fusion of African, Indian, Russian, and Arabic rhythms and instrumentation, began to envelope the Music Bowl. 

The personal highlight for the day came next on the Indian Cove Stage, where Chicago based The Main Squeeze demonstrated their silky blend of funk, soul, and rock and roll.  Lead by singer Corey Frye and founders Ben “Smiley” Silverstein (Keys) and Max Newman (Guitar), the band wound their way through an hour and half set chock full of originals and a few special covers.  In honor of Stevie Wonder’s birthday, Frye led the quintet through a stirring cover of Wonder’s ’73 classic “Living for the City”.  As the band approached the end of their set, they also played a very natural, soulful rendition of the Grateful Dead’s “Eyes of the World” that certainly caused a stir among the deadheads in the audience.  Boulder based Sunsquabi closed the main stage performances in fitting style, with their high energy EDM meets Jamtronica soundscape, accentuated by the accompanying lights and lasers projected on the stage, on the shade cloths, and out on the mountain.  The late-night acts are the lone time where attendees may be forced to make a decision as to which music to see.  On the Café stage, Trevor Green and his band brought their funky, world, jam-rock fusion to the rustic stage.  During one of the extended tribal jams, some Native Americans in ceremonial dance regalia demonstrated for the crowd as the band’s beats pushed them on. Green then treated the classic rock fans in the audience to a worldly-folk take on Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth”.  Over at the Boogaloo Backstage, Boulder’s Stone Soul was dropping his funky, electro-soul beats and getting the late-night crowd in full frenzy mode before winding down for the night, as he brings a style familiar to his hometown area with the likes of Pretty Lights, GRiZ, and Big Gigantic.

Saturday’s arrival brought more heat and sun down upon the festival goers, as temperatures exceeded the mid-90’s, but so did the music as festival favorite Dumpstaphunk was scheduled to headline the end of the evening, and you could feel the excitement in air for all of those anticipating their greasy, funky ear-candy.  But before then, there was a whole slate of music from all over the world on display for the fans.  The morning kicked off with Dani Bell & the Tarantist on the Café stage, where Joshua Tree Festival veteran Al Howard joined Dani Bell for the first set of the day to show off their unique mid-desert Motown soul sound.  The Desert Rhythm Project was one of the most pleasant surprises of the festival, as they brought a tight reggae, funk, roots sound to the midday sun and had bodies moving despite the climbing temperatures.  Lead by Mikey Reyes and Bryanna Evaro, the outfit rollicked through their set going from funk, to reggae, to folk, to roots, and back again.  The gang even took a turn at hip-hop when local rapper Will Da Beast, from Indio, CA, came out onstage and he and Reyes took turns being MC while the whole band supported.  Tahoe-based Little Hurricane caused quite a buzz around the festival as well when their pre-sunset timeslot was filled with a Black Keys-esque power-blues duo sound that caught a lot of festivalgoers’ attention.

Boulder was very well represented at this year’s festival, with rising jamband stars Greener Grounds taking the Indian Cove stage.  Their sound is along the lines of Lotus, Signal Path or STS9, but with a heavier rock influence more akin to an all instrumental Umphrey’s McGee.  At last it was time for Dumpstaphunk to take the stage, with the additional treat of being joined by the Steeltown Horns for the entire set.  Led by Ian (Guitar) and Ivan Neville (Keys, Vocals), Nick Daniels(Bass, Vocals) and Tony Hall(Bass, Guitar, Vocals) often providing a two-headed bass attack, and Raymond Weber(Drums) living in the pocket, Dumpstaphunk took the crowd through a blend of covers and originals.  The highlight of the set came with a 15-minute version of the staple “Meanwhile”, which gave each of the musicians a turn at giving the crowd some love with solos of their own.  The late-night decision came down to The Cactus Wine Experience burlesque show at the Café and the All Good Funk Alliance dance party at the Boogaloo Backstage.  The Cactus Wine Experience, featuring Gene and Gabba Evaro, offer a truly interactive musical experience with burlesque dancers, wild west costumes, and a dirty, dusty, roadhouse blues accompanying the performance. All Good Funk Alliance provided the perfect nightcap for those looking to cut loose one last time for the night.  The 90’s funk/hip hop beats streamed seamlessly from one to another as the stage filled with dancers, dancers on the balcony above the stage, and of course dancers littered the dance floor.  At the point in time he had to cut the music, the crowd begged for one more song but to no avail, that time had come and the hippie-disco had to be closed for the evening.

Sunday woke to the Silent Art Auction in the Music Bowl with the artists works that had been painted throughout the festival grounds during the weekend.  21 artists demonstrated their various influences and approaches to covering the 3’ x 3’ wooden canvasses with illustrative art, abstract art, and even 3-Dimensional art.  The vibe for Sunday’s music was distinctly global, with the international collection of musicians from Dhara World Music, Joshua Tree’s own 3^rd Ear Experience, and world-renown Hamsa Lila, who returned to the stages in the high desert for the first time since their legendary 1 am to dawn set 11 years prior.  Gene Evaro took the stage one last time in advance of the festival closing DJ set by Hamsa Lila members Vir, Inkx, & Evan.  Despite the warm days, the festival on Sunday was full of attendees still carrying big smiles and wide eyes as friends old and new said their goodbyes to one another in anticipation of the next time this collection of beautiful people would gather at the Joshua Tree Lake RV & Campground for the Joshua Tree Music Festival.  The first lineup is already announced for the 11^th annual Joshua Tree Fall Festival on October 6-9 and includes acts such as Gene Evaro and Cactus Wine Experience mentioned above, as well as shamanic dub heavyweights Liberation Movement.  Those passing on the first week of the Desert Trip mega-festival in Indio can head to the high desert for a more intimate and collectively shared music experience.

Check out more photos from the show.

Funk-flash masters The Motet out of Denver, CO are releasing TOTEM on July 8, 2016, the 7^th LP since their inception in 1998.  The Motet consists of Dave Watts (drums), Garrett Sayers (bass), Joey Porter (keyboards), Ryan Jalbert (guitar), Gabriel Mervine (trumpet), and Drew Sayers (saxophone), and recently added Lyle Divinsky (vocals) with TOTEM being his first album with the group.  While The Motet are traditionally categorized as a funk band, their influences and expressions range outside of traditional funk to soul, R&B, West Coast Boogaloo, Disco, Jazz, Afrobeat, Dance, and Electronic, and all of these influences and their overall musical dexterity are put on display in TOTEM.  The Motet is known for their high-energy, diversified live performances as well as their musical costumes.  They have played shows that were tributes to Earth, Wind and Fire, The Grateful Dead, Michael Jackson, Tower of Power, Talking Heads, and even Madonna.  The anagrammatically named album, produced by Eric Krasno (Lettuce/Soulive), once again proves their musical abilities span beyond that of their memorable live performances and translate into a danceable studio product.

The opening track “The Truth” comes at the listener like an avalanche, with polyrythmic-Afrobeat percussion, deep-in-the-pocket bass lines, keys and auto-wah guitar layered over the rhythms and funk-soul vocals of Divinsky and Nigel Hall (Lettuce) that drive the track to multiple crescendos.  The second track “Fool No More” is a disco/dance song that features a variety of guests, including Jans Ingber (formerly Motet) & Jason Hann (String Cheese Incident) on percussion, Tanya Shylock (True Blue Band) on vocals, Adrienne Short (Con Brio Trio) on Violin, and Phil Norman on Cello.  “Know It Too Well” offers more traditional funk rhythms, with the support of Kranso on guitar, Matt Pitts (Motet) on tenor sax, and Divinsky’s soulful voice serenading throughout.  There is a break mid-track that takes the song off a heavy cliff, only to land softly right back into the rhythms and Divinsky’s vocals.  “Rippin’ Herb”, “Solar Plexus” and “Cloak and Dagger” are classic instrumentals for the genre, à la Lettuce, that feature Afrobeat percussion, staccato horns, envelope-filter guitar, jazzy saxophone, and slinky bass rhythms.  “Damn!” was the single that was released early in anticipation of the album and for good reason.  This is a track that harkens back to the classic funk sounds of George Clinton, Sly Stone, and James Brown.    “So High” returns back to the disco/dance sound and includes Pitts, Krasno, Short, and Norman as guests, as well as including Eric Bloom (Lettuce) on Trumpet and Paul Robertson (Soul Rebels) on trombone.  “Cretan” offers a bit more on the exploration of electronic-rock meets West Coast Boogaloo with a driving instrumental that would certainly be right up DJ Greyboy’s alley.  “Danger” and “Back It Up” are jazzy, R&B tunes with a real New Orleans groove and some spatial jams tightly woven into the compositions.  The closing track “Contraband” pulls out all of the stops for a reggae-funk instrumental collision, testing musical heights that hadn’t been tested previously throughout the album.         

You can catch The Motet this Summer/Fall at festivals such as Peach Fest, The Werk Out, Camp Euphoria, Camp Barefoot, Bumbershoot, or Suwanee Hulaween, as well as headlining shows at Red Rocks on 7/22 with Medeski Martin & Wood and Vulfpeck, the Belly Up-Aspen on 7/28, and Terrapin Crossroads in San Rafael on 9/1. 

The Motet – TOTEM

1. The Truth     

2. Fool No More

3. Know It Too Well      

4. Rippin' Herb 

5. Damn!         

6. Solar Plexus

7. So High       

8. Cretan         

9. Danger        

10. Cloak and Dagger  

11. Back It Up  

12. Contraband

Produced by Eric Krasno and The Motet. 

Recorded at The Parlor Recording Studio, Scanhope Sound, Colorado Sound, Notably Fine Audio, and Halo Studios. 

Engineered by Nick Guttmann, Matt Grondin, and Josh Fairman. 
Mixed by Mike Irish at Shifted Recording Studio and Scanhope Sound, except “Cloak and Dagger” Mixed by Alan Evans at Iron Wax - Millers Falls, MA. and “Contraband” mixed by Joel Scanlon at Scanhope Sound.

Dead & Company visited the Sleep Train Amphitheater in Chula Vista, CA on Wednesday (7/27/16), which marked their final Southern California stop and their last performance ahead of the tour closing shows in Wheatland, CA (Fri 7/29/16) and tonight at the fabled Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, CA (Sat 7/30/16).  The excitement of the fans in the hours leading up to the show was palpable, if not audible, as the previous night’s show at Irvine Meadows Amphitheater had left an indelible mark on those in attendance.  Discussions of what had and hadn’t been played reverberated throughout Shakedown Street, and the theoretical philosophy of what would or wouldn’t be played in the evening’s coming performance could be heard from one conversation to another.  The common theme amongst those in attendance, as is the usual tenor of any Grateful Dead related show, was excitement and anticipation regarding the evening’s performance.

Dead & Company took the stage just prior to sunset and while the incoming crowd struggled to get through the gates on time, Bob Weir lead the band on the Mardi-Gras tinged “Aiko Aiko”, its first performance since SPAC more than a month prior, and it certainly got the juices flowing for those that had been able to get in despite some lyrical issues that resulted in a jovial interaction between Bob and the crowd.  “Minglewood Blues” gave keyboardist Jeff Chimenti a chance to shine with a raving solo during the interlude.  The starting notes of “Candyman” elicited quite an acknowledgement from the crowd, as this was only its second performance of the tour and the first in over a month, and was performed masterfully.   An up-tempo version of Johnny Cash’s “Big River” followed and saw Jeff and John Mayer alternate riveting solos between verses.  The tempo was pulled back a bit for a heartfelt “Friend of the Devil” where Bob and Jon shared vocal duties on the Grateful Dead classic.   The RatDog original “Even So” was also performed for just the second time in a nod to Rob Wasserman, a friend and compatriot of the Grateful Dead family who had passed away earlier in the month.  John lead the boys through a swinging “Sugaree” that gave way to the classic set-closer “The Music Never Stopped”.

The second set started out with a jazzy jam that has become a staple for Dead & Company to lead into “Truckin’”.  As the crowd had gotten to share their last “What a long, strange trip it’s been” of the night, the beginning chords of “Althea” was met with an uproarious response as the tune has become one of John’s strongest numbers.  A trip to California can’t be complete without at least one “Estimated Prophet” and the band chose this evening to unroll the Terrapin Station classic, which rolled right into Bob’s “Playin’ in the Band”.  The Rhythm Devils, drummers Billy Kruetzmann and Mickey Hart, treated the crowd to the psychedelic exploration portion of the evening with assistance from bassist Oteil Burbridge during “Drums”, which has grown into a monster segment of Dead & Company shows.  The rest of the band returned to contribute to “Space” before dropping right back into “Playin’ in the Band (Reprise)”.   The foot stomping Henry Whitter tune “Going Down the Road Feeling Bad” concluded the longest successive jam of the evening in the second set and saw those sporting the “Let Oteil Sing” shirts wishes come true as he shared lead vocal duties with both Bob and John.  Bob Dylan’s “A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall" continued the trend of Dylan songs being played on the summer tour and the slower pace opened the door for the set-closer “Throwing Stones”, which came with some extra space-funk thrown to close things out.  The show closed with a fervent, John-led “Black Muddy River” encore, as the crowd ironically shared in the exiting chorus “And sing me a song on my own”. 

The crowd showered the band with adoring applause as the members joined arm-in-arm for a bow, then walked off the stage as the cheers continued to echo throughout the warm Chula Vista night-air.  Everyone was then shepherded in their respective directions, whether to tackle the typical post show traffic, find lost friends, or head back to Shakedown Street for a grilled cheese and a water before heading home.  The Dead & Company conclude their Summer 2016 tour with shows on Friday (Wheatland, CA) and Saturday (Mountain View, CA).  From there we are all left to wait and hope for news of their next tour.  Maybe it will be a West Coast Fall Tour, maybe an East Coast Winter Tour, maybe a New Year’s Run.  One thing is for sure; there will be interested parties throughout the country waiting on the next announcement.    

Check out more photos from the show.

Friday nights at the AVALON Hollywood typically consist of a DJs and electronic acts performing on the main stage, replete with wrap around screens, lasers, and stage lights, as well as the lobby stage in this historic nightclub.  Friday night was not a normal night near the corner of Hollywood & Vine however, as Michael Travis and Jason Hann of The String Cheese Incident brought their organic, improvisational brand of electronic music to Control Fridays with EOTO (originally stood for End of Time Observatory).  Suits, ties and evening wear meets jeans, dreads, and concert tees.  The evening’s lineup consisted of Ameria, Citizun, ill.Gates, EOTO, and Son of Kick on the main stage, and CXRLXS V, DJ Charlie :D, Savage, Terry Pham, and Thomas Crowne on the lobby stage.

Rumbling bass and Prince-esque lights from the lobby stage welcomed ticket holders as they came through the door, meanwhile LA-based Armeria got the evening started on the main stage.  She laid down some solid, low-energy tracks to the mostly empty concert area, but the light show performed certainly gave an idea of what visually was still to come.  Citizun, another DJ local to LA, next took the stage as the viewing area slowly filled in and hit some high energy moments during the set but still lacked the crowd participation to translate those peaks into a greater energy experience.  Ill.Gates and his Bassnectar-eque brand of electro-house dubstep was next to the stage, and combining his rocking bass and the crowd filling up the club started to take on a life of its own.  Ill.Gates really popped the cork on the crowd when he introduced a remix of the Beastie Boys 1994 smash hit “Sabotage”.

With the crowd riled up EOTO finally took the stage and the floor took on a different feel.  Unlike the previous performers who took their place in the DJ booth in front of the stage, Travis and Hann had their monstrous rigs set up behind the rest of the DJ equipment.  Travis was surrounded by keyboards, laptops, samplers, guitars and drums, while Hann was engulfed in a variety of drum and percussion instruments, both acoustic and electric.  EOTO shows are as original as snowflakes, every time you see these two take the stage they provide for a unique experience.  They use their vast resources and musical experiences to offer an improvisation experience that covers electronic genres like Dubstep, D&B, House, Hip-Hop.  Travis and Hann’s interplay is truly remarkable, especially when you consider the largely improvisational nature of their performances.  Travis, a drummer by trade, masterfully rotates through his guitars, bass-synths, samples, and percussion instruments to layer sounds, depth, and complexity over the polyrhythmic beats of Hann.  This show really gave a little taste of everything, a little bit of glitch and crunk, a little dubstep and Drum & Bass, some reggae rhythms, some layered guitar effects, a classic djembe-driven jam, and even some time with Hann on the vocoder.  In what seemed like an instant, the 90-minute continuous set was concluded and the crowd was left begging for more.  The club had other ideas though, and Son of Kick quickly took the stage and continued the night.

All-in-all it was a great night for all involved, certainly enjoyable to catch a band your more likely to see on a festival stage or more traditional concert hall in a very Hollywood club setting.  The mixed crowd made for some very entertaining interactions and the old theater converted to a nightclub offered great viewing lines and excellent acoustics. As always with shows in LA, the grilled sausage and peppers carts were waiting with their bacon wrapped goods for anyone who was hungry after the show; a little snack for the journey home.  You can catch EOTO as they finish their fall tour with nights at the Brooklyn Bowl (9/14) and House of Blues – Chicago (9/16) to name a few, as well as their EOTO & Friends appearance with the rest of their band brethren at Hulaween. 

STS9 released their 6^th studio album, The Universe Inside, on their homegrown label 1320 Mission Control on September 2, 2016, and it represents their first such release since Ad Explorata was released in 2009.  This would also be the first release for “STS9 2.0” with Alana Rocklin since her taking over the staggering bass responsibilities for STS9 following David “Murph” Murphy’s departure in 2014.  Murph’s departure was sudden to its fan base and given his popularity, there was concern about what the future direction of the band would entail.  In response STS9 added Rocklin and went right back to the road warriors they had always been, playing hundreds of festivals and shows, all while expanding their sound and new musical influences.  The rest of the Santa Cruz/Atlanta band consists of founding members Hunter Brown (guitar/sequences), Jeffree Lerner (percussion), David Phipps(keyboards/synths) and Zach Velmer (drums).

The Universe Inside is certainly a deviation from albums past, where live instrumentation served as the background and forefront to jam-centric livetronica.  Alternatively, this LP is rich with samples and vocals, as well as heavy disco, soul, soft rock, and prog-pop connotations.  The album feels much more aligned with Daft Punk: Random Access Memories than it does prior albums like Peaceblaster or Artifacts.  The album starts off on an astral plane with “Supercluster”, with actual radio transmissions from Space Shuttle Columbia on the STS-9 space mission in 1983 accompanied by some spatial instrumentation that fades away and opens the door for the first full track, the pop-vocal-heavy “Out of this World”. The single released for this album, “Get Loud”, as well as “Worry No More” continue the prog-pop feeling from the second track but with more of an intergalactic-disco groove to it.  “Light Years”, “Elsewhere”, and “Common Descent” provide segue tracks, lending strength to the overall album construction but not really offering a standalone listen.  “Totem”, along with “New Dawn, New Day”, have a more traditional STS9 feel with Velmer’s drums laying the foundation for Brown’s guitar and Phipp’s synths in layered jams.  “World Go Round” offers Rocklin a chance to shine on this funky-disco track, as her involvement with the band since joining has been widely met with praise and appreciation for her abilities and influences. The title track “The Universe Inside”, which is also the closing track, may represent the furthest departure from STS9’s style with a gospel, soul, almost work-song type of tune.

While the album does represent a divergence from prior albums and efforts, STS9 should be commended for taking themselves out of their comfort zone to release their most recent studio album.  The album is seamlessly constructed, making it a more enjoyable experience for this listener to hear in its entirety rather than in bits and pieces; which is a rarity in today’s digital age and need for instant access and immediate gratification.  While the album is constructed to be listened in its entirety, tracks like “World Go Round” and “Totem” have already become mainstays in STS9’s live repertoire.  Be sure to catch them as they tour the country on their fall tour, including festival stops at Swuannee Hulaween and Voodoo Music and Arts Experience before they head off to the Dominican Republic for their annual Dominican Holidaze bash with fellow jamband veterans Umphrey’s McGee and The Disco Biscuits.       

Tour Dates:

10/20/16           Skyway Theatre Minneapolis, MN            Tickets Travel   RSVP

10/21/16           Orpheum Theater          Madison, WI            Tickets Travel   RSVP

10/22/16           The Fillmore                             Detroit, MI           

10/23/16           Express Live!                            Columbus, OH      

10/26/16           Mercury Ballroom                      Louisville, KY

10/27/16           New Daisy Theatre                    Memphis, TN

10/28/16           Oak Mountain Amphitheatre            Birmingham, AL

10/29/16           Suwannee Hulaween                Live Oak, FL

10/30/16           Voodoo Music Festival  New Orleans, LA

10/31/16           Georgia Theatre                        Athens, GA

11/03/16           War Memorial Auditorium          Nashville, TN

11/04/16           Tennessee Theatre                   Knoxville, TN

11/05/16           Thomas Wolfe Auditorium         Asheville, NC

11/06/16           Jefferson Theater                      Charlottesville, VA

11/09/16           The NorVa                                Norfolk, VA

11/10/16           The Fillmore                             Silver Spring, MD

11/11/16           The Fillmore                             Philadelphia, PA

11/12/16           Terminal 5                                New York, NY

11/19/16           The Masonic                             San Francisco, CA

11/20/16           The Fillmore                             San Francisco, CA

12/01/16 - 12/05/16       Dominican Holidaze      Punta Cana, DR

Ashville’s The Get Right Band has released their 3rd LP, Who’s In Charge?, through legendary Echo Mountain Studios (Widespread Panic, Smashing Pumpkins), and has been engineered, mixed, and co-produced by Julian Dreyer (The Avett Brothers), and was mastered by six-time Grammy winner Brian Lucey (The Black Keys, Grace Potter, Dr. John, Beck).  The power trio, consisting of Silas Durocher on guitars and lead vocals, Jesse Gentry on bass, and Jian-Claude Mears on drums, formed in 2011 and has been touring the country ever since.  Their eclectic brand of pop, psychedelic, funk and reggae infused indie rock gives the band something to offer listeners of all preferences.  Durocher, armed with a background in classical composition, has a polished, soulful voice that allows for the type of exploration the musicians are able to attain through their instruments.

The title track “Who’s In Charge?” opens up with a straight forward rock song, with some nuances including the use of slight distortion on Dorucher’s vocals in the chorus and some creative stylings in the transitions from verse to chorus.  “Requiem for the Chemical Memory” kicks the energy up a few notches with Jon Spencer style psychedelic blues rock complimented by Dorucher’s soulful vocals and a slinky, reggae-tinged bridge.   “Beginner’s Love” is a jazzy, ska-rock track that elicits images of mid 90’s Red Hot Chili Peppers.  “Belt Loops” is a fun, swinging rocker and “Write This Song For You” has a classic power pop-punk feel right out of Austin, TX in the early 2000’s.  “Munitions Man” demonstrates their reggae/ska rock fusion capabilities in full force, and “Somebody Help Me” is a straight-ahead blues rock track.

Who’s In Charge offers a little bit of everything to their listeners, and their 3rd studio effort demonstrates the growth the band has experienced in their first 5 years.  The Get Right Band has all of the right ingredients to be a very successful band, they clearly have the song writing capabilities, the vocal and instrumental capacities, and the required work ethic necessary to become a big-time touring act.  Catch them this fall during their tour throughout the Mid-Atlantic and you won’t be disappointed.         

Upcoming Tour Dates:

SEP 30             The End                                    Nashville, TN US

OCT 01            Clyde's On Main                        Chattanooga, TN US

OCT 07            Carrier Park                              Asheville, NC US

OCT 08            185 King Street             Brevard, NC US

OCT 21            The Pour House Music Hall        Raleigh, NC US

OCT 22            Thomas Street Tavern               Charlotte, NC US

NOV 02             The Peddler Steak House          Spartanburg, SC US

NOV 04           Sycamore Deli                           Blacksburg, VA US

NOV 05           The Willow Tree Coffeehouse Johnson City, TN US

DEC 10            Highland Brewing Company       Asheville, NC US

Keller Williams and KWahtro, consisting of Gibb Droll on Guitar, Danton Boller on Double Bass, and Rodney Holmes on drums, descended on the Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach, CA last Friday, November 4, 2016.  Zach Deputy opened for KWahtro, bringing his Island-infused, Drum-n-Bass, Gospel-ninja Soul music to the San Diego area.  In true solo-Keller fashion, Zach Deputy deploys a loop pedal to layer chords, drums, bass, beat-boxing, and vocals to bring his island-acoustic-reggae dance music to life.

For those that haven’t seen KWahtro yet but are familiar with Keller Williams’ solo work, KWatro represents a collective approach and interpretation of Keller’s existing catalogue.  Gibb Droll plays guitar alongside Keller, though his approach to the instrument couldn’t be more opposing.  Gibb’s background in blues and jazz is evident with his precision, timing, and tempo to add layers of sound to Keller’s catalogue that can’t be accomplished by Keller alone.  Gibb has performed with Keller in the past as part of the WMDS (Keller Williams, Bill Mosely, Gibb Droll, and Jeff Sipe) as well as with Johnny Hickman from Cracker and Chuck Garvey from moe. in the acoustic collaboration, the All Thumbs Trio, among other projects.  Danton Boller has spent the better part of the last 25 years engulfed in the jazz scene, playing alongside such greats as Roy Hargrove, Seamus Blake, Dave Brubeck, and Eugene Wright.  This is not his first entrée into the Jamband scene however, as he paired up with Jamie Masefield and Jon Fishman as the Jazz Mandolin Project back in 2002, as well as a few other iterations of the band with Masefield throughout the years.  Rodney Holmes has shared the stage with legends like Santana and Wayne Shroter, won Grammy’s with the Santana and the Brecker Brothers, and has been a long-time collaborator with guitar greats like Steve Kimock and Jim Weider.

Kwatro ran through a selection of Keller tunes old and new, and a few covers just to keep things interesting.  The highlight of the night from the crowds’ perspective was Freeker by the Speaker > Bird Song > Birds of a Feather (Phish), which has been a popular segue on this tour and was spiced up with a Shakedown Street tease in the transition from Bird Song into Birds of a Feather.  Gibb Droll was given plenty of latitude on lead guitar, helping the jam sections reach new heights with his electric approach.  Danton Boller kept everyone together in a tight, cohesive pocket, and Rodney Homes is an absolute madman behind the kit and even had his own 5 minute “Drums” session towards the end of the set.  Together they have provided Keller one of the best and most cohesive groups he has toured with to date, which is far more a compliment to the quality of this group considering the quality of lineups Keller has played with in the past.  Kwahtro played right up to their curfew time, with about 15 seconds backstage following the last song of the set before finishing up the 2-minute encore.  Then 1:00am struck, the house lights came on, and everyone left to navigate their way home through the San Diego fog.

Check out more photos from the show.

Catch Keller Williams and Kwahtro on tour this fall, as well as his various Keller Solo, Grateful Grass, and Grateful Gospel shows throughout the remainder of the year.

11/10 Keller Williams KWahtro with Zach Deputy Music Farm                Columbia, SC

11/11 Keller Williams KWahtro with Zach Deputy Neighborhood Theatre   Charlotte, NC

11/12 Keller Williams KWahtro plus Zach Deputy The Orange Peel                 Ashville, NC

11/17 Keller Williams KWahtro with Zach Deputy White Oak Music Hall         Houston, TX

11/18 The Keller Williams KWahtro | Zach Deputy Granada Theater Dallas, TX

11/19 Keller Williams KWahtro with Zach Deputy Historic Scoot Inn          Austin, TX

11/25 Keller Williams’ Thanksforgrassgiving 9:30 Club                            Washington, DC

11/26 Keller Williams Thanksforgrassgiving The National                         Richmond, VA

12/16 Keller Williams & His Compadres                                                  Keystone, CO

12/30 Keller Solo with Dark Star Orchestra Electric Factory                                   Philadelphia, PA

12/31 Keller Williams Grateful Gospel & Keller Solo Rams Head Live         Baltimore, MD

Every now and again, you come across music that manages to elicit emotive responses by exploring sounds, rhythms, and influences that you as the listener may not be exposed to daily.  On October 5, 2016 Beats Antique celebrated their 10^th year with their 10^th studio release, Shadowbox, and took the opportunity to span the globe for instruments, vocals, and beats that can only be found through global exploration.  While the album was officially produced in their Oakland studio, some tracks on the album were recorded in locations across globe.  Stops included New Orleans, London, Moscow, and Tel Aviv, and the global influences are on full display in the aptly titled Shadowbox.  Beats Antique is an ethnotronica band from the Bay Area, and consists of David Satori who responsible for the Beats and Bass, “Sidecar” Tommy Cappel manning all things string, and Zoe Jakes covering the choreography and composition elements for the band.  Unlike a lot of producers who will source samples for their creations from other artists or past works, all the samples that were used on this album were organically created for this album. 

The album opens with “Three Sisters” and indicates to the listener that the 10^th album will be unlike any album to date.  Recorded in Moscow with the help of Russian Vocalist and Ancient Instrumentalist Tatyana Kalmykova, the song is the first of many instances where East meets West to join forces and offer the ingredients to a musical gumbo.  “Killer Bee” brings a more traditional Beats Antique sound with a twist, adding West Coast Hip-Hop to their Vaudevillian-Jazz samples with the help of their frequent collaborator MC Lafa Taylor.  “Let it Go” was a single that was released in advance of the album and includes a high-energy collaboration with New Orleans stalwarts Preservation Hall Jazz Band for a Beats Antique meets Frenchmen St. on Mardi Gras sound.  This approach would be revisited a later in the album, on “The Block”, supported by Too Many Zooz on horns, and “Sideswipe”.  “Vesper Star” and “Vendetta” are more representative of the ethnotronic Beats Antique sound, with the former providing a Gypsy-Trance tune supported by long-time collaborator and Sarod virtuoso Alam Khan, and the latter being more of a Belly-Dubstep track tracing back to Beats Antique’s roots as a Belly-Dance band.  “Le Refuge” is easily the most powerful track on the album.  Recorded in Tel Aviv with the help of legendary Israeli Bassist and Producer Yossi Fine, this Gypsy-Trance track features ambient vocals from females in their native tongues: Mirna Sassine in Arabic and Madeline Tasquin in French.  The track offers a glimpse into the beauty that can be actualized when foreign cultures assimilate as opposed to divide, and the location of the recording and languages incorporated cannot be understated.  The album fittingly closes with a collaboration with internationally acclaimed producer Gaudi and offers an entertaining mash-up of Beats Antique’s style with Gaudi’s mode.   

Overall the album hits on many of the tracks and manages to stay true to the Beats Antique sound while exploring and engaging new instruments, beats, and concepts.  Be sure to catch Beats Antique as they close out 2016 with a couple of shows in the Bay Area this weekend and a New Yea’s run in the Northwest, before taking off for Jam Cruise in January.

Fri, Dec 2  

The Catalyst

Santa Cruz, CA

Sat, Dec 3

Fox Theater

Oakland, CA

Wed, Dec 28

MontBleu Resort Casino & Spa

Stateline, NV

Fri, Dec 30

Vote for Dancing 2016 w/ The Polish Ambassador

Roseland Theater

Portland, OR

Sat, Dec 31

The Showbox

Seattle, WA

The 15^th annual Joshua Tree Music Festival descended upon the Joshua Tree Lake RV & Campground May 18 – 21, 2017. Just as years past, the lineup was chock full of artists from all over the globe, representing the local desert area, up and down the western seaboard, UK, Peru, South Korea, and Netherlands among other places. The family friendly music experience is busting with global music, art, bodywork modalities, healing arts, and activities for all ages, adults and children alike. The festival has been on the same grounds since its inception and has continued to grow and develop with each passing year. The crowd is the embodiment of peace, love, and music; kids can be seen playing in the Kidsville during the day, while strangers share picnic tables under the shade while enjoying samosas, tacos, and pizza and conversing about all the important things in life. Daytime desert-attire gives way to Burning Man style costumes and LED toys and decorations as the sun goes down, all while the music reflects the mood as the day progresses to night. There are two mainstages in the Music Bowl that align side-by-side with each other and music is never playing on both stages at the same time, so you never miss any of the main stage acts you want to see. Java Gogo, the legendary mobile festival coffee shop, has a smaller stage alongside it that hosts music in the morning and late at night, while the Boogaloo Stage is home to more late-night festivities. One of the more remarkable aspects of the festival is that you never have more than a 10-minute walk to anywhere within the festival grounds, including throughout the campground.

The music kicked off on Thursday night; Sasha Rose got the festivities started for early arrivers with her unique brand of singing, songwriting, instrumentation, and producing and then returned for 2 more sets. Local multi-instrumentalist Chris Unck, and world-beat masters Todo Mundo from Columbia rounded out the performers.  Friday was the first full day of music, featuring local talent Gene Evaro Jr. and his Prince meets Stevie Wonder brand of high desert groove.  European Electro-Disco legends Kraak & Smaak also took the stage on Friday as the sun was making its way to bed for the night and setting the stage for what promised to be a rousing evening of music.  Liberation Movement had the final set on the main stages with their tribal hip-hop and other-worldly rhythms.  Led by Resurrector and Kevens as MCs with the band providing the interplanetary grooves, this offshoot of Heavyweight Dub Champions wasted little time capturing the magic and mystique of the desert during their set.  Amy Secada joined the band donned a mythical eagle-like costume and danced on stage to compliment the spellbinding musical performance.  The crowd then dispersed to the various late-night stages, the Astronomy Theater, or back to the campground depending on what their tastes preferred.  Bay Area rockers Whiskerman treated the audience of the Café Stage to their own brand of groovy guitar rock, while LA Dub legend Marques Wyatt kept the beats rolling at the hippie-disco known as the Boogaloo Stage for those that hadn’t had quite enough dancing. 

Saturday awoke with the desert sun, and the festival wasted little time getting things off on the right foot.  Yoga classes start with the sunrise, and the Healing Oasis offered attendees an opportunity to recharge with the bodyworks of their choosing.  Trevor Green kicked off the activities at the Vibration Station with a digeridoo workshop, while the artists participating in the Art Auction on Sunday resumed their works on the 3’ x 3’ canvases that were strategically placed throughout the festival grounds.  High-Desert locals Desert Rhythm Project kicked off the music on the Copper Mountain Stage, with band leaders Mikey Reyes and Bryanna Evaro, aforementioned Gene Evaro Jr.’s sister, Desert Rhythm Project brought their usual high energy reggae rock to the stage and certainly gathered a few new fans along the way.  Wally Ingram, Tom Freund & Friends took to the Indian Cove Stage to keep the crowd moving in the midday son, traveling through a variety of originals and covers that included Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth” and Bob Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower”.  Sandwiched between worldly Baraka Moon and the California Honeydrops was South Korea’s own Jambinai.  With the full band seated in chairs, they produced a sonic soundscape unlike anything heard before.  The band comprises standard rock components with a drum kit, bass, and guitar, but the sound is augmented by traditional Korean instruments Haegeum (Korean fiddle played more like a Cello), Piri (Korean Bamboo Flute), and Geomungo (Korean Zither).  The transformative music was very fitting as the stage lights began to take hold and light transitioned into dark.  The final set at the Music Bowl was LA funkmasters Orgone, set to bring their high-energy, in-your-face, funk explosion.  Orgone had played the festival twice before, including the very first one in 2003, but this was the first time they performed in the Joshua Tree desert with lead singer Adryon de Leon. Typical of an Orgone show, the crowd was raucous as the band ripped through their set full of originals with some special covers sprinkled in, including Led Zeppelin’s “Trampled Under Foot”.  The late-night entertainment on Saturday included the frivolous, bluesy, roadhouse revue the Cactus Wine Experience and their Wild-West burlesque cabaret on the Café Stage.  Over on the Boogaloo stage, House of Hamsa brought their unique combination of ancient instrumentation, live mixing, samples and electronics to keep the beats flowing into the early hours of the morning. 

Sunday is often a day of mixed emotions for attendees, as is typical with most festivals the last day always comes with a bit of sadness as the encroaching reality of life after the festival begins to set in.  However, there is also this sense of satisfaction when you make it all the way through festivals that are physically demanding, whether it is due difficult terrain or long walking distances, or in this case making it through a weekend in the hot desert sand and sun.  The Healing Oasis appeared to be in full swing right from the start as attendees were looking to get one last session with their new favorite healer, and artists throughout the grounds were working feverishly to get their works completed in time for the Art Auction that would begin at noon.  Not to be lost in the series of departures and related activities, one-woman band Edith Crash, 6-time J-Tree veteran multi-instrumentalist Trevor Green, Electro-funk DJ Ian Winters, and Americana-disco all-stars Dirtwire were among the artists to help close out the festival in a stirring fashion.  As always, a very special thanks must go out to the Joshua Tree Music Festival founder and godfather Barnett English and his team of talented, creative, hardworking, and dedicated volunteers that help make the Joshua Tree Music Festival experience once-in-a-lifetime, every time.

Check out more photos from Joshua Tree Music Festival.

On Saturday night Grateful Shred, an Americana Grateful Dead tribute act from Los Angeles, came to Pappy & Harriet’s in Pioneertown, CA to Steal the Face off of the High Desert. Pappy & Harriet’s is a gem of Southern California, holding a whopping 300 people on the indoor stage and having hosted rock-and-roll legends Robert Plant, Eric Burdon, Leon Russell, and most recently Sir Paul McCartney who played an impromptu intimate show in between his legendary performances at Desert Trip 50 miles down the road. The venue is situated at the end of Pioneertown’s Mane St., a tiny live-in old-west motion-picture set built in 1940’s by Roy Rodgers, Gene Autry, and other Hollywood developers and investors and is still inhabited today just as it was then. Grateful Shred consisted on this night of Sam Balsucci (Guitar/Vox), Austin McCutchen (Guitar/Vox), Clay Finch (Guitar/Bass/Vox), Dan Horne, also known for his work with Circles Around the Sun and Jonathan Wilson, (Bass/Pedal Steel/Vox), Jerry Borge (Keys), Dusty Ineman (Percussion), and Austin Beade (Drums).

The place filled in as show time neared and as patrons lucky enough to arrive early finished off their chili, BBQ, or TexMex, all of which Pappy & Harriet’s is famous for. Mapache started the evening with an acoustic duo set by Blasucci and Finch.  Finch and Blasucci would return to the stage with the rest of Grateful Shred for the two-set performance.  Accessing a full repertoire of songs from the Dead’s 60’s and 70’s catalogue, Grateful Shred’s sound is Workingman’s Dead incarnate, focusing more on the Folk and Americana elements on the Dead and less on the electrified Psychedelic, Progressive, Jazz, or Funk/Disco influences.  Grateful Shred jumped right into the action with “Jack Straw”, giving each of the musicians on stage a chance to shine right off the bat.  Many surprised smiles circulated throughout the crowd with the Johnny Cash original “Big River”, a fitting tune for the Whiskey-Rock-and-Roll crowd of Pappy and Harriet’s.  “Friend of the Devil” and “Dire Wolf” gave the band a chance to stretch their vocal harmonies and set the stage for the set closing rockers “Don’t Ease Me In” and “Cumberland Blues”.

The second set opened with a pristine take on the Blues for Allah opening “Help on the Way” > “Slipknot!” > “Franklin’s Tower”.  As the crowd finished singing along to the chorus “…roll away…the dew”, Grateful Shred offered the second pleasant surprise of the evening with a rollicking version on the Pigpen original “Operator”.  True to Grateful Dead form, Grateful Shred used the second set for a bit more exploration and experimentation, and there are perhaps no better vehicles for improvisation than the next song “Help on the Way”.  With a silky keys solo by Borge a some jazzy improvisation, Help then ushered in “Drums” by Ineman and Beade.  The percussive interlude led the group right into a spirited rendering of the The Crickets original “Not Fade Away”.  In quintessential Deadhead fashion, the crowd “helped” keep time with the traditional rhythmic clapping to close out the song and leave room for the band to start the second definitive segue of the set, “China Cat Sunflower” > “I Know you Rider”.  “Shakedown Street” as always was a welcome number where the disco hustle was broken up by a spacey jam interlude, and preceded the set closing Weir classic “One More Saturday Night”.  Grateful Shred returned to the stage to a chorus of cheers after a brief respite, and delivered a high energy “Scarlet Begonias” > “Fire on the Mountain” sing-along encore.  The band bid the crowd a good night and the concertgoers scattered off into the desert night.

Be sure to catch Grateful Shred this summer/fall in the Southwest, including hosting the LA Celebration for Jerry Garcia’s 75th Birthday at the Teragram Ballroom on August 1.

August 1 | Teragram Ballroom  |  Los Angeles, CA  |  

Con Brio, translated “with verve,” is led by singer Ziek McCarter, a 20-something with the soul of a 40-something, who is like a shot of James Brown, a dash of Sam Cooke, a touch of Freddie Mercury, all with a splash of Otis Redding while on stage.  His showmanship in a live setting is matched only by the band’s musicianship, much to the delight of those in attendance.  Their live shows have garnered world-wide attention, and their continual development in songwriting is expanding their catalogue by the day.  The band consists of McCarter, Ben Andrews on guitar, Jonathan Kirchner on bass, Patrick Monaco Glynn on drums, and Marcus Stephens and Brendan Liu on horns.  Grateful Web was able to catch up with Con Brio during the Joshua Tree Music Festival last weekend (review HERE) for a quick chat.

GW:  I wanted to get a little background on your influences. Obviously you have a strong musical culture in San Francisco to draw from, both historical and present, so maybe you could describe a few of the bands that are really driving you today:

ZM: Bands and artists that really inspire us include Vulfpeck, we’re Vulfpeck fans, Anderson Paak, Tame Impala, everything Childish Gambino is doing.  It’s a nice blend of a lot of elements.  Queen, we definitely listen to Queen.

BA:  I think everyone is an Andy Shauf fan whether they like it or not, and Bon Iver. There is a huge appreciation for songwriting, especially in the last year or two maybe I’m seeing that binds the band is songwriting.  Whether that’s listening to old T-Rex records, or like the Queen thing has been huge because songs should be able to speak for themselves to a certain degree.  With the stuff we’ve been writing, it’s been really focused on the foundation of things.  There’s not really a stylistic or genre divide amongst the band, because when it comes down to it, the dope shit is the dope shit!

GW:  When it comes to songwriting, is there a primary songwriter or is it more of a collaborative effort?

ZM:  At the end of the day, when it all comes together we got all-hands-on-deck.  How the nucleus of the song starts, that varies.  He’ll (Ben) bring in a song, I’ll bring in a song, the drummer will bring in a song, it just varies.  We all decorate it, you know as much as we can, as much as it needs to be decorated, and then move on from there.  But at the end of the day, it’s all hands-on-deck.

GW:  Is the process fairly organic, or do you have times that you carve out that you focus on songs?

ZM:  It varies, yeah we’ve had times where we booked out writing sessions for ourselves as a band, some time in Washington.

BA:  We’ve got three days off from the road, and we’ll get a cabin somewhere and set up a recording studio in the living room, and sometimes we don’t get anything out of that.  Sometimes it doesn’t work.

ZM:  It’s getting the reps, you know?  It’s showing up.  We did a couple of those [when] writing this new album that’s coming out soon.  I think we did a writing session in Washington so, it all varies. But definitely we get time in our rehearsal space in Oakland, we get together twice a week.

GW: Is the production process similar?

ZM: There is not one strict formula, it all varies, and we just embrace productivity and greatness in the songs.

BA: There is no one true path.

GW:  So when are you expecting the new album to be released.

ZM: July 6th is when it drops.

BA: We have a new single coming out your way in about a week.  We just put out a single, a cover the Nirvana song Heart Shaped Box. We rearranged that and made it our own in half a day, in our friend’s dad’s house in Atlanta.  We’re doing most of the stuff on the fly, and it’s nice to be able to collaborate with other people and to be intentional with things. But you know when the band gets together, and it feels good together as a band, we can come up with some pretty dope stuff.

GW: Speaking of collaboration, you’ve had the opportunity to tour with some great bands like Galactic, Grace Potter, Revivalists.  Do you have groups that you like to collaborate with, or ones that you haven’t yet that you would like to?

ZM: Come one, come all!  We like working with everybody.  The tours that we’ve gotten, some of them were requested and some of them were just great bands that we respect, they spend a lot of time on the road, and we like their music.  Any bill we’re on, whether we are headlining or sharing with somebody else.  It’s all about the fans, anybody that come into that building we want to walk out feeling great.

GW:  You guys have quite a hectic stretch of your tour schedule coming up.  Next week you’ll be at Summer Camp and Lightning in a Bottle, and you’ve obviously been to Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, and Austin City Limits in the past.  This is now you’re second time at Joshua Tree and then you’ll be a Guitarfish later this summer again.  From an artist standpoint, what do you find different about the Barnett (English) presentations (Joshua Tree Music Festival & Guitarfish) versus the other festivals you perform at?

ZM: Every festival has its own subculture within it, and you just embrace the essence of where it is.  I think some of them it’s about location, like being out here in Joshua Tree it of course is alluding to what kind of experience it’s going to be.  Festivals are primetime for us, we’re a festival band.  We love the festival energy.  So many other bands you can draw inspiration from, some different workshops and painters, arts and crafts going on at every festival.  That’s what we kind of really like, our colors come out in a different way.  All of Barnett festivals we want to say power up to, thank you for having us!

BA:  I’m stoked because this festival and Guitarfish feel like a family affair, Brent Dana (Guitarfish founder) is an old friend.  I love that festival, I love this vibe, they remind me of each other and I think the overlapping is going to be great.  I’m stoked to be playing Guitarfish to see how that impacts the experience for people.  There’s different cooks in the kitchen than there used to be, and I think it’s going to be a great thing.  It already felt good!

GW: You have your festivals that you have lined up throughout the summer, but you also you have a trip to Europe coming up.  How did that come together for you guys?

BA: In the last 4 years, we’ve made 2 trips in each year.  In a way, if you think about it in terms of how the record is doing, it’s our biggest market.  So the response to the recorded music, radio response, tv spots, stuff like that, we get pushed pretty hard over there and we do very well.  Particularly in Netherlands, Belgium, [and] France.  We’re going to be in Italy for the first time though.

ZM: Speaking of festivals we’re going to be playing the North Sea Jazz Festival (In Rotterdam, Netherlands), and that’s a crazy festival; Cory Henry was there the last summer we were there.  It’s an amazing festival over there.  Again, we hit that festival markets man, and that’s everything.  In a lot of those [festivals] you get a lot of fans from those shows and then they come to see you when you play the venues after so it’s exciting.  And that’s the nucleus, that’s where it’s at.

BA: That’s how it’s supposed to work.  Montreal, Newport, North Sea Jazz, some of these places internationally, Fuji Rock, it works the way it’s supposed to work.  People come to the festival and check you out and you’ve got all these new fans, then they check you out at next thing you’re doing.  It doesn’t always work that way in the States because of the way that we consume art.  But, I don’t know, that might change.  We’ll see.

GW: The live show has been a big driver for you guys, pretty much when someone has seen you guys they know they’ve seen Con Brio.  As artists, is there an added focus on the live performance?

ZM: Oh yeah, it’s most certainly an added focus.  You want to be improving in all aspects of the energy we put out.

BA: It’s sort of two different components to one identity.

ZM:  And they fertilize each other.

BA:  It’s almost two identities; it’s not like it’s two different bands but it’s two different ways of absorbing the experience that we are trying to relay to people.

ZM: When we play live shows, that’s us and our chemistry in the moment.  Like our passion for the song and the passion for the crowd.  And as we go into the studio, it’s like a different identity. We’re thinking about the long-term.

BA: There’s not really any improvisation [in the studio], you’re not going to hear any guitar solos.  No the recorded material is very much about the song, the live show is about the energy.

Be sure to check out Con Brio’s upcoming album Explorer when it hits stores on July 6 or catch one of their many appearances around the US, Canada, and Europe this summer.

The Joshua Tree Music Festival (JTMF) returned to Joshua Tree Lake RV and Campground on May 17 – May 20, the 16th edition of the spring festival.  The family festival by day, Burning Man by night event brought with it the usual camaraderie and community the festival is legendary for, in addition to the multitude of visual and interactive art installations, Kidsville, eclectic vendors, and world-class, globally-influenced music lineup.  The festival consists for four primary performance stages, a Vibration Station complete with workshops, sound baths, and dance-offs, a Healing Oasis with skilled bodywork practitioners of a variety of modalities, and an array of performing artists.

The music kicked off on Thursday afternoon, May 17, 2018, on the Boogaloo Stage with local legend and soon-to-be household name Gene Evaro, Jr. as well as Jazz/Hip-Hop fusion act The Lique out of Las Vegas.  Their sets were sandwiched by regular JTMF attendee Subko and his grooving house disco beats to keep the people moving.  JTMF is a unique festival for many reasons, not least of which is the fact that, aside from the late-night acts on Friday and Saturday, the sets of music never overlap each other, so festivarians don’t have to make a any painful decisions as a result of conflicting schedules.  Thursday night offers early arrivers the opportunity to get their feet wet for the weekend, while joining the countless volunteers that have been working day and night in the weeks and months leading up to the festival who get to enjoy some of the fruits of their much-appreciated labors.

By 11:30 am on Friday, the sun was reaching to the top of the sky as the needle on the thermometer was moving in step, and Joshua Tree local Myshkin and her 5-piece took the stage to provide their deep, expressive brand of folky songwriting. A quick detour to the Boogaloo Stage before the next set yielded a songwriting/acoustic session with the aforementioned Gene Evaro, Jr. as well as Steve Poltz, who would be performing the following day on the Copper Mountain stage, and JTMF denizens Tim and Faith Chinnock of The Adobe Collective.

Heather Christie and Vir McCoy (Hamsa Lila, Dogon Lights, House of Hamsa) brought their brand of electro-groove with a side a funky pop to the Copper Mountain Stage before Dani Bell, and the Tarantist took the Indian Cove stage.  Tarantism is a form of hysteric behavior, typically believed to be caused by the bite of a Wolf Spider or Tarantula resulting in compulsive dancing, and Al Howard, Dani Bell, and their cabalistic crew certainly infected more than a few in the midday sun.  Coachella Valley locals Ocho Ojos threw down their unique Mexican Cumbia meets house sound as the sun was starting to set into the night.

Late addition Lauren Ruth Ward and her supporting trio’s sundown set injected some more energy into the crowd worn by the full day of sun, and offered her marque sexy, power blues-rock to any willing to take it.  She ran through an entertaining set of originals and covers, including her hit single Blue Collar Sex Kitten, Whole Lotta Love, and channeled Grace Slick on Jefferson Airplane’s White Rabbit as the fire-orange of the setting sun shone down.  The transition from day to night brought out one of the biggest hits of the festival in Desert Rhythm Project, another band local to the High Desert / Coachella Valley area.  They have taken the stage at JTMF many times in the past, though this was their first in a nighttime set and their hard work has certainly yielded fantastic results.  Mikey Reyes (Guitar), Bryanna Evaro (Bass) and company showered the crowd with their reggae-tinged funk-soul fusion full of passion and energy.

The main stage acts closed out with Brooklyn-based Cory Henry and the Funk Apostles.  Cory Henry, well known for his work with Grammy-winning Snarky Puppy, tickled the ivories center stage as his supporting band tendered a tight rhythm section, soaring guitar leads and soulful backing vocals.  The late-night options included Portland jamtronica act Yak Attack at the hippie disco known as The Boogaloo Stage; meanwhile, Mikey Reyes was hosting a free style, hip-hop Beats & Rhymes set supported by his very own Desert Rhythm Project at the porch-style Café Stage.  The proximity of the stages enables festival goers to easily spend time at each set, an effort greatly rewarded by seeing both performances.  Beats & Rhymes was the brainchild of Barnett English, Founder and Organizer of JTMF, and Mikey Reyes.  The tight pockets provided by Desert Rhythm Project provided a perfect soundscape for MCs to paint their lyrical masterpieces.

Saturday was a new day and provided new musical experiences for the attendees.  Handmade Moments and their witty, whimsical, old-timey jazz, blues, folk experience from the Ozarks got the day started, and the prior referenced Steve Poltz entertained with his playing, songwriting, and storytelling.   The Garifuna Collective featuring Umalalli came all the way from Belize to make their JTMF debut, and their music was like moths to the flame in the midday sun.  Afternoon sets in the heat of the day can present their challenges for the artists and the attendees alike, but The Garifuna Collective’s blend of modern grooves and traditional Garifuna-dance music had the people really boogying by the end of their set.  Dogon Lights followed with their amalgamation of percussion, hip-hop, world beats, and rock in an outfit comprised of members and/or collaborators of Bassnectar, Hamsa Lila, Beats Antique, Dirtwire, Rising Appalachia, Liberation Movement, and Mickey Hart Band.

Mike Love and his band closed out the daytime sets with their island-roots blend in the vain of Trevor Hall or John Butler.  Yossi Fine made it back to JTMF for the first time since 2009 and entertained the crowd with his band’s unique blend of ancient hypnotic rhythms and electrified guitar grooves layered on top.  Saturday’s headliner was the Bay Area funk/soul rockers Con Brio.  Lead singer Ziek McCarter, a 20-something with the soul of a 40-something, is like a shot of James Brown, a dash of Sam Cooke, a touch of Freddie Mercury, all with a splash of Otis Redding when on stage.  His showmanship in a live setting is matched only by the band’s musicianship, much to the delight of those in attendance.  Con Brio delighted the crowd with originals and covers, including tracks from their first LP Kiss the Sun, their most recent LP Paradise, and their recently released interpretation of Nirvana’s Heart Shaped Box.  (See more on Con Brio with our interview HERE) Late night, per usual, offered two amazing acts for attendees to choose from.  Festival favorite Dirtwire, following up on their infectious set last year, kept the party going into the early morning on the Boogaloo Stage with their distinctive blend of bluegrass/roots, world music, and EDM.  Gabba Evaro, sister to Gene and Bryanna, took to the Café Stage with her band Earth Moon Earth on the heels of their first release Earth Moon Earth, and filled the desert air with their psychedelic electro-synth-pop.

The festival came to a close on Sunday with the charity art auction on many of the pieces painted throughout the festival, as well as the closing sets of music.  Intuit, the reggae, roots, poly-rhythmic funk fusion band from Colorado and Delvon Lamarr Trio’s heavy-organ, power-soul trio kicked things off for the day.  Tuareg guitarist Mdou Moctar from Nigeria, Portland's folk-fusion band the Shook Twins, and the Cumbia-funk band Bicletas por la Paz from the Bay Area moved the festival through the day, while Grammy-nominated Adam Freeland kept the beats going into the night with a monster set to close out the festival.   Make sure to catch the upcoming festivals for Barnett and company, including the collaboration with Brent Dana on the 8th Annual Guitarfish in Cisco Grove, CA July 26-29, and the 12th Annual Joshua Tree Fall Music Festival on October 4-7.

Check out more photos from Joshua Tree Music Festival.

Dead & Company resumed their summer tour last night, after stops in the Northwest and Shoreline, at the Mattress Firm Amphitheater in Chula Vista, CA.  Though the area is gripped in a heat wave like most of the country, the near 100-degree temperatures did not dissuade the faithful from coming out in full force. The boys kicked off the night with the In The Dark Bob Weir cut Hell in a Bucket before dropping the biggest bust out of the night, the Jimmy Reed classic Big Boss Man driven by Oteil Burbridge’s rollicking bass lines and was played for the first time since 6/25/17.  A trio of sing-alongs followed with Tennessee Jed, Row Jimmy, and Friend of the Devil, with the ultimate song featuring an extended keys solo by Jeff Chimenti. Dead & Company continued their use of Bird Song as a jam vehicle with an exploratory Bird Song > Loose Lucy > Bird Song to close out the first set.

The second set opened with the group’s second-ever rendition of Mr. Charlie, a tune debuted by Dead & Company at the Gorge the week prior, giving them their second Pigpen tune of the night with John Mayer again taking vocal duties. Mr. Charlie gave way to a spacey jazz prelude that the crowd could tell was going to lead into the American Beauty classic Truckin’, and they were not disappointed as the chorus of “What a long, strange trip it’s been” cascaded down the hillside.  A hip-shaking New Speedway Boogie followed before hitting the home stretch of the evening. Estimated Profit, complete with an affrettando in the final chorus, opened the door for mid-second-set Shakedown Street, an unusual position for Dead & Company much to the delight of the show goers, before the band stepped off to give the stage to Rhythm Devils Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart for Drums > Space.  I Need Miracle emerged from the psychedelic soundscape of Space and subtly segued into the Beatles classic Dear Prudence.  Being the first show since 4th of July, the second set was fittingly closed with a raucous US Blues.  After a brief step off stage, Dead & Company wrapped up the evening with an acoustic heavy take of Bob Dylan’s Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door.

The Dead & Company Summer tour continues this evening with their first show at Dodger Stadium and Isleta Amphitheater in Albuquerque on Wednesday before closing out this leg of the tour with two shows at the legendary Folsom Field in Boulder on July 13 & 14.

Check out more photos from the show.

Hell in a Bucket, Big Boss Man, Tennessee Jed, Row Jimmy, Friend of the Devil, Bird Song > Loose Lucy > Bird Song

Mr. Charlie, Truckin’ > New Speedway Boogie, Estimated Prophet > Shakedown Street > Drums > Space > Miracle > Dear Prudence > U.S. Blues

Knockin' on Heaven's Door

On July 7, 2018, the seminal five-piece jamband from upstate New York moe. brought their whirlwind Calyphornya tour of nine shows in ten days to a close at the legendary Pappy & Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace.  The tour has taken moe. through 4 nights with Phil Lesh at his resident venue Terrapin Crossroads, as well as stops in Santa Cruz, two nights in San Diego, and one at The Fonda Theater in LA before arriving in Pioneertown.  This is also one of the first tours moe. has been on since Rob Derhak successfully beat oropharyngeal cancer, so the band is followed by a ton of extra energy and excitement.  The venue, beset on all sides by open desert and a Wild West Hollywood set from the 1940’s, has had legendary musical acts including Paul McCartney, Robert Plant, Leon Russell, Sean Lennon, Eric Burdon, Chris Robinson, and Les Claypool grace the stages at the former Cantina.  Pappy & Harriet’s is also the home to the annual Cracker and Camper Van Beethoven Campout.  It was the site where Cracker recorded their most popular album, Platinum-Certified Kerosene Hat, best known for tracks such as the chart-topper “Low” and their cover of the Garcia/Hunter original “Loser”.  On Friday moe. added to that history with their first venture to the historic landmark and pleased the intimate crowd with a few bust-outs to go with a handful of classics. 

moe. kicked off the show with a silky “White Lightning Turpentine”, their first since 4/6/17 before jumping into a succinct version of the 1994 Headseed classic “Threw It All Away”.  “Rainshine”, another song not played since April 2017, gave way to pair of moe. classic segues.  Tin Can and Car Tires originals “It” > “head.”, complete with an 8-minute intro jam into head.  This 1998 paring set up a monster set-closing segue “Jazz Wank” > “Buster” where Chuck Garvey took the reins of the jam in typical fashion and left the grooving crowd on a high note going into the set break.  The second set opened with a 40-minute trio “Water” > “Puebla” > “Silver Sun” before slowing things down a bit for the poignant Rob original “Brittle End”, the first performance of the song since his return.   The fittingly “Good Guys and Bad Guys”-esque “What Can I Say” segued into a rocking “The Pit”, complete with a tease of 2Pac’s “California Love”, for the set closer.  Moe. bid the crowd farewell with a tight, energetic “Tailspin” and put a cap on their historic Californ IA tour. 

moe. has a full plate for the remainder of the year including dates in Aspen, Red Rocks, and a return to the Peach Music Festival in July, a pair of shows at the Saranac Brewery in September where plenty of Hoppy Hour Hero Moe.saic IPA should be on tap, a tour of the Great Northwest in October, and a return to their Tropical Throe.down in Jamaica this coming January.  They’ll also be coming through Nebraska, Missouri, Virginia, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Indiana, and Illinois, so plenty of opportunities to catch them in 2018.      

White Lightning Turpentine (First since 4/6/17), Threw It All Away, Rainshine (4/27/18), It > head., Jazz Wank > Buster

Water > Puebla > Silver Sun, Brittle End (4/28/17), What Can I Say > The Pit

Tailspin

On Thursday, Oct 4, the 13th Annual Fall Joshua Tree Music Festival descended on the Joshua Tree Lake RV & Campground, bringing with it all of the positive vibes, beautiful artwork, healers, instructors and of course musicians that the festival is known for.  Artists from all around the world come to the mystical high-desert location, where Founder Barnett English and his dedicated support team put in months of preparation leading up to each festival.  Something about the festival felt a bit different this time, whether it was a result of the current social environment and current events or just a collection of weight everyone was carrying, but this festival felt more than ever like a relief for all of the participants; a safe place to go where the attendees can all put their differences, troubles, and worries aside and enjoy this magical environment and immerse in this beautiful community.

Thursday always has a balance of excitement and respite for those able to get there early, a smaller more intimate crowd getting themselves acclimated to the surroundings and looking forward to a weekend of music, dancing, and interaction with like-minds from all over.  All of the artists performing Thursday were located on the Boogaloo Stage, an open-air hippie disco complete with areas to lounge, dance, or go above the stage and take in the spanning desert vistas with the music down below.  Local favorite Gene Evaro Jr. and his band got things kicked off with their own brand of desert soul spiced with rock, funk, and spiritual energy.  Raul del Moral was spinning his contagious grooves and break-beats while Mustafa Akbar of Fort Knox Five fame, among many other projects, layered his vocals on top.  Bay Area funksters Afrolicious then took the stage and raised the energy bar with their fusion of African beats, Latin rhythms, funky grooves, and electronic breaks.  Afrolicious had Will Magid (Balkan Bump) on trumpet join them for the whole set, then were joined by Mustafa Akbar for a collection of tunes including a segued jam on Stevie Wonder’s “I Wish” and the debut of their collaborative piece “Power to the People”; an underlying a theme throughout the weekend.  Raul and Mustafa closed out the evening with another set, as festivarians retreated back to their campsites in preparation for the long weekend to come.

Friday morning greeted the attendees with a little breeze and beautiful weather of 80 degrees.  One of the notable differences between the Fall and Spring Joshua Tree Music Festivals is the weather.  Where the spring is typically very warm during the days and moderate at night, the fall weather can be extremely variable from year to year, or even day to day.  This year the weather was very cooperative for the most part, offering warm sunny days and chilly evenings though there were a few bouts of wind that made things interesting in the campgrounds.  Sunny War got the day started on the Java GoGo Café Stage with her brand of Robert Johnson meets Bad Brains, before Edith Crash from France got the day started on the Indian Cove Stage.  Tim Easton, a Nashville/Joshua Tree resident, entertained with his folk/storytelling on the Copper Mountain Stage that included a tribute to John Prine and a “children’s song” that had smiles on everyone’s faces. 

Next up was local star Gisele Woo & the Night Owls, fresh off their Tachevah Music Showcase victory, and their brand of fusion desert rock.  Lead guitarist Christian Colin would be busy for the next few hours as he jumped right from his set with the Night Owls to guest with another local favorite Desert Rhythm Project.  Michael Reyes and company are well known at JTMF for their energy and musicianship, and this year’s performance was no different.  Local MC Wildebeest came out to join them for a few songs, one of which had a little jam on the Beatles “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)” segued in.  Los Angeles Afro-beat dance mavens Earth Arrow continued the weekend’s theme of unity, compassion, and love while sharing an incredible amount of energy in their hip-hop/funk/afro fusion.  The San Francisco soul-stars Monophonics brought their folky, funky, Sly Stone meets JJ Grey style and included a shout out to Bay Area regular Neil Young with their take on “Southern Man.”  The main stage action was closed out with Colorado electronic rock trio Evanoff, as they laid out their “Dream Rock” for the crowd and really got the people moving with their version of Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall (Part II).”  The only time during the festival that sets are overlapping is during the late-night sets depending on your mood.  Jesika Von Rabbit, the ultimate postmodern intergalactic pop provocateur, took the Café Stage and transformed the stage into a psychedelic amalgamation of lights, projections, sounds, and dancers that appealed to all senses.  Over on the Boogaloo stage trumpeter Will Magid and his project Balkan Bump were dropping beats and layering brass and woodwinds throughout.  Some highlights included the guest appearance of “DJ Smooth” and his brief interlude of sax-aerobics and a creative instrumental segue of the Wizard of Oz classic “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” >  Stevie Wonder’s “Isn’t She Lovely” > a heavy dub-step version of The Champs’ “Tequila."

Trevor Green opened things up on Saturday on the Café Stage with his multi-instrument solo performance and got the crow stomping with his take on “Another Brick in the Wall (Part II).”   Bells Atlas and their brand of R&B/Pop/Jazz fusion in the vain of Alabama Shakes got things going back on the main stages, and Selah Poitier kept things jazzy with her hip-hop/jazz/funk blend.  Oakland rockers Whiskerman returned to JTMF, this time with an afternoon set, and welcomed Chris Hoog on sax for his third appearance in the festival, after his joining Afrolicious on Thursday and Balkan Bump on Friday.  The much-anticipated set for Fatoumata Diawara followed on the Indian Cove stage and she did not disappoint.  The international musician, actress, and Women’s Rights Activist took the festival by storm with her intense energy and musicianship, spending the first half of the set primarily on vocals until she strapped on the Gibson SG demonstrated some impressive chops on the six-string.  She kept the Stevie Wonder theme going for the weekend with her performance of “Higher Ground” before closing the set out with a poignant original “Ultimate.”  UK Electronic pioneers The Egg returned to JTMF after their memorable performance in 2013 and had the crowd grooving with their livetronica sound and were complemented by a live artist painting a mural in the background.  The main stage action was closed out by the headliner, funk supergroup Matador! Soul Sounds.  Comprised of Alan Evans (Soulive), Eddie Roberts (New Mastersounds), Chris Spies (Honey Island Swamp Band), Kevin Scott (Jimmy Herring), Adryon de Leon (Orgone), and Kimberly Dawson (Pimps of Joytime), Matador! represents the who’s who of super tight funk bands from around the globe.  The supergroup lived up to the billing and closed out the main stage music in style with a tight, cohesive funkdafied set.   Late night sets included the Desert Rhythm Project doing their hip-hop side project Beats & Rhymes on the Café Stage, where DJ Odyssey, Bryanna Evaro (bass) and Tyler Saraca (drums) provided the beats and Michael Reyes and Wildebeest provided the rhymes.  EVeryman was holding down the Boogaloo Stage with their infectious beats and acute lyrics.

Sunday’s artists that helped close out the festival included the third member of the Evaro family Gabriella Evaro, Joshua Tree local Myshkin Warbler, Carribean/Delta Blues outfit Delgres, LA duo Kolars, and JTMF regulars House of Hamsa and DJ Vir closed out the festivities.  Once again it was a weekend of memorable music, positive vibes, unity, and collaboration presented by Barnett English and company that attendees will not soon forget.

Check out more photos from the autumn Joshua Tree Music Festival.

Southern California Deadheads will be treated to a Jerry Garcia/Grateful Dead musical celebration A Merry Jerry Christmas hosted by legendary Jerry Garcia Band keyboardist Melvin Seals, Furthur/Golden Gate Wingmen guitarist John Kadlecik and bassist Oteil Burbridge from Dead & Company/Allman Brothers Band/Aquarium Rescue Unit at The Fox Theater in Pomona, CA.  The power trio will be joined by special guests and will include special performances from up-and-coming LA-Jamband The Higgs and longtime LA-based Grateful Dead stalwarts Cubensis.  Proceeds from the event will go to Story Book Adventures, a music and literacy program for children in the Inland Empire.

Melvin Seals, Oteil Burbridge and John Kadlecik have teamed up prior to the delight of Jerry fans with Oteil & Friends, and Oteil and Melvin have joined up many times in the last few years for Melvin Seals and JGB and Jerry Garcia Birthday Band performances.

Doors open at 6:00; Show starts at 7:00

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/a-merry-jerry-christmas-with-melvin-seals-oteil-burbridge-john-kadlecik-cubensis-and-the-higgs-tickets-52806784514?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

https://www.facebook.com/events/1935034786533366

There are a few things that most Deadheads can relate to come the holidays: Christmas decorations with LOTS of colorful lights, sitting around with friends and family listening to past shows and reminiscing about the good times, getting to wear your Grateful Dead ugly sweater when its actually appropriate to do so, making plans for your New Year’s run, and Jerry Garcia.  Maybe it’s because the a Dead/JGB show always feels a little like Christmas; maybe it’s all of the Christmas songs like “Run Run Rudolph”, “Jingle Bells”, “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen”, or “Christmas Time’s A-Comin”; or maybe it’s just the striking resemblance in his post-formative years, Christmas time and Jerry Garcia just go together like chestnuts and eggnog.  You can have one without the other, but why would you want to?

On Sunday, December 16, 2018, ambassadors of Jerry’s legacy got together to continue on the wonderful tradition with a Merry Jerry Christmas at the Fox Theater in Pomona, CA.  A classic LA Art-Deco movie house converted into a 2,000-person venue proved to be the perfect setting for such an event. Overhead projectors complete with liquid lights shows and color wheels overlapping various images of Jerry, dancing bears, and fractals gave the whole show a very 60’s feel to it. The crowd was doused in tie-dye, Santa hats, and personal size strands of Christmas lights strewn about, and everyone to a person seemed to be exactly where they meant to be at that time.

The evening started off with The Higgs, one of the up-and-coming jambands from Southern California. Named after the Higgs-Boson particle, also named the God Particle, and is said to contain the ingredient that is supposed to be responsible for giving particles their mass.  I’m not sure about giving particles their mass, but The Higgs gave the crowd a serious rise.  Their infectious grooves and accessible jams helped heat the old floors and walls on the chilly December evening by getting the crowd moving right off the bat. Led by singer/songwriter John Lovero, the jam heavy outfit wound their way through an opening set that showed their influences ranging from Yes to Herbie Hancock, Umphrey’s McGee to Col. Bruce Hampton, and everything in between.

The Merry Jerry Christmas Band hosted by Melvin Seals, John Kadlecik, and Oteil Burbridge, was next on stage. The band kicked off the monster Jerry Garcia Band style set with the Marvin Gaye-penned “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)” just to get the sway and groove started.  John then lead the band on rollicking Garcia original “Run for the Roses” before getting to the first Oteil lead piece of the night in Bob Marley’s “Stop That Train.”  Melvin Seals lead the team on their first big exploration of the night off of J.J. Cale’s masterpiece “After Midnight.”  The song offered a platform for just about everyone to get a little front-and-center improvisational time and was highlighted by Oteil’s riveting scat/bass solo.  John lead again on the JGB staple “Cats Under Stars” before slowing things down a bit for the picturesque Garcia/Hunter original “Stella Blue” with Oteil on lead vocals.  The band wasted little time getting things back to full throttle with a rocked out “Shakedown Street,” complete with Oteil’s Jaco Pastorius style bass riffing, before the John-lead Garcia/Hunter “Mission in the Rain.”  Melvin took lead on the funky-blues Little Milton original “That’s What Love Will Make You Do,” while John followed up with lead on an emotional “Dear Prudence.”  The monster set was closed out with a perfect trifecta; Oteil took lead on the JGB staple Gamorrah before John leads the all-star group through the Jesse Stone penned/Roy Hamilton famed “Don’t Let Go” before closing the night out with Peter Rowan / Old and In The Way’s “Midnight Moonlight.”

LA-based Grateful Dead stalwarts Cubensis took the stage for the final set of the night filled with special guests, though seemingly without one of their trusty guitarists Craig Marshall who was sidelined with a broken shoulder.  Cubensis kicked things off with a trio of favorites, including “Bertha,” “Tenessee Jed,” and “Friend of the Devil” before bringing their first special guest. Lisa and Helena from the Merry Jerry Christmas Band joined with the MC for the whole evening Taylor for a spacey “Feel Like a Stanger” with keyboardist Tom Ryan taking lead vocals with his Brent Mydland-esque tone, which then gave way to the classic combo “China Cat Sunflower” > “I Know You Rider” with Taylor still in tow.  The girls came back out, and Taylor handed the stage ax over to none other than Craig Marshall, broken shoulder and all. Craig took lead on “Wheel” before transitioning to the show closing run of Terrapin Station > Drums > Space > Not Fade Away.  A rotating cast of musicians joined the stage during the drums and space segment, that included Santa on a djembe before closing things out in classic Dead fashion with the amalgamated band on the Buddy Holly and the Crickets original.

Check out more photos from the show.

On April 19, 2019, Vermont-based jam-rockers Twiddle made a stop during their Spring Tour at the Sherman Theater in Stroudsburg, PA while being supported by Gatos Blancos.  Before Twiddle took the stage on Friday evening, they had an engagement in Milford, CT as the house band for the Dan Patrick Show in anticipation of the 4/20 holiday.  Their on-air songs included their original “River Drift” as well as covers of the Game of Thrones theme, Led Zeppelin’s “D’yer Mak’er”  (which naturally led to a discussion between DP and the Danettes regarding the actual pronunciation: Jah – MAY – kah), “All Along the Watchtower”, and their Meat Friday parody of the Stealers Wheel classic “Stuck in the Meatsweats With You”.

Opener Gatos Blancos, comprised of Pappy Biondo (Scranton/Wilkes-Barre based Cabinet) on electric banjo, John Kimock (Mike Gordon Band, KIMOCK) on drums, Dylan Skursky (Cabinet, Brad Parsons & Starbird) on Bass and Upright Bass, and Al Smith (Brad Parsons & Starbird) on percussion and keys, used their brand of Americana-Funk fusion to heat up the 90-year-old theater as the crowd came rolling in from the rain.  Their set comprised of originals and covers, including a set opening “Shady Grove”, with a distinctive groove laid on top the Appalachia traditional song made famous in the jam world by Jerry Garcia and David Grisman on their album of the same name, and concluded with a guest appearance from Twiddle’s own Mihali Savoulidis for the set-closing take on the Toots and The Maytals “54-46 Was My Number” > Sublime’s “Garden Grove” > “54-46 Reprise”.  The collaboration included some energetic interplay between Biondo and Mihali and some shared mic time on the vocals between the two.

Twiddle, consisting of Mihali on guitar, Ryan Dempsey on Keys, Zdenek Gubb on Bass, and Brook Jordan on drums, then took the stage around 9:30 for their two sets to the mostly packed venue, opening with a jam-centric, 4-song first set.  Twiddle opened with the accessible, reggae-tinged“Invisible Ink” before taking off with an extended “Subconscious Prelude” > “Polluted Beauty” > “Subconscious Prelude” and finishing with a monster “Gatsby the Great” to close out the first set.  The second set took a decidedly Umphrey’s McGee-esque turn with the technical “Peas and Carrots”, followed by drummer Jordan taking lead vocals on “Machine” before returning to another technically driven jam “Doinkinbonk!!!”.  The second set concluded with a run of “Bronze Fingers”, “Carter Candlestick” and the PLUMP Chapter 1 track “White Light” to close the set out.  The boys returned to give the fans a Keller Williams/String Cheese Incident classic a turn with “Best Feeling” for the encore.

The boys wrapped up a hot show on a cold, wet night for the fans in Stroudsburg while preparing for their 3-set performance the following evening in Brooklyn, joined by prodigy guitarist Taz Neiderauer and pedal steel aficionado Robert Randolph.  Catch Twiddle as they wind their way through the country in the next week with longtime friends Pigeons Playing Ping Pong on the road to their co-bill performance at Red Rocks on May 2 before their festival circuit begins.  This summer they will be performing at a multitude of festivals, including StrangeCreek Campout, Mountain Jam Music Festival in Bethel, NY, Electric Forest, Camp Bisco, LOCKN’ and The Werk Out Music Festival, as well as hosting their annual festival Tumble Down Festival in Burlington on 7/26 – 7/27.

Check out more photos from the show.

Guitarist Steve Kimock is celebrate 25 years of Steve Kimock & Friends with a mini fall tour of the Northeast this month. Steve Kimock will be joined by keyboardist Jeff Chimenti (Dead & Company, RatDog, Further), bassist Reed Mathis (Tea Leaf Green, Golden Gate Wingmen, Billy & the Kids) and drummer John Kimock (KIMOCK, Mike Gordon, Gatos Blancos) for the tour.  On September 28 Steve Kimock will bring his group's psychedelic, improvisational, funky swamp-rock outfit to close out the tour at a familiar haunt, the Ardmore Music Hall just outside of Philadelphia, PA.

Also be sure to check out Live Dead '69 coming November 3rd t@ Ardmore Music Hall!

LIVE DEAD '69 is an experimental band, employing the style of extemporization & improvisation made famous by San Francisco's Grateful Dead in the late 1960s, and featuring actual members of Grateful Dead, Rat Dog, The Other Ones and Jefferson Starship and will be performing live on Sunday Nov 3 at the Ardmore Music Hall just outside of Philadelphia.  LIVE DEAD ‘69 has acquired a stellar, heady reputation, first performing the classic “Live Dead” (recorded in 1969) in its entirety; then, applying Grateful Dead’s zeitgeist of extemporization and interpretive improvisation beyond an ever expanding repertoire, much of which is created entirely ‘in the moment’ – without rehearsal or traditional ‘preparation.’   The band is comprised of Grateful Dead pianist Tom "T.C." Constanten, guitarist Mark Karan (RatDog, Other Ones), bassist Robin Sylvester (RatDog), Guitarist Slick Aguilar (Jefferson Starship, KBC), and Joe Chirco (David Nelson Band) and they will be recreating the Grateful Dead's Woodstock '69 set in addition to a second set of Grateful Dead originals, covers, and improvisations.

Purchase tickets at:

https://www.ardmoremusic.com/calendar/

Steve Kimock and Friends wrapped up their mini-tour of the Northeast Saturday night to a sold-out Ardmore Music Hall just outside Philadelphia.  The night was started by Hayley Jane (Hayley Jane and the Primates) performing a solo acoustic set as the crowd worked their way in off the streets.  By the time her set was halfway through the crowd had largely filled the 600-person venue and were often delighted by Hayley Jane’s whimsical and heartfelt set where she showed her penchant for meaningful songwriting, powerful vocals, and complimentary guitar play.  She blended original songs with a witty banter and audience interplay throughout the performance.

Steve Kimock and Friends next took the stage following a short break, at which time the full house was abuzz with anticipation.  The current iteration of Kimock and Friends includes Jeff Chimenti (Dead and Company) on keys, bassist Reed Mathis (Tea Leaf Green, Billy & The Kids), and his son and regular playing partner John Kimock (KIMOCK, Mike Gordon) on drums.  Kimock and Friends shows are typically known for being long on musical content and short on song count and tonight was no exception.  The first set opened with a 20+ minute “Ice Cream”, a Kimock classic off of the 2005 release Eudemonic, and provided the first of many instances where Chimenti and Kimock were lockstep, trading licks like they’ve been touring together for decades.  A jazzy, downtempo instrumental version of the Grateful Dead’s “Bird Song >The Other One Jam > Bird Song” featured Kimock on the lap steel for the first time of the evening.  Supported throughout the night by the deep pockets Mathis and John Kimock provided, Kimock and Chimenti took turns exploring the Grateful Dead classics and thrilling the crowd all the while.  The first set wrapped up with the funky Kimock original “There’s Gonna be Butter” before closing with Peter Rowan/Seatrain’s “Mississippi Moon” done with the style and pacing Jerry Garcia was known for playing, sans the vocals.

The second set kicked off with another Kimock original, the funky-boogaloo “You’re the One” before sending the Chimenti/Kimock interplay to a new level with Oscar Pederson’s jazz-gospel track “Hymn to Freedom”.  Chimenti found plenty of room to explore on the jazz original, and Kimock did as he’s wont to do layering hypnotic slides over the Chimenti’s organ.  The crowd was then treated to another instrumental of Grateful Dead originals “Help on the Way > Slipknot!”.  Mathis and John Kimock kept the pace going throughout and the highlight was the vast exploration that occurred by each band member during Slipknot! that clocked in at almost 10 minutes on its own, before closing out the set with the Kimock original “One for Brother Mike”.  After a brief break the band took the stage one last time with an instrumental take on the Dead’s “Stella Blue” for the encore, once again featuring Kimock on the lap steel as he serenaded the crowd with an emotive take on the Garcia/Hunter tune.

Check out more photos from the show.

1: Ice Cream, Bird Song > TOO Jam > Bird Song, There’s Gonna Be Butter, Mississippi Moon

2: You’re the One, Hymn to Freedom, Help on the Way > Slipknot!, One for Brother Mike

E: Stella Blue

The 14th Annual Joshua Tree Fall Music Festival took place on October 10 – October 13, 2019, at the Joshua Tree Lake RV and Campground.  Founder and curator Barnett English put together an eclectic and energizing lineup that offered music from all corners of the globe with influences styles from the last 70 years represented.  Though the weather was not ideal, with high winds Thursday and evenings dropping down into the ’40s, the festivarians were not deterred and the Burning Man-esque campground was filled with the usual elaborate campsites and mini structures built to sustain the elements.

Thursday’s music took place on the Boogaloo Stage as a way to get the festival going, with live acts performing on stage and DJ Long/Division spinning from up on the balcony overlooking the stage.  First up was Thursday Afternoon, a group of young musicians (ages 8-16) that have been getting together every Thursday to jam and explore their experiences musically stepped on the Joshua Tree Music Festival stage for the very first time.  Next up was The Flusters, a surf rock meets 80’s synth-pop outfit from nearby Palm Desert, CA.  Dressed in black suits and two-toned shoes, The Flusters introduced their unique sound to the Joshua Tree Music Festival scene and was very well received by the crowd, with music that could simultaneously transport the listener to 50’s sock hop and an 80’s roller rink.  Check out our interview with the Flusters here.  Thursday’s lineup was rounded out by repeat performer Earth Arrow, a socially conscious afro-hip-hop band out of LA, and Long/Division’s closing set.

Friday kicked off in a traditional manner with an assortment of folk and vibrations, including local musicians Amanda Davis and Myshkin Warbler, as well as Markus Meurer Didj Journey that involved a rotating cast of musicians supporting a variety of Didgeridooists.  Next on the stage was the Gold Souls, a funk/soul band out of Sacramento led by uber-talented vocalist Juniper Waller complete with a vintage sound and a fresh approach to songwriting and composition. 

World music was the theme for the next few performances, with Psychedelic Cumbia purveyors Ocho Ojos from Indio, CA and hunnu rock band The Hu, bringing their hard rock and Mongolian throat singing with traditional Mongolian instruments on their first-ever North America tour with sold-out dates across the country. 

Joshua Tree Music Festival stalwarts and fan favorites Desert Rhythm Project took the stage with multi-talented Micheal Reyes on drum kit in addition to his usual lead guitar and vocals roles, while Bryanna Evaro dropped her usual bombs on the bass.  Friday headliners from Oakland, The California Honeydrops, closed out the music in on the main stages with their timeless blend of R&B, Delta Blues, and Southern Soul.  The late-night performers included electro-funk all-stars Russ Liquid Test on the Boogaloo Stage and prog/psychedelic rockers from Austin, TX Megafauna held court on the Java GoGo Café Stage.

Following another chilly evening, the sun came out and with it came the first set on the main stages performed by Gabriella Evaro performing a solo set to get things started.  Steve Polz, a long-time JTMF performer, entertained the early afternoon crowd with his acoustic originals and covers, including a heartfelt “Box of Rain” as tribute to Robert Hunter, accompanied by compelling storytelling. 

Delta-soul performers The Cole Williams Band, and one-man wrecking crew Zach Deputy followed and set the stage for the post sundown sets in the music bowl.  JTMF veterans from Portland, OR Yak Attack next took the stage, demonstrating how far their brand of organic electronica has come since their debut in 2015.  Festival headliners North Mississippi Allstars showed once again why they are one of the best touring bands on the jam-band circuit.  A set that included cuts from their most recent album, Up and Rolling, as well as songs from throughout their catalogue, NMA offered up fan favorites including “Shake(Yo Mama)”, “What You Gonna Do?”, and a deep Delta-Blues take on “Goin’ Down the Road Feeling Bad”.  Late-night-goers were treated to The Cactus Wine Experience, a country-western burlesque show, on the Café Stage and Electro-soul DJ Marques Wyatt on the Boogaloo Stage. 

Sunday’s performers included finger-picking social-activist Diana Gameros, world-groove rockers The Amritakripa Band, funk-soul fusion jammers from New Orleans Water Seed, Mali/Berkley, CA based Orchestra Gold with their brand of analog/African Dance meets psychedelic soul lead by singer/dancer Malian Mariam Diakaté, afro-beat fusion artists Elektric Voodoo, and electric-groove producer Adam Freeland closed up the action.  The initial lineup for the spring festival (5/14/20 – 5/17/20) is already available here (https://joshuatreemusicfestival.com/whos-playing-may-2020/), which includes Moon Hooch, Afrolicious, and Jesika Von Rabbit to name a few, so get your tickets early and join in the high-desert fun!

The Flusters, hailing from nearby Palm Desert, CA, made their Joshua Tree Music Festival debut on October 10, 2019, with their post-sundown set on the Boogaloo Stage.  Their live performance offers a bit of a time warp, from the black suits and two-toned shoes to the surf guitar meets 80’s synth blend, The Flusters offer a live music experience unlike anything you will have seen before, a kind of vintage psychedelic sock-hop synth party.  Lead signer Dougie VanSant Jr. sells the show with his charisma and engagement with the crowd while being surrounded by critical contributors Danny White (Guitar/Vox), Mario Estrada (Bass/Vox), and Daniel Perry (Drums).  Their Joshua Tree performance also included their producer, Will Sturgeon, on keys, and helped get the festival off on the right foot. 

GW: To start off, maybe you guys give a little bit of background on how you guys got together, who you guys formed. 

Dougie VanSant: The month was November, the year was 2015.  Danny and I here met at a musical event we were both playing separately at and decided to get together to put together a couple of songs I had rattling around for years prior but hadn’t done anything with.  Long story short we formed The Flusters with the core four (Dougie, Danny, Mario, and Daniel), well core five but we’ll get into that a little bit later, but the core four was formed soon after that in 2016 and we’ve been the same lineup ever since.  Tonight we present the core five to include our keyboard player and co-producer who is present on all of the tracks on Dreamsurf.

GW: In terms of musical influences, what external musical influences do you feel you bring into your sound. 

DVS:  It started with what we like to call our touchtone song, you know Tito and Tarauntula is the band that was featured in From Dusk Till Dawn, that vampire band that’s in the scene with Selma Hayek’s famous snake dance, and I remember seeing that and thinking that I want to be in a smoky, sultry, surfy sounding band one day.  Danny and I got together and started putting those types of licks together, so to make a long story short, in the very beginning, it starts with Elvis, Roy Orbison, and Dick Dale.  Danny can tell you a bit more about our connection with Dick Dale.

Danny White: Yeah so it started with getting invited out to a Dick Dale show at The Coach House in San Juan Capistrano and we got to meet him and talk to him.  I stayed in touch with him and he needed a roadie to change strings and shine his guitar and stuff like that, so I got to spend a little more than a month with them on the road.  I had zero experience with this west coast surf thing; I’m from Mississippi so I grew up playing blues and gospel, so I had to really reformat what I did. 

DVS:  It goes from Dick Dale and Roy Orbison and that whole era of the first phase of rock and roll.  Then it goes into our love of the Pixies, The Smiths, Tears for Fears.  So it goes through an indie-rock type filter.  We’ll have songs that sound like Band of Horses, or something more melodic/folk kind of stuff.  Will brings in his influence as well from writing all the keys parts of the sound.

Will Sturgeon: I’m influenced by the Flusters, it’s kind of a positive feedback loop.[laughs]  I come from a more producorial standpoint, so I’m focused on trying to basically take what the Flusters are doing and try to enhance it where and when I can, when it’s needed.  I can’t remember the last time I played keys with you guys live, probably Coachella.  Moving forward with the Flusters sound, they’re getting a lot more into synth-heavy stuff which aligns well with what I’m getting into.  I’ve got a really great Juno 60 synth that really adds a nice sparkle on the songs. 

GW: What is the dynamic of the creation of a song; is there a typical flow or is it a collaborative effort?

DVS:  It’s interesting that you ask that question because, as you listen to Dreamsurf, you start to hear this very palpable progression.  As I said earlier when we started I had these songs I had rattling around in my head so I had these skeletons of songs to start with and us working together to not only flush those songs out but flush out what we wanted to sound like as a band.  It allowed us to start with a clean slate to identify what is it we want to say and how do we want to say it.  In the middle of Dreamsurf you’ll start to see a little bit of a change in the sound and the progression.  At that point, the Flusters sound was developed after the first EP that was released, and Dreamsurf was a collection of the first songs we wrote as a band.  So it included our EP, a previously released single, with 6 new tracks that were never released before.  And through that, you see, as the songs go on, more input and more influence from all members.  Now, more than ever, with our new single When We Were Young in 2020, and some other songs that we’re going to play tonight that are unrecorded and unreleased, you’ll see that happening a lot more, with input from each member.  Much more of a group effort in songwriting, keep growing and changing as a group.  We’re lucky enough to be growing and changing in the same direction.

GW: What do you guys have on the horizon in terms of upcoming tours or festival performances, or anything along those lines.

DVS:  It’s funny how this whole concept came together when it did and more importantly where it did.  It happened in a place where all things vintage are really celebrated.  Palm Springs is not just poolside parties and things, but it has this whole modernism-vintage playground of Hollywood, Sinatra-Marilyn Monroe-esque feel to it.  We fit really well there because we have a sound that is a nod to that era, with the black suits and the two-toned shoes and the vintage-sounding music.  We very lucky to be offered a lot of high-caliber corporate-like parties.  Our next one is a rooftop party the Kimpton for Palm Spring’s Modernism fall preview party.  We played at the Palm Springs Airspace Museum for a bunch of Geologists; we’re doing an event at the Palm Springs Convention center for 2,000 educators, so we get to do a lot of cool things indie bands don’t typically get to do.  We also have a music video releasing, for the final track of our album Dreamsurf “When Will Then Be Now”.  That’s releasing on Oct 22; it is the highest budget thing we’ve ever done and was all shot out at the Salton Sea.  That will be done with a release show at Hotel Café in Los Angeles.

GW: What do you guys see for The Flusters in 2020 musically?

DW: A New Album, a new look, a new sound.  Like Will mentioned earlier more synth-heavy stuff.

DVS: A concept of ours is that we are very heavily influenced by paranormal phenomena, UFO phenomena, time travel theory, things like this.  We have this interest in the weird, you know, the unexplained.  It’s no surprise we would take our sound and push it to the far corners, we have so many influences and such a strong core sound that we can venture out into these corners comfortably and keep that Flusters sound.  Think surf licks over 80’s synth music.  It’s also largely unchartered, we’ve brothered up enough to the point that we know wherever we go together it’s going to be good.

Check out their newest video release for “When Will Then Be Now” (https://youtu.be/PdMt53OV3n4) and their latest album Dreamsurf (http://www.theflusters.com/music.html).

On Sunday, November 3, 2019, Tom Constanten, Grateful Dead keys player from late 1968- early 1970, brought his Live Dead ’69 celebration to the Ardmore Music Hall just outside of Philadelphia.  Comprised of Slick Aguilar (Jefferson Starship/David Crosby Band) and Mark Karan (RatDog/Other Ones) trading spots on lead and rhythm guitar, Robin Sylvester (RatDog) on bass and long-time Dead collaborator Ezra Lipp on drums.  The fall tour, which concludes on 11/8/19, has included a tribute set to Grateful Dead’s Woodstock performance that TC participated in some 50 years earlier, as well as songs from throughout the Grateful Dead catalogue done with the style and pacing of songs traditionally played during the ’69 era.

T.C. got the evening started with a mini-solo set that included his “prayer” offering of The Animals' “House of the Rising Sun” into The Who’s “Behind Blue Eyes.  After a brief story about Robert Hunter, TC concluded the mini-set with a version of the traditional “Brighton Camp”.  The rest of his bandmates joined him on stage where Lipp took first vocal duties on a peppy take of “Shakedown Street”.  The band kept the swing going with “Big Railroad Blues”, “Sugaree”, “Bertha”, and “Me and My Uncle”, before taking things off the psychedelic ledge with brief but jam-packed versions of “The Other One” and “Playin’ in the Band” to close out the set.

The second set kicked off the Woodstock tribute portion of the show, working through more succinct versions of the songs played at Woodstock, starting “St. Steven > The Eleven”, complete with “William Tell Bridge”, and Merle Haggard’s “Mama Tried”.  A spacey “Dark Star” was followed by an emotional “High Time” before concluding with “Lovelight” complete with Mark Karan filling the “Pigpen Rap” role.  The highlight of the show then followed with a dark and brooding take on Reverend Gary Davis’ “Death Don’t Have No Mercy”, before lifting the mood and the pace to close out the set with fan favorites “China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider” and “Scarlet Begonias”.  The boys returned to the stage for traditional encore cuts of “US Blues” and “And We Bid You Goodnight”.   The band will be in Washington DC on 11/6 and Pittsburgh on 11/7 before concluding the tour at Penn’s Peak in Jim Thorpe PA on 11/8.  You can also catch them as part of their scheduled March tour in 2020.

Check out more photos from the show.

TC Solo

House of the Rising Sun > Behind Blue Eyes, Brighton Camp

Set 1

Shakedown Street, Big Railroad Blues, Sugaree, Bertha, Me and My Uncle, The Other One, Playin’ in the Band

Set 2

St. Steven > The Eleven, Mama Tried, Dark Star, High Time, Lovelight > Death Don’t Have No Mercy, China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider, Scarlet Begonias

Encore

US Blues, And We Bid You Goodnight

Steve Kimock brought his famed Voodoo Dead experience to the Ardmore Music Hall in Ardmore, PA on Feb 5, 2020.  Kimock was joined by legendary New Orleans bassist George Porter, Jr. (The Meters, Porter-Baptiste-Stoltz), Al Schnier on guitar and vocals, and regular collaborators Jeff Chimenti (Dead & Company, RatDog) on keys and John Kimock (KIMOCK, Mike Gordon) on drums.  Voodoo Dead takes the Grateful Dead catalog and spices it up Cajun style with a real bayou/funk flair.

Voodoo Dead greeted the sold-out club with a sultry “Loose Lucy” with Al on vox to get the crowd loosened up before going into an Al-led “Bertha” that featured some extended solo work for Jeff.  Porter took vocal duties on the ensuing “Black Muddy River” that winded into an extended and energetic take on Johnny Cash’s “Big River.”  The Voodoo was certainly felt on the subsequent-Porter-led version of The Hawketts’ “Mardi Gras Mambo” before closing the set out with Clark and Resnick’s “Good Lovin’.” 

After a brief intermission the funk was still clearly alive with a southern-psychedelic run at “Help on the Way > Slipknot!” while eschewing the traditional “Franklin’s Tower” in the segue for a monster “Big Railroad Blues.”  Porter once again took lead on vocals for Jerry’s “They Love Each Other” before the band pulled out all of the swamp left in the tank for a deep, dark, bluesy “New Speedway Boogie > Smokestack Lightning > Speedway Reprise.”  Voodoo Dead closed the night out in the second set with a classic Dead closer, the Cricket’s “Not Fade Away,” featuring some intricate guitar work from Kimock before returning to the closing refrain.

Voodoo Dead finishes up their two show Northeast run at the Capital Theater last night (2/6) before heading out for three shows in Japan next week.  They will then finish up the spring installment of Voodoo Dead with a series of April shows at Skull & Roses (Ventura, CA), Boulder Theater, Gothic Theater (Englewood, CO), and their annual Jazz Fest performances in New Orleans.  Kimock and his bandmates will be touring the country all year with their respective projects, including dates for Zero in May, Dead & Company at Jazz Fest, and a tour that was just announced for this summer, as well as moe. with a stop in Atlantic City in February and a tour out west in March.

Check out more photos from the show.

Set 1

Loose Lucy, Bertha, Black Muddy River, Big River, Mardi Gras Mambo, Good Lovin’

Set 2

Help on the Way > Slipknot! > Big Railroad Blues, They Love Each Other, New Speedway Boogie > Smokestack Lightning > Speedway Reprise, Not Fade Away

The start of the fall Joshua Tree Music Festival on Thursday October 6, 2022, founder Barnett English and his cadre of volunteers and supporters invited guests back for the first restrictions-free event since October 2019.  Gone were the attendance restrictions and limitations from the events of the prior year and a half.  The festival saw the return of countless musicians and various media artists putting their creativity on full display with paintings, sculptures, lighting displays, and fixtures to gaze upon throughout the festival grounds.  Thursday night offers a chance for all the individuals who worked tirelessly to get the grounds ready for the festival, to put the finishing touches on the facilities and enjoy the fruits of their labors with the early arrivers at the festival and some kickoff activities.

Thursday night launched the festival with an Art Gallery opening featuring the works of a variety of artists that would be demonstrating their abilities for the festivarians on 8ft by 5ft canvases sprinkled through around the lake and throughout the Music Bowl during the weekend.  While people were enjoying the snacks, drinks and viewing the art works on display, Mtn Girl was setup on an impromptu stage just outside the gallery for a spacey, psyche-rock set to get the musical juices flowing.  Cytrus opened up the Boogaloo Stage then with their blend of Hard Rock, Jam, and Hip-hop and closed their set with a creative medley called Paranoid Barracuda Man (Paranoid- Black Sabbath, Enter Sandman-Metallica, and Barracuda-Heart) that was well received by fans and first-time listeners alike.  The first evening closed with Ian Winters spinning beats and rhythms for the dancers left to finish off the night before retreating back to the camping area.

Friday was greeted by sunshine and Tia Wood playing a duo set of originals and covers, waking up the festival with her beautifully haunting vocals and touching stories from her Reservation.  Sierra Marin and The Robbi Robb’and kept things light and folksy as the attendance began to swell.  Mitchum Yacoub took the mainstage at 3 to start ratcheting up the tempo and energy as the day began to make its way towards night, providing a funky, world-beat set lead by multi-instrumentalist Mitchum Yacoub and a team of brass and woodwinds, percussionists, and JTMF regular Piper Robison on Bass.  Movie Club and Galaxe offered options for those with divergent tastes, with Movie Club playing an instrumental rock set on the Boogaloo Stage and Galaxe offering a spoken word and DJ experience on the Café Stage.  Joshua Tree resident and longtime contributor to JTMF, Mikey Reyes took the stage with a group of high and low desert inhabitants for a hip-hop party known as Mikey Reyes and the Feeling.  The Friday headliner was Ghost Note, featuring the Grammy-winning percussion duo from Snarky Puppy Robert Spurt Searight and Nate Werth.  Fittingly kicking off their set with a take on James Brown’s Payback, their high-energy funk synchronized perfectly with the high desert landscape and dazzling laser and lights show.  divaDanielle took the Boogaloo stage as the final act of the night, mixing originals and classics into her dance party set to close out the evening.

Local desert music legend Giselle Woo and her duo with Janine Rivera, Las Tias, opened up the Café Stage on Saturday morning with their beautiful folk music steeped in local and Mexican American traditions.  Other performances during the midday desert sun included Symone French & The Trouille Troupe with originals and covers of Bonnie Raitt’s Love Sneakin’ Up on You, Sly and the Family Stone’s If You Want Me to Stay and Stevie Wonder’s Superstition, as well as Corrine West’s impeccable songwriting and guitar work on the Boogaloo stage.  Longtime JTMF performer Trevor Green took the Indian Cove stage for his first set of the weekend and was accompanied by a full band, comprised of musicians from Groove Sessions to compliment his usual one-man-band approach.  Replete with his signature six and twelve-string guitars and Didgeridoo, Trevor rollicked through his set and helped set the stage for the evening performers. Year of the Crow, led by Edgar Hernandez, was next up on the Boogaloo stage and were accompanied by Tia Wood for the second half of their set.  One of the highlights of the festival was Brass Against, running through a host of brass renditions of Rage Against the Machine songs as well as other classic like Led Zeppelin’s Black Dog and Radiohead’s National Anthem.  The headliner Saturday Ibibio Sound Machine, an electro-funk outfit based in London and lead by the infectious Eno Williams, and threw down a laser-filled, high-energy afro-funk set to close out the music bowl shows for the evening.

Sunday’s performers included second performances by Trevor Green and Gisele Woo, the Argentinian folk fusion trio Fémina, Bay Area funksters Smoked Out Soul, and the festival closed with seminal JTMF artists House of Hamsa and their unique brand of world-beats folktronica.  All-in-all it was a tremendous weekend put on by Barnett and company, with displays of love and creativity around every corner.  As the festival goers made their way back to the real world, they could take solace in the fact that they can come back again next year!

Twiddle continued their Distance Makes the Heart tour on Sat Jan 21 with their Sold-Out performance at the legendary Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ. Mihali Savoulidis and the boys came to the coastal Jersey town on a chilly night with Philly-based Great Time in support. Stone Pony has a long history of hosting NJ greats like Springsteen and Bon Jovi in early stages of their career, and has been a common stop since the early 2000’s for jambands coming through the Jersey area to perform the indoor venue as well as the outdoor stage during the summer. Famous for their walls adorned with signed guitars of performing artists who have taken the stage, the venue was packed to the gills that with fans hoping to see Twiddle at least one last time before the bad embarks on their indefinite hiatus.

Great Time opened up the evening with their genre-bending tunes that puts a shake in your hips smile on your lips. With Zack Hartman on Bass, Donnie Spackman on Drums, and Jill Ryan on Vocals, Flute, and Drums, Great Time provided the perfect start to the main act’s upcoming sets. The anticipation was building after Great Time’s set as the main viewing section of the 850-person venue was packing in like sardines, and after a couple of false starts with keyboardist Ryan Dempsey coming on stage for a little sticker maintenance, the band took the stage to a raucous applause.

The current touring band includes Mihali on lead guitar and lead vox, Ryan on Keys, Zdenek Gubb on Bass, and Adrian Tramontano (The Breakfast, Kung Fu) still filling in for drummer Brook Jordan. The show opened with the Plump tune Orlando’s, making its first 1:1 appearance since opening their set at Gem & Jam in 2020.  Catapillar followed, including a tease of Phish’s First Tube, then gave way to The Devil, the first song of the night from the most recent album "Every Last Leaf. The jam-heavy first set closed out with a loaded Beethoven and Greene > Frankenfoote.

The second set picked up right where the first left off with the first The Frends Theme since Frendsgiving at the Capitol Theatre in November. New-ish tune Mildew Man then made 2 appearances, sandwiching Grateful Dead’s Shakedown Street, before they finished the show with a run of tunes from the early 2010’s. Classic pairing of Hattie’s Jam > When it Rains it Pours was followed up by "Somewhere on the Mountain" tracks Wasabi Eruption > The Box. The show closed out how it started with a tune off of "Plump" with White Light as the encore.

Set 1: Orlando’s, Catapillar, The Devil, Beethoven and Greene > Frankenfoote
Set 2: The FRENDS Theme, Mildew Man > Shakedown St. > Mildew Man, Hattie’s Jam > When it Rains it Pours, Wasabi Eruption > The Box
Encore: White Light

Make sure to catch Twiddle on this tour before they go on hiatus!  

1/22 - Harrisburg, PA – HMAC* Rescheduled to 1/29 due to health issues
1/27 - Ithaca, NY - State Theatre
1/28 - Providence, RI - The Strand
2/18 - Tempe, AZ - Marquee Theatre
2/19 - Tucson, AZ - 191 Toole
2/22 - San Luis Obispo, CA - Fremont Theater
2/23 - San Diego, CA - Belly Up Solana Beach
2/24 - Los Angeles, CA - Roxy Theatre
2/25 - San Francisco, CA - The Independent
2/26 - Crystal Bay, NV - Crystal Bay Crown Room
3/1 - Portland, OR - Star Theater
3/2 - Seattle, WA - The Crocodile
3/3 - Bend, OR - Domino Room
3/4 - Boise, ID - The Olympic
3/5 - Bozeman, MT - The Elm
3/7 - Jackson Hole, WY - Mangy Moose
3/8 - Salt Lake City, UT - Commonwealth Room
3/9 - Aspen, CO - Belly Up Aspen
3/10 - Denver, CO - Ogden Theatre
3/11 - Denver, CO - Ogden Theatre
3/12 - Frisco, CO - 10 Mile Music Hall

Last night, on a chilly evening in Orange County, NY, Anders Osborne and Jonathan Sloane played their first stop in an intimate 8-city acoustic tour of City Winery locations this side of the Mississippi. The original City Winery location was established in 2008 by the Knitting Factory founder Michael Dorf in Hudson Square, NYC.  After a handful more locations opened in cities around the country, the Montgomery location was opened in 2020 after a 2-year renovation of the 200-year-old, 60,000 sq ft textile mill into a fully functioning winery, tasting room, and 250-person performance venue with complementary outdoor grounds for the warmer months.  

Jonathan Sloane started the evening off with a brief solo set of originals off his 2018 album “Alive and Well” and a well-received take on the Rolling Stones’ Loving Cup before Anders came out to join on the last song of his set, a fitting tribute to David Crosby with the “Déjà Vu” classic Almost Cut My Hair.  Anders kept the crowd entertained with some witty banter while the duo got setup for their set as he showed a unique ability to immediately engage and connect with the audience around him.  The setlist was comprised largely of songs from the most recent 10 years of music for a musician whose catalogue spans over 30-years, with an emphasis on tracks from the 2021 release “Orpheus and Mermaids”.  The setlist included some amusing anecdotes about the origins of some of the songs, in addition to Fools Gold and Different Drum from “Flower Box” and Move Back to Mississippi and Lafayette from the 2016 album “Space Dust and Ocean Views”.  After a standing ovation concluded Lafayette, the duo stayed on stage for one more and closed with the emotive Earthly Things from the aforementioned “Orpheus and Mermaids” that left the room standing in appreciation as the two walked off the stage.  

In addition to the duo acoustic tour, Anders will also be performing at the Bacchus Bash during Mardi Gras, Hogs For the Cause with the Devon Allman Project in the Crescent City at the end of March, and a handful of NOLA Crawfish Festival/JazzFest appearances the first week of May.

FEB 3, 2023 City Winery Philadelphia, PA
Intimate Solo Acoustic Performance w/ special guest Jonathan Sloane
FEB 4, 2023 City Winery New York, NY SOLD OUT
Intimate Solo Acoustic Performance w/ special guest Jonathan Sloane
FEB 5, 2023 City Winery Boston, MA
Intimate Solo Acoustic Performance w/ special guest Jonathan Sloane
FEB 19, 2023 Bacchus Bash @ Tipitina's New Orleans, LA
w/ George Porter Jr, Stanton Moore, Dave Malone, David Torkanowsky and Brad Walker & The Hornstars & opening set by RumpelSTEELskin
FEB 24, 2023 Railgarten Memphis, TN
Intimate Solo Acoustic Performance w/ special guest Jonathan Sloane
FEB 25, 2023 City Winery Chicago, IL
Intimate Solo Acoustic Performance w/ special guest Jonathan Sloane
FEB 26, 2023 City Winery Nashville, TN
Intimate Solo Acoustic Performance w/ special guest Jonathan Sloane
FEB 27, 2023 City Winery Atlanta, GA
Intimate Solo Acoustic Performance w/ special guest Jonathan Sloane
MAR 31, 2023 Hogs For The Cause New Orleans, LA
performing w/ The Devon Allman Project
APR 27, 2023 Tipitina's New Orleans, LA
w/ Anna Moss & The Nightshades
MAY 3, 2023 NOLA Crawfish Festival New Orleans, LA
w/ ANDERS OSBORNE, GEORGE PORTER. JR, IVAN NEVILLE & STANTON MOORE
MAY 4, 2023 Dead Feat @ Republic NOLA New Orleans, LA
MAY 6, 2023 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival New Orleans, LA
NOV 4, 2023 - NOV 11, 2023 The Big Easy Cruise Fort Lauderdale, FL
From Ft. Lauderdale to New Orleans and Cozumel, Mexico

On a cool and crisp evening in the heart of Delaware Water Gap, Sake-bar/brewery Sango Kura hosted a night of eclectic sounds and groovy beats. The headliner for the evening was the dynamic and genre-bending musicians, Marco Benevento (Drums - JRAD, Benevento/Russo Duo) and Dave Dreiwitz (Upright and Electric Bass - Ween, JRAD), who promised to take the audience on a journey through their unique blend of jazz, rock, and experimental music.

Opening the evening was Bethlehem, PA-based Rubix Pube and their brand of self-described Mountain-Based Mutant Rock. Comprised of Vanessa Marchiano (Vox, Guitar, assorted toys) Rob Shepherd (Bass) Daniel Rivera (Drums), Rubix Pube put on show that would have been just as much at home at Max’s Kansas City in the 70’s as Sango Kura in 2023.  The trio powered through set of fuzz and distortion, mixed with some comedy and some shock value, and were not light on entertainment.

Marco Benevento and Dave Dreiwitz are both highly skilled musicians known for their dynamic and improvisational performances. Together, they create a unique and eclectic sound that blends rock, jazz, and experimental music with a splash of Ween. They brought a loose, improvisational set, constantly shifting and evolving their sound, adding layers of melody and rhythm to create a rich and textured soundscape.

One thing that sets Benevento and Dreiwitz apart is their ability to seamlessly blend different styles and genres of music. This makes their performances unpredictable and exciting, as you never know where the music will take you next.  They also welcomed Chuck Cooper, the older brother Jay Cooper, owner of Sango Kura, on stage to join during the evening.

Overall, the Marco Benevento and Dave Dreiwitz duo show was a high-energy, immersive experience that will leave the crowd thoroughly entertained.

Marco Benevento came to Underground Arts in Philadelphia on Saturday night for the 2nd stop of a 9-day, 9-city tour with his trio, comprised of Karina Rykman (bass) and Chris Corsico (drums), and supported by Mike Dillon & Punkadelick. Underground Arts, once a storage building for the Reading Railroad, has been converted into a modern performance space with multiple stages and bars. The venue is designed to create an intimate and immersive experience for the audience, with the stages and seating areas placed in close proximity to the performers. It is a popular destination for music and art lovers in Philadelphia, known for its eclectic mix of performances and vibrant atmosphere.

Mike Dillon & Punkadelick, consisting of Dillon (Vibraphone and Percussion), Brian Haas (Keys and Melodica) and Nikki Glaspie (Drums), is a project that combines elements of punk rock and funk with improvisation and experimentation. The music is portrayed through high-energy performances, complex rhythms, and unconventional instrumentation. Dillon's percussion and vibraphone playing are a prominent feature of the band's sound. The band took a run through their most recent release, “Inflorescence”, and played the January ’23 release in its entirety. With Glaspie’s tight rhythms creating the canvas, Haas and Dillon were free to paint their sonic colors within the lines, outside the lines, and all over the room.

Marco Benevento and company took the stage after a brief intermission and wasted no time launching into a high-energy set of covers and originals. With Rykman and Corsico locked into the pocket together, Marco layered his piano, keys and vocals overtop to create a psychedelic fusion of blues, jazz, rock, and tiny side of pop.  Positivity and enjoyment radiated from the three musicians as they effortlessly transitioned from one tune to the next, taking time to put on goofy sunglasses and Marco donning a white boa throughout the set, and playing ear-to-ear for the crowd.  Some highlights included one of Marco’s more easily recognizable tracks Let it Slide, off the album bearing the same name, as well as the show closing Limbs of a Pine > Jump into the fire, featuring a bass solo by Rykman before segueing into a raucous take on the Harry Nilsson original.

Make sure to check out the trio if their marathon tour stops in a city near you.

TUE, MAR 14   BEACHLAND BALLROOM                        CLEVELAND, OH

WED, MAR 15 LINCOLN HALL                                           CHICAGO, IL

THU, MAR 16   THE BACK ROOM @ COLECTIVO              MILWAUKEE, WI

FRI, MAR 17     TURF CLUB                                                ST PAUL, MN

SAT, MAR 18    HIGH NOON SALOON                             MADISON, WI

THU, APR 27    PRESS ROOM                                            PORTSMOUTH, NH     

FRI, APR 28      PRESS ROOM                                            PORTSMOUTH, NH      SOLD OUT

SAT, APR 29     PRESS ROOM                                            PORTSMOUTH, NH

SAT, APR 29     SOUNDCHECK STUDIOS                         PEMBROKE, MA          

WED, MAY 3    NOLA CRAWFISH FESTIVAL                   NEW ORLEANS, LA

SAT, MAY 6      BLUE NILE                                                  NEW ORLEANS, LA

The Box of Rain band took the stage Saturday night at the Sherman Theater for an evening celebrating the Grateful Dead catalogue and musical stylings circa ‘68-’74.  Led by Bob Stirner (Living Earth, Boris Garcia) on lead guitar and vocals, the six-piece, and sometimes seven-piece when “Pig Pen” (aka John Bernstein) would join the stage, wound their way through an evening of period specific dead tunes to an elated and receptive crowd.  The band is comprised of members various Dead and Garcia related projects including Living Earth, Boris Garcia, Half Step, and Bear’s Choice.

The crowd danced and mingled through 2 sets comprised of long-time staples like Birdsong, Cumberland Blues, and Looks Like Rain, some songs more frequent during the ‘68-'74 time period like Big Boss Man, Her Comes Sunshine and New Speedway Boogie, and some deeper cuts from that same era like Chinatown Shuffle.  The band seemed determined to save the best for last, bringing Bernstein back for his role on vocals and harp for the Bobby Bland original Turn on Your Lovelight before closing out the evening with a rousing take on Bonnie Dobson’s Morning Dew that could have been cropped straight out a Europe ’72 show.  

They have a few more shows coming up this spring in Pennsylvania.  If you have the chance to see them, you won’t be disappointed.

April 8, 2023        Phantom Power        Millersville, PA
April 28, 2023        River Street Jazz Café        Plains, PA

Scranton-based bluegrass-jammers Cabinet made the second stop on their spring tour Saturday night when they invaded the Sherman Theater in Strousdburg, PA.  Formed in 2006, Cabinet is a seven-piece band that combines bluegrass, folk, country, and rock to create a distinctive sound that also pays tribute to traditional styles. The band is composed of J.P. Biondo (mandolin and vox), Pappy Biondo (banjo and vox), Mickey Coviello (guitar and vox), Todd Kopec (fiddle and vox), Dylan Skursky (bass and vox), “Nugget” Brian Gorby (percussion) and Jami Novak (drums and percussion). Cabinet's skillful instrumentation, tight vocal harmonies, and well-crafted songwriting always dominate their live performances, which are also renowned for their high-energy and improvisational jams showcasing extended solos and interplay between the various musicians.

Cabinet is joined on this April spring tour by FERD as they hit stops throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. Blending folk, bluegrass, and blues traditions with Mississippi Delta roots, FERD creates original tunes that exude a lively, traditional sound with the added punch of deep bass and a searing banjo. FERD came to fruition over the span of almost 15 years, when Ferd Moyse, formerly of the Hackensaw Boys, first crossed paths with banjoist and vocalist Matt Morelock in 2007 and double-bassist Chris Stevens thereafter. Between the two outfits, there would be no lack of representation from the Bluegrass, Delta, and Appalachia musical communities on the evening.

Situated in Stroudsburg, PA, the Sherman Theater is an historical performing arts center that was originally constructed as a vaudeville theater in 1928. The venue has undergone modernization and renovations to cater to a diverse range of concerts and other events. The main stage at the Sherman Theater is generously sized and features a large proscenium arch, as well as cutting-edge sound and state-of-the-art lighting equipment. With a combination of traditional theater seating, floor-standing areas, a balcony, and various private boxes designated for VIP guests, the venue has a capacity of over 1,500 attendees.

FERD opened with an energetic set comprised of originals off their debut release Feelin’ Like the Wind and covers as the crowd began to filter in off the street. Moyse held down the majority of lead vocals for FERD as his fiddle layered over Morelock’s rhythmic banjo and Stevens’ bass holding down time. Pappy (Banjo) and Nugget (Tin-Can Hambone) came out to lend a hand on the Hackensaw Boys tune “Radio” before FERD closed out their set back on their own. By the time Cabinet took the stage, the near-capacity crowd was itching for a foot-stomping good time. The first set was highlighted “Pine Billy”, with the audience providing the vocals on the response, “Nine Pound Hammer” featuring solos by J.P., Pappy, Mickey, and Todd. The always popular “The Tower” set the stage before closing out the set with the all-out hootenanny known as “Susquehanna Breakdown”. The second set injected a bit more electric instrumentation and psychedelia right off the rip the highlight of the evening.  Opening the second set was “Caroline > Mr. Spaceman > Silver Sun” full of spacey jam sections, audience singalongs, and instrument switches.  The audience gave their support vocalizing the refrain in Caroline, which started with Mickey and Pappy on electric guitars and Dylan on electric bass, before segueing into Mr. Spaceman. Mr. Spaceman featured a bit of duel between J.P. and Mickey, before Pappy joined Nugget behind the percussion kit for an aptly situated spacey jam that gave way to Silver Sun, featuring J.P. on the banjo and Pappy on the electric guitar. Other second set highlights included a combo off the 2012 release Leap, “Diamond Joe” > “Eleanor” as well as the encore “Heavy Rain” > “Treesap”.  

Cabinet and FERD will continue their April tour through the end of the month, including stops in NYC, Charlottesville, and Philadelphia, before kicking off their festival schedule with StrangeCreek Campout at the end of May. Catch Cabinet this spring as they come to a city near you.  

Cabinet 04/15/23 – Sherman Theater

Set One:
Po's Reel, Gumboots, Pine Billy, Another Good Thing is Come and Gone, Old Farmer's Mill, Nine Pound Hammer, Doors, Poorman's Blues, Cut Down Tree, The Tower, Susquehanna Breakdown

Set Two:
Caroline > Mr. Spaceman > Silver Sun, Cards, Down on the Farm, The Dove, Wheels, Diamond Joe > Eleanor, Miss Molly

Encore:
Heavy Rain > Treesap

Cabinet w/ FERD Spring Tour

APR 16 SUN    The Met @ 6:00pm                     Pawtucket, RI
APR 17 MON    Cafe Wha? @ 7:00pm                    New York, NY
APR 20 THU     The Southern Cafe and Music Hall @ 8:00pm    Charlottesville, VA
APR 21 FRI    The Monument @ 7:00pm                Winchester, VA
APR 22 SAT    The Recher @ 7:00pm                Towson, MD
APR 23 SUN    Ardmore Music Hall @ 7:00pm            Ardmore, PA

Goose concluded their spring tour and west coast trip on Saturday with a jam-heavy evening at the Cal Coast Open Air Theater on the campus of San Diego State University. Coming on the heels of their first shows at the sold-out Warfield in San Francisco the prior two nights, the boys from Connecticut offered a treat to their fans with an improvisation-laden show to cap off a spring tour full of sold-out shows, venue debuts, bust-outs, and the announcement of their first ever European Tour. With an average song time of 14 minutes, the 10-song show left plenty of room for some cohesive exploration throughout the night.

Kicking off the cool evening shortly after sundown was a fast version of “Echo of a Rose”, sitting as a show-opener for the first time since the Capitol Theatre run in March.  Echo slipped into the first Dripfield song of the evening with “Whales”, where lead guitarist Rick Mitarotonda took the reins and delighted the crowd with a peak defining solo before all coming back together for the closing refrain.

Things throttled down to a heavy-funky groove for a monster “Rockdale” as full darkness outside set in and provided lighting director Andrew Goedde opportunity to display his wares. With Trevor Weekz (bass), Ben Atkind (Drums) and Jeff Arevalo (Percussion) deep in the pocket, Rick and Peter Anspach (Keys, Guitar) were free to explore in the vast spaces provided by the rhythm section. This version featured a brief venture into “Loose Ends” before dropping the tempo back down into the close of the Rockdale.

There was an audible excitement from the crowd when the opening notes of “Lead Up” started, sitting as one of the newest songs Goose has added to their already extensive catalogue. Debuted during the Cap run, the song was a well-placed breather with a solid yet straightforward composition before the band jumped into the set closer “Arcadia”.

Many fans count Arcadia among the initial songs that got them hooked, the Moon Cabin track marked by Peter’s clavinet, Rick’s vocals, and the ability for the song to be performed in a straight-forward, raged out approach or a Type II exploratory manner. Arcadia can be like a snowflake that feels different each time you hear it. This night’s take was an extended version of the former, a constant buildup that peaked and closed the set out with a bang.

Following a 15-minute set break, the band picked up right where they left off and followed a 5-song first set with a 4-song second set. Kicking off the set was a song that immediately became a staple after its debut in early 2022 as the crowd roared with the opening notes of “Hungersite”. The 20-minute version left nothing to chance and was certainly one of the highlights of the evening.

Hungersite then segued into an upbeat “Creatures” that wound its way through to one of the best received song selections and biggest bust out of the night, the National Lampoon’s Animal House and fictitious band Otis Day & the Knights track “Shama Lama Ding Dong”.

The second set fittingly closed the evening with a 20-minute version of the self-titled “Dripfield” that did not disappoint even the most critical of fans.  The night was closed out with the funky, danceable “Hot Tea” that allowed each of the artists to showcase their talents one last time before ending the evening. 

The band will be following their wildly successful Spring Tour and will kick off their summer tour/festival circuit with 2 nights in New Orleans to headline the Daze Between festival this week and an appearance at the 25th Anniversary Summer Camp before starting their summer schedule in earnest in June. Be sure to catch this rising act if you have not yet already done so!

Pink Talking Fish made the penultimate stop on their spring tour with a visit to the Sherman Theater in Stroudsburg, PA on Saturday night. The band consisting of Cal Kehoe (Guitar/Vox), Eric Gould (Bass/Vox), Richard James (Keys/Vox), and Zack Burwick (Drums), took to the stage to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Pink Floyd’s epic album Dark Side of the Moon by playing it in its entirety for the first set. Throughout this tour, Pink Talking Fish has used the second set to either revert to their more standard set arrangement by performing a collection of Pink Floyd, Talking Heads, and Phish songs or they celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Talking Heads seminal film Stop Making Sense.

On this evening they would be performing the former in the second set, but first they would take on the daunting task of performing Dark Side of the Moon in full. The crowd cheered as the first heartbeats pulsed from Burwick’s station and the band kicked off “Speak to Me/Breathe(In The Air) > On the Run > Time” trifecta with precision, staying mostly within the lines provided by the original creators. As many Pink Floyd fans who hear Dark Side played in its entirety know, the next song, “Great Gig in the Sky”, can either make or break a band’s performance of the album. Some discussions were had ahead of time as to whether the band would have a female vocalist for the part, if someone would go full Trey circa ’98 and attempt it themselves, or would they fall back on instrumentation for the critical transitionary song that moves the album theme away from the day-to-day, black-and-white life to the deep introspection and complexity of the world in full color.

Kehoe stepped up to the plate in a big way using his guitar to soar through the arrangement and really nail the difficult piece. The band seemed to get an extra shot of adrenaline from the prior song and slipped right into a thunderous “Money” lead by James on Vocals and driven by Gould on bass. The band offered a little treat of teasing “Roggae” before transitioning into the always emotive “Us and Them”. The always funky “Any Colour You Like” was fresh and lively, complete with a little “Stash” tease, and then gave way to the closing duo “Brain Damage > Eclipse”. The crowd sang loudly along the final verses of Eclipse and then the band stepped away for a little well-deserved break before the second set.

PTF wasted no time getting things off to a raucous start in the second set with Gould dropping bombs on the Story of the Ghost danceable classic “Moma Dance”. Talking Heads got their first song of the night with “Houses in Motion” from the legendary ‘80 album Remain in the Light. One of the true highlights of the evening followed as the band started the opening notes of the Phish’s epic “You Enjoy Myself”. But before the song could truly take flight, it was clear the trampolines that had also been brought out on stage would have to wait as Pink Floyd’s “Dogs”, from the ’77 album Animals, would be explored in full before the band returned to YEM. Talking Heads was next on the menu with a creative approach to well-known “This Must Be the Place (Naïve Melody)” before leading into one of the more cosmic events of the evening. Lighting director Vin Pugliese got a chance to really shine with the band’s take on the Vida Blue original “Most Events Aren’t Planned”, a song that has made its way into Phish’s backend rotation since being debuted in 2017. Now for the cosmic part; MLB Hall-of-fame pitcher Vida Blue, whom the band lead by Page McConnell is named after and even joined onstage in 2004, passed away that very same night. However, news of his passing wasn’t made public until the following morning.

Finishing up the set in a fitting fashion based on the above was Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here” and Talking Heads “Once in a Lifetime”. After a standing applause from the crowd, Kehoe came out solo to perform the Foo Fighters’ “Everlong” before the rest of the band joined him for a full-throttle take on the Beastie Boys “Sabotage” that transitioned into a show closing “Eclipse (Reprise)”.

As is always the case with a Pink Talking Fish show, the creative quartet left no stone unturned and provided a solid performance all the way around by deviating stylistically where they see fit yet always maintaining a central integrity of the original material. They finish up their spring tour on May 13 at the state Theater in Portland, ME and then have some time off before they start their summer circuit in late June. Be sure to catch them as they travel to a festival near you!

May. 26 - 29, 2023       StrangeCreek Campout 2023                                             Greenfield, MA

May. 27 - 28, 2023       Surf Hotel                                                                            Buena Vista, CO             

Jun. 22 - 25, 2023         Beardfest 2023                                                                   Hammonton, NJ

Jun. 23 - 25, 2023         Back Home Festival 2023                                                      New Martinsville, WV      

Sat, Jul. 1, 2023            Cisco Brewers Portsmouth                                                      Portsmouth, NH

Jul. 7 - 9, 2023               Dead of Summer Music Festival 2023                 Manchester, VT

Jul. 14 - 16, 2023          Jerry Jam 2023                                                                    Cabot, VT

Jul. 21 - 23, 2023          Nelson Ledges Quarry Park Grateful Fest 2023       Garrettsville, OH

Friday night Dave Mason made the journey to Penn’s Peak in Jim Thorpe, PA for a night of memories and Rock n' Roll on his “Endangered Species” tour. Situated on a mountaintop in northeastern PA, Penn’s Peak is a unique music venue located away from the hustle and bustle of urban and suburban life. The venue is well known for its fantastic sightlines and wonderful acoustics; Penn’s Peak provides the setting for a truly memorable evening of music.

The near-capacity crowd had started to filter in when the opening act took the stage. Hailing from nearby Scranton, PA, blues musician Clarence Spady delighted those in attendance with a set of originals and covers, including “If My Life Was a Book” from his most recent album Surrender and the ubiquitous Robert Johnson classic “Sweet Home Chicago”. Spady finished his solo set and was sent off with raucous applause, having earned more than a handful of new fans.

Dave Mason and his star-studded ensemble took the stage for an unforgettable evening of classic hits from Traffic and Mason's landmark 1970 debut album, Alone Together. His band was a quartet of remarkable talent: the dexterous Johnne Sambataro on guitar and vocals, the rhythmic genius Marty Fera on drums, Bill Mason's masterful keyboard playing and vocal contributions, and Ray Cardwell's robust bass and vocal performances.

The evening's energy ignited as the band opened with the first track from Alone Together, "Only You Know and I Know." A song crafted by Mason during his tenure with Delaney & Bonnie, its performance laid the perfect groundwork for the night ahead. Following this, the audience was treated to a triumvirate of songs pulled directly from Traffic's celebrated discography. Included in this lineup was the iconic "Rock and Roll Stew" from Low Spark of High Heeled Boys, as well as "Pearly Queen" and "Forty Thousand Headmen" – both originating from Mason's inaugural experience with Traffic on their self-titled album.

The journey continued through the rich landscape of Mason's solo work, with inspired renditions of "World in Changes," "Every Woman," and the poignant "We Just Disagree." In a moment of raw intimacy, Mason shared captivating stories of his time with Delaney & Bonnie and the tour with Blind Faith. This narrative set the stage for the powerful performance of Blind Faith's iconic "Can't Find My Way Home," much to the audience's delight. This unforgettable night was a testament to the enduring power of Mason's music and his undeniable influence on the rock genre.

The title track from Low Spark of High Heeled Boys kicked off the more jam-centric portion of the evening, allowing the band to explore the complex arrangement and giving a great vehicle for each of the musicians to showcase their talents. Mason then reminisced about the importance of having an actual album back in the day, the work going into developing the album, the cover, and content provided, and then joked about the additional uses the albums themselves had in helping give a surface for the “cleaning” process, before jumping into the Alone Together classic “You Shouldn’t Have Took More Than You Gave”. “Road Dogs” represented the lone contemporary track of the evening, written in 2021, a rock track dedicated to a musician’s life on the road. The set wrapped up with an energetic Traffic/Dylan pairing of “Dear. Mr. Fantasy” > “All Along the Watchtower”.

Mason closed out the night with what is likely the most well-known, and certainly most widely covered, song he’s ever written in “Feelin’ Alright”. The sing-along encore brought the crowd to their feet and sent everyone out with smiles on their faces and music in their hearts. Be sure to catch Dave Mason as he continues his “Endangered Species” tour.

'Only You Know and I Know, Rock and Roll Stew, Pearly Queen, Forty Thousand Headmen, World in Changes, Every Woman, We Just Disagree, Look at You Look at Me, Can’t Find My Way Home, Low Spark of High Heeled Boys, You Shouldn’t Have Took More Than You Gave, Road Dogs, Dear Mr Fantasy > All Along the Watchtower

E: Feelin’ Alright

JUL 24 MON        Orpheum Theater @ 8:00pm         Madison, WI
JUL 25 TUE        Pantages Theatre @ 7:00pm         Minneapolis, MN
JUL 27 THU        City Auditorium @ 7:30pm        Eureka Springs, AR
JUL 31 MON        Boulder Theater @ 8:00pm        Boulder, CO
AUG 2 WED        Gothic Theatre @ 8:00pm        Englewood, CO
SEP 9 SAT        Rialto Theater @ 7:30pm        Tacoma, WA    
SEP 10 SUN        Bing Crosby House @ 8:00pm    Spokane, WA
SEP 14 THU        Montalvo Arts Center @ 7:30pm    Saratoga, CA    
SEP 15 FRI        Montalvo Arts Center @ 7:30pm    Saratoga, CA
SEP 16 SAT        Harrah's Lake Tahoe @ 7:30pm    Stateline, NV    
SEP 17 SUN        Uptown Theatre Napa @ 7:30pm    Napa, CA
SEP 19 TUE        The Center For the Arts @ 7:30pm    Grass Valley, CA    
SEP 20 WED        Golden State Theatre @ 8:00pm    Monterey, CA
SEP 22 FRI        Poway Center for the Performing Arts @ 7:30pm    Poway, CA
SEP 23 SAT        Solvang Festival Theater @ 7:00pm    Solvang, CA
SEP 25 MON        Coach House Concert Hall @ 8:00pm    San Juan Capistrano, CA
SEP 28 THU        Fremont Theater @ 8:00pm        San Luis Obispo, CA, United States

The Billy and the Kids “Dead on the Water: Pier to Pier” concert series wrapped up on Friday night with their appearance at the rooftop venue Pier 17 in New York City.  Overlooking the Brooklyn Bridge, Pier 17’s location has a rich history dating back to the Dutch West India Company in 1625, the venue and surrounding area underwent major reconstruction in the 2010s and reopened to the public in 2018. Billy and the Kids put on a performance at Baltimore’s Pier 6 on Wednesday that was still being talked about amongst the crowd before the show, and anticipation for a newly announced guest to be joining added to the excitement.

This rendition of Billy Kreutzmann’s brainchild consists of the usual suspects Aron Magner on keys (Disco Biscuits), Reed Mathis on bass (Electric Beethoven, Tea Leaf Green), and Tom Hamilton on Guitar/Vox, as well as new “Kids” Jeff Franca on percussion (Thievery Corp.) and Daniel Donato on guitar/vox (Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country). Mandolin virtuoso and vocalist Sierra Hull being a late addition, with saxophonist/vocalist James Casey having to drop out to focus on his health while battling late-stage colon cancer, helped bring a bit of a bright light on a somber note.

The venue was packed to the gills with Deadheads young and old, with nary a place to stand outside of the outskirts well before showtime. The early curfew of 10 pm meant the band was making their way to the stage not long after 6 pm, hours before the sun would set. The daytime setting and bustling city background juxtaposed the relaxed mood of the first set, with some more deliberate takes on Grateful Dead classics dominating the early going. The band wasted no time jumping right in with grooving “China Cat Sunflower” before Sierra Hull made her way to the stage to take the lead on the Marvin Gaye classic “How Sweet it is (To be Loved by You)”, a staple in Jerry Garcia Band shows. The band went back to the Grateful Dead catalog with clean takes on “Truckin’”, “The Race is On” and “Candyman” with Hull aptly handling lead duties on the latter two songs. The Americana feel of the show continued as Mathis took the lead on Dylan’s “When I Paint My Masterpiece”, while Hull’s electric mandolin made its first appearance as she resumed lead vocals on a bumping “Cumberland Blues” before the band closed the set with a consciously-paced “Built to Last” featuring Hamilton and Donato splitting vocal duties.

Set break washed over the crowd but few seemed interested in giving up the spots they had secured earlier in the night, many stayed close by as old friends caught up for pictures, new acquaintances forged connections, and the sun finally made its way behind the skyline to offer a canvas for the lighting in the second set. The second set kicked off just as darkness began to settle in with Billy and Jeff coming out for their version of Rhythm Devils to kick off the second set, while the remaining members made their way onto the stage to segue “Drums” into a brief “Space” before surprising most in attendance with the Bob Marley & the Wailers original “Could You Be Loved”.  The Marley track gave way to a full band singalong in “Uncle John’s Band” before Hamilton took the reins on the Garcia/Hunter duo “Birdsong > Liberty”.

One of the entertaining parts of seeing Billy and the Kids is having all the dynamic setlist possibilities their shows offer. It’s not unusual for the shows to be heavily dominated by typical songs in the Grateful Dead and JGB would repertoire, they will also throw the occasional one in from left field to keep the crowd on their toes.  Wednesday night they broke out Stevie Wonder’s “Boogie on Reggae Woman” and Patti Smith’s “Because the Night”; on this night it was the aforementioned "Could You Be Loved" and Al Green’s “Take Me to the River”, which was only played by the Grateful Dead a handful of times in the fateful last spring and summer tours. The second set closed out on a really high note with the unique but appropriate pairing of “Wharf Rat” > “Franklin’s Tower”, the latter featured some impressive work by Magner on keys and a riveting solo from Hull on electric mandolin.

The night closed out very much like it began, a bit of returning to roots with a spin on the Everly Brothers/Felice and Boudleaux Bryant classic “Wake Up Little Susie” and an acapella “And We Bid You Goodnight” to send the crowd off with smiles on their faces and music in their hearts.  

You can contribute to James Casey's GoFundMe page at this location (https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-james-caseys-colon-cancer-battle).

The String Cheese Incident made a stop at Penn’s Peak in Jim Thorpe, PA on Thursday night in the midst of their tour with Willie Nelson and his Outlaw Music Festival.  The venue was packed to the gills when showtime hit at 7:30 and the crowd was treated to an evening of SCI songs new and old, full of their signature blend of concise songwriting and exploratory instrumentals that kept the people dancing from the first beat to the very last.  There is something cosmically right about The String Cheese Incident laying it down on a Thursday night in a rustic, acoustically enhanced music venue perched on the top of a mountain in the Poconos.  

The boys from Colorado kicked things off with Jason Hann (Percussion) and Michael Travis (Drums) on each other’s rig and opened with a peppy “Sweet Spot”, off of the 2017 release Believe, before they rolled right into the first “Eye Know Why” since the Red Rocks shows in July. The Hann original “Magna” then lead the way to a couple of 1998 classics 100 Year Flood > Dudley’s Kitchen. The set finished off with a creative pairing between the Peter Rowan original “Midnight Moonlight”, which segued into the Kyle Hollingsworth (Keys/Vox) penned “Trip the Light Fantastic” with a silky bluegrass -> electronica transition between songs.  

The second set picked up right where the first set left off with the infectious “All We Got”, lead by Keith Moseley’s (Bass/Vox) rollicking bass lines, before taking a more decidedly jazzy/bluegrass turn with the next run of songs after Michael Kang’s (5-String Mandolin) “Water” kicked things off.  The Weather Report original “Birdland” sandwiched the grassy traditional instrumental from Born on the Wrong Planet “The Remington Ride”.  

The country/bluegrass theme persisted with Bill Nershi’s (Guitar/Vox) “Eventually”, the only song of the night from the newly released album Lend Me a Hand, before giving way to a pair of instrumentals; the Tim O’Brien classic “Land’s End” and the live show staple “Glory Chords”.  The night kicked into high gear to close out the 2nd set following a “Drums” interlude from Travis and Hann with Nershi’s classic “Outside and Inside” that gave way to the set closing hit “Rosie”.  Following a well-deserved ovation and encore break, the band came back out to close the night with a take on Bob Marley’s “Could You Be Loved”.

Be sure to catch The String Cheese Incident as they make their way through the northeast and Midwest with the Outlaw Music Festival in September, down in Florida for their annual Suwanee Hulaween Festival, their three-night run at Stubb’s in Austin in November, or their NYE run at the Fox Theater in Oakland.  

The String Cheese Incident – 9/14/23 Penn’s Peak - Jim Thorpe, PA

Sweet Spot, Eye Know Why, Manga, 100 Year Flood > Dudley's Kitchen, Midnight Moonlight > Trip The Light Fantastic

All We Got, Water > Birdland > The Remington Ride > Birdland Reprise, Eventually > Land's End > Glory Chords > Drums > Outside And Inside > Rosie

Could You Be Loved

Never miss a Sunday Show! The Wood Brothers continued their fall tour in support of their new album "Heart Is The Hero" on Sunday night at Penn’s Peak in Jim Thorpe, PA. The rustic mountaintop venue suited the Folk/Americana/Blues outfit’s style to a tee as they thrilled the crowd with a masterful evening of music. The Wood Brothers are comprised of Oliver Wood's smooth vocals and guitar, Chris Wood's masterful bass skills and vocals, and Jano Rix's percussion and keyboard contributions, which combine to create a rich and diverse sound.

Opening the night was Lancaster, PA native Maya De Vitry, formerly of the Straybirds, and her duo mate Joel Timmons for an acoustic set. The skilled singer/songwriter/storyteller De Vitry led the duo through some originals and covers, including one of her newest tracks “Stacy, in Her Wedding Gown” and the Roly Salley original “Killing the Blues,” often more recognized for the versions done by John Prine or Alison Krauss and Robert Plant.

By the end of the 40-minute set, as a listener, you felt like you had some insight into the life and experiences of De Vitry and how those experiences shaped her music. She concluded their set with a comment that she has purchased more tickets to see The Wood Brothers perform than any other artist, and she now is on tour opening for them.

The Wood Brothers then took the stage to run through a set primarily composed of originals, with a few entries off of the most recent album, including “Far from Alone” and the title track “Heart is the Hero”. The band also worked their way through a handful of tracks off of the 2020 album "Kingdom in My Mind," including “Little Bit Broken”, “Jitterbug Love”, and “Satisfied”. Rix came out from behind the kit for a few songs, including the well-known “Keep Me Around” from "Muse," to don his Shuitar; the byproduct of a beat-up acoustic guitar getting a Cajon makeover and becoming a dynamic, wearable drumkit. De Vitry came out to join the band for the title track “Muse” before inviting Timmons to join them for “Luckiest Man” for a real highlight of the evening.

After a nice ovation following their set, they came out for a 3-song encore including the aforementioned "Satisfied," as well as the "Smoke Ting Halo" track “Made it up the Mountain,” before closing it out with a cover of the Band’s legendary 1975 track “Ophelia”.

The Wood Brothers offered an engaging set that clearly delighted the crowd that had made the venture out on a Sunday night. Their music carries deep and emotional themes, and their live performances convey these feelings with authenticity and sincerity. You can really experience a profound connection to the music and the lyrics.

The Wood Brothers experience is marked by exceptional musicianship, intimate connections, and a sense of camaraderie among fellow concertgoers. It's a musical journey that appeals to the heart and soul, leaving you with lasting memories and a deeper appreciation for their artistry. Be sure to catch them on their fall tour as they continue throughout the east coast and Chicago.

Upcoming tour dates:

OCT 26 THU    Union Transfer @ 8:00pm    w/Maya de Vitry    Philadelphia, PA
OCT 27 FRI    Flynn Center @ 8:00pm    w/Maya de Vitry    Burlington, VT
OCT 28 SAT    Palace Theatre @ 8:00pm    w/Maya de Vitry    Albany, NY
OCT 29 SUN    Cabot Theater @ 7:00pm    w/Maya de Vitry    Beverly, MA
NOV 17 FRI    A Beyond Hunger Benefit Concert - Thalia Hall @ 8:00pm    Chicago, IL
NOV 18 SAT    A Beyond Hunger Benefit Concert - Fitzgerald's @ 8:00pm    Berwyn, IL
NOV 30 THU    Culture Room @ 7:30pm    w/The Watson Twins    Fort Lauderdale, FL
DEC 1 FRI    Orange Blossom Revue 2023 @ 7:00pm            Lake Wales, FL
DEC 2 SAT    Ponte Vedra Concert Hall @ 8:00pm    w/The Watson Twins    Ponte Vedra, FL
DEC 3 SUN    Vinyl Music Hall @ 8:00pm    w/The Watson Twins        Pensacola, FL
DEC 5 TUE    Tipitina's @ 8:00pm        w/The Watson Twins        New Orleans, LA
DEC 6 WED    Iron City @ 8:00pm        w/The Watson Twins        Birmingham, AL
DEC 7 THU    Georgia Theatre @ 7:30pm    w/The Watson Twins        Athens, GA
DEC 8 FRI    Charleston Music Hall @ 8:00pm    w/The Watson Twins    Charleston, SC
DEC 9 SAT    Charleston Music Hall @ 8:00pm    w/The Watson Twins     Charleston, SC

Railroad Earth's Horn O'Plenty concerts have become an annual Thanksgiving tradition, featuring multiple nights of performances by the band along with special guests opening each night. Since 2006, the band has graced the stage at the Sherman Theater every Thanksgiving, marking the commencement of the holiday tour season. This year, RRE chose Serene Green and Owl & Crow to open the shows on Friday and Saturday nights, respectively.

Serene Green, a traditional bluegrass band from Pennsylvania, comprises Quentin Fisher (Mandolin), Michael Johnson (Guitar), Steve Leonard (Banjo), Sam Zolla (Bass), and Katelynn Casper (Fiddle). They delighted the audience with a mix of originals and covers, including a stunning rendition of Dolly Parton’s “Do I Ever Cross Your Mind,” featuring Casper in the challenging lead vocal role.

Owl & Crow, performing on Saturday night, included Pennsylvania bluegrass legends JP and Pappy Biondo, regulars at the Sherman Theater. Known for leading the Scranton-based bluegrass band Cabinet with their Mandolin and Banjo, the duo, as Owl & Crow, switched to acoustic guitars to deliver Appalachian flair. They even invited RRE’s Tim Carbone to join them on the Fiddle for several songs.

Railroad Earth is celebrated for their eclectic musical style, blending elements from various genres into their concerts. Expect a dynamic range of sounds, from foot-stomping, dirt-kicking bluegrass tunes to introspective, folk-inspired melodies. Their live performances are notable for skillful improvisation. Known for extended jams, the band allows each member to showcase their musical prowess, taking the audience on an immersive musical journey. RRE's dedicated fan community was evident at Horn O’Plenty, as evidenced by the substantial food donations contributed at the entrance. The band, featuring Todd Sheaffer (Guitar/Vox), Tim Carbone (Fiddle/Vox), John Skehan (Mandolin/Vox), Carey Harmon (Drums/Percussion), Matt Slocumb (Keys), Dave Speranza (Bass), and Mike Robinson (Banjo/Pedal Steel/Guitar), left a lasting impression on their fans with their shows.

Friday night's performance was a blend of classics like “Bird in a House” from their 2002 debut album, “Goat” from 2004’s The Good Life, and “Elko” from the 2006 live album. The night also featured newer tracks such as “Slippin Away,” debuted at Horn O’Plenty 2019, and “Blues Highway” from their latest album, 2022’s All for the Song. The show concluded with a tribute to the Grateful Dead through their rendition of “Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo.”

Saturday continued this high energy, with the first set featuring songs primarily from 2006 and earlier, such as “Lordy Lordy,” “Hunting Song > Mourning Flies,” and “Said What You Mean,” culminating with a unique performance of the title track from their latest album, “All for the Song.” The second set, highlighted by “Mighty River,” included classic originals like “Stillwater Gateway,” “Head,” and “Bread and Water.” The night ended with two fan favorites: an 18-minute “Like a Buddha” and the set-closer “Hard Livin’.” The encore fittingly featured the 2008 eponymous track “Railroad Earth.”

Be sure to catch Railroad Earth in Mexico during Strings and Sol, or during their upcoming New Year's run in the Pacific Northwest.

Railroad Earth - November 24th

Set 1:

    Seven Story Mountain
    Dandelion Wine
    Bird in a House
    The Forecast
    Black Elk Speaks
    Slippin' Away
    Blues Highway
    Any Road

Set 2:

    The Great Divide
    Chasin' A Rainbow
    Happy Song
    Came Up Smilin'
    Chains
    Way of the Buffalo
    The Cuckoo
    Goat
    My Favorite Spot
    Grandfather Mountain
    Elko

Encore:

    Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo

Railroad Earth - November 25th

Set 1:

    Lordy Lordy
    It's So Good > Saddle Of The Sun
    Hunting Song > Mourning Flies
    Said What You Mean
    Crossing The Gap > Grandfather Mountain
    All For The Song

Set 2:

    Where Songs Begin
    Mighty River
    Bread And Water
    Lovin' You
    Stillwater Getaway > Showers of Rain (Was That You?)
    Head
    Like a Buddha
    Hard Livin'

Encore:

    Railroad Earth

[Setlists for Railroad Earth's performances on 11/24 and 11/25 follow, courtesy of Keith Litzenberger]

Billy Strings performed in Wilkes Barre, PA, on Friday night in the penultimate show of his 2023 Fall Tour. The tour, which began in Buena Vista, CO, at the end of September, covered the West Coast and Midwest, barnstormed through Europe in November, and concluded with several East Coast dates in December. Friday’s sold-out show was hosted at the Mohegan Sun Arena, an 8,500-person venue that doubles as the home of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton “Baby” Penguins when not hosting musical extravaganzas like the one Billy and his crew put on Friday night.

The quintet, featuring Billy Strings on lead guitar and vocals, Billy Failing on banjo, Royal Masat on bass, Jarrod Walker on mandolin, and Alex Hargreaves on fiddle, took the stage amid palpable anticipation and excitement. Fans of all ages, from Deadheads to dedicated bluegrass enthusiasts to those discovering Billy for the first time, came together with a shared enthusiasm for his music.

The first set consisted almost exclusively of originals, featuring the opener and fan favorite 'Dust in a Baggie,' 'Hollow Heart' and 'Watch it Fall' from the Grammy-award-winning 2019 album 'Home,' the Walker-penned 'Red Daisy' from 2021's 'Renewal,' and 'California Sober,' a track he famously collaborated on with Willie Nelson earlier this year. The set concluded with one of the highlights of the evening, a 16-minute musical journey through 'Turmoil & Tinfoil.' This piece opens in outer space, offers enough structure to tell the all-too-common story of dealing with addicts and addiction, launches Billy into about 7 minutes of lead exploration, and then resolves the experience with the closing verse and chorus.

Through the turmoil and the tinfoil
Just the way it used to be
But I have the strength and I will learn
How to fly on broken wings

The second set was a dramatic shift from the first, largely comprising covers and tributes. It kicked off with the Stanley Brothers' original 'Think of What You’ve Done,' and included David Grisman's 'E.M.D.,' along with traditional folk/Appalachia songs 'John Hardy' and 'Little Maggie.' Musical exploration, a common theme throughout Billy Strings' shows, was emphatically displayed in the 15-minute take on 'Running the Route' > 'Running.' Each artist had ample room to showcase their unique and dynamic approaches to playing traditional instruments in non-traditional ways. The set also featured a solo session with Billy Strings and the audience during 'Catch and Release,' a story about a fishing adventure with Vince Herman of Leftover Salmon. Billy Failing then joined for some joint banjo work on 'Dos Banjos,' before the rest of the band rejoined to close out the set. The encore featured the night's biggest surprise with the 'Van Scoy Jingle,' a song deeply rooted in the Wilkes-Barre area, and concluded with The Osborne Brothers' 'Spike Hammer.'

Don't miss the chance to catch Billy Strings during his New Year's performances in New Orleans or on his Southeast tour this winter.

Northeast rockers moe. played the second show of their West Coast tour on Friday night, stopping at the intimate Teragram Ballroom in downtown Los Angeles. The 600-person venue reached maximum capacity as Rob Derhak (Bass/Vocals), Chuck Garvey (Guitar/Vocals), Al Schnier (Guitar/Vocals), Vinnie Amico (Drums), Jim Loughlin (Percussion), and Nate Wilson (Keys) took the stage. The band immediately connected with the Southern California crowd by starting with a cover of the Grateful Dead’s "West L.A. Fadeaway." They then performed “Stranger than Fiction” and the Ghost of Jupiter/Nate Wilson’s “Yellow Tigers,” before launching into the night’s first major jam. It began with a hint of Neil Young’s “Like a Hurricane,” then transitioned into the No Guts, No Glory classic “Silver Sun,” showcasing the signature tight guitar interplay between Chuck and Al. Following “Ups and Downs,” a Rob original, moe. concluded the set with a couple of classics: an unfinished “Moth” and “Lazarus,” the opening track from What Happened to the La Las.

During the set break, the crowd briefly thinned as people visited the restrooms, bars, or stepped outside. However, the venue quickly refilled as moe. returned for the second set, which opened with crowd favorites “Nebraska” and “Shoot First,” the latter featuring Chuck on lead vocals. Despite his reduced singing role following a stroke in 2021, Chuck's guitar prowess remained undiminished. This was evident in the subsequent near 50-minute jam, starting with Al's lead on “Crushing” and “ATL,” and moving into the epic instrumental “Meat.” Notable for its solo rotations and seamless transitions into other songs, “Meat” saw Chuck deliver a vintage distortion-driven solo, followed by Jim on the Vibraphone and Vinnie on the Drums. As Rob began his solo, it morphed into the funky slap-pop rhythm of “Billy Goat.” The band skillfully navigated from this Rob song back into a “Meat” reprise, then seamlessly transitioned into the unfinished portion of “Moth” from the first set.

Following the announcements, moe. concluded with another track from What Happened to the La Las, Al’s “Downward Facing Dog.” The appreciative audience expressed their enjoyment with raucous applause before dispersing into the Southern California night. Be sure to catch moe. as they conclude their West Coast tour with stops in San Francisco, Crystal Bay, Bend, Portland, and Seattle. They are also scheduled for Jamcruise in February, a five-night run in Park City, UT, and multiple performances throughout Colorado in March.

Set I: West L.A. Fadeaway, Stranger Than Fiction, Yellow Tigers, Silver Sun, Ups and Downs, Moth > Lazarus

Set II: Nebraska, Shoot First, Crushing > ATL > Meat > Billy Goat > Meat > Moth

Encore: Downward Facing Dog

On Monday night, Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country—featuring Donato on guitar and vocals, Nathan "Sugar Leg" Aronowitz on keys and vocals, Will "Mustang" McGee on bass and vocals, and Will "Bronco" Clark on drums—found the perfect setting to conclude their West Coast tour. This region, spanning the high desert areas of Pioneertown, Yucca Valley, Joshua Tree, and Landers, is steeped in a history of reported close encounters and has been a hub for renowned Ufologists.

Perched atop a mountaintop, amidst a rare rainstorm, and located at the end of Mane Street in the Old Western backdrop of Pioneertown, Pappy & Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace—with its weathered wooden structures, vintage decor, and frontier-town aesthetic—provided an ideal stage for Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country to perform their unique intergalactic honky-tonk. This brand of music transcends traditional country, presenting a cosmic twist that is distinctly its own.

Donato’s shows are known for their eclectic mix of covers and originals, and this evening was no exception. The setlist included aptly chosen titles and fitting tributes, alongside a surprise sit-in from an award-winning photographer. The night began with the fittingly named “Sunshine in the Rain” and Gram Parsons’ original “Ooh Las Vegas”. The reference to Gram Parsons, who passed away under mysterious circumstances in 1973 just a few miles away in Room 8 at the Joshua Tree Inn, showed a deep understanding of the area. The rest of the set featured predominantly songs from their latest album, 'Reflector', including “Hi-Country”, “Gotta Get Southbound”, and concluded with a spectacular rendition of “Double Exposure”. This final performance included an interactive element for the audience; it was announced before the show that a music video for "Double Exposure" was being filmed, and everyone was encouraged to record videos on their phones to contribute to the project.

The second set began with acclaimed photographer Danny Clinch, who had been overseeing the video efforts, joining the band on harmonica for several songs. These included renditions of Willie Nelson’s “Devil in a Sleeping Bag” and Little Milton’s “That’s What Love Will Make You Do”, with Mustang taking the lead vocals. The set continued with a selection of songs from previously released albums, such as the Manfred Mann/Tony Hazard original “Fox on the Run” from 'Cosmic Country & Western Songs', as well as “Sugar Leg Rag”, “Til the Daylight”, and the concluding “Rose in a Garden” from 'Reflector'. The night ended with a segue apt for the setting: the Sons of the Pioneers' “Tumbling Tumbleweeds” flowing into “Dance in the Desert” from 'Reflector', sending the audience off into the starry night.

Be sure to catch Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country on their East Coast tour in February, or at the Jam Cruise and Winter Wondergrass Steamboat, or during their Midwest tour in March. Experience these intimate shows now, as their growing popularity suggests they won’t remain small-scale for long!

Dirtwire, a one-of-a-kind ensemble known for its eclectic, genre-bending sound, continued their "The Four Directions" tour of the Wild West with their performance at Pappy and Harriet’s in Pioneertown, CA, on Friday night. Comprising Evan Fraser (Hamsa Lila/House of Hamsa) and Mark Reveley (Afrodesiac Soundsystem), they perform on various stringed instruments as well as an array of world drums and percussion instruments, all backed with an electronic flair. Their style is a fusion of folk, world, and electronica that melds traditional instruments like the banjo and jaw harp with diverse world instruments like the Bolo and Saz, and then incorporates modern electronic elements to create an intoxicating sonic landscape. The band has performed multiple times at the Joshua Tree Music Festival, collaborated with artists like Beats Antique, Balkan Bump, and Moontricks, and has performed on the stages of the Symbiosis Gathering and Lightning in a Bottle Festivals.

Dirtwire's live performances are renowned for the duo’s ability to seamlessly blend genres and styles and, along with guest musicians from a number of disciplines, transform traditional instrumentation from folk and world music into modern electronica. Their multi-instrumental improvisational mastery is showcased as they skillfully switch between these dichotomous styles, resulting in a dynamic sound and otherworldly musical experience. Their performance on this night was no different; their engaging stage presence and array of guest musicians on violin, trombone, and saxophone truly demonstrated the immersive and experimental nature of their music. Despite the often-complex arrangements, however, Dirtwire always manages to create an engaging and intimate atmosphere. This intimacy is further enhanced when the quaint 350-person venue is completely sold out, where the only room to be had in any of the viewing areas is earned by shaking your hips and moving your feet.

The night was kicked off by California-based Nok Nok, a DJ who finds a way to incorporate his classical flute into bass-driven electronic and house music. He worked in some familiar samples, including a little run at Opiuo’s “Sneakers”, looped in the flute, and dropped some heavy beats to get the crowd oiled up for the main event.

Dirtwire provided a show full of originals with some covers sprinkled in and spanned the length of the band’s catalog. The band performed some favorites from their eponymous first album, including “Rusted Railway” and “Sailing the Solar Flares”. The show also included takes on The Manic Focus/K+Lab original “Right to Left” as well as “The Stranger” and “The Whip” from the 2017 albums Blaze and Showdown, respectively. The band also fittingly played three songs from their most recent album, which the tour supports, The Four Directions: “You Got to Move”, “Behind the Tree”, and “Karabai”.

Be sure to catch Dirtwire as they wind their way through New Mexico and Colorado in the coming weeks before finishing up the month in Florida.

Dogs In A Pile continued their countywide Winter Tour on Saturday night in Stroudsburg at the Sherman Theater, supported by local acts The Tribe and Mosey Beats. The evening began with The Tribe, a Funk/Jazz/Hip-Hop fusion band from Wilkes-Barre, PA, which set the mood for the cold and rainy night. Despite playing as a quintet instead of their usual sextet, they delivered a tight, polished, and energetic short set of originals reminiscent of Lettuce, minus the trumpet, with a significant focus on the saxophone.

Following The Tribe, Mosey Beats, a power trio from Phillipsburg, NJ, took the stage. They shifted gears with a set of heavy, progressive rock that seemed to draw inspiration from early '70s bands like Rush and King Crimson, even covering Pink Floyd’s “Have a Cigar” amidst their originals, including a debut track.

Dogs In A Pile, familiar faces in Northeast PA and originating from Asbury Park, NJ, comprises guitarists Jimmy Law and Brian Murray, drummer Joe Babick, bassist Sam Lucid, and keyboardist Jeremy Kaplan. Known for their diverse styles, exploratory jams, creative songwriting, and seamless transitions, they began with “Stevie Lew” and “Frosty,” then moved onto an unfinished “Craig and Pat,” showcasing Lucid's mastery of his six-string bass. The performance gained momentum with “Hot Dog” and a debut rendition of “Devil Went Down to Georgia,” featuring Kaplan on vocals.

The band's energy, amplified by the enthusiastic crowd, propelled them into a remarkable 50-minute segue session. This included the heavy Dogs-original “Creep,” the laid-back “You Didn’t Hear It From Me,” an extended drum solo by Babick that looped back to finish “Craig and Pat,” and concluded with “Samba for Sam” and the Grateful Dead’s “Cumberland Blues.” They ended the marathon set with a full-band debut of “Man of Steel,” followed by a medley of “Let U Go” > “Por Que Pedro” > “EDM Song.”

Returning for the encore after the two-hour set, they offered a 30-minute performance featuring Elton John’s “Bennie and the Jets” and concluded with a 20-minute version of “G Song.”

Catch this rapidly rising group as they continue their tour across the country, with upcoming stops in Massachusetts and Vermont, a three-week residency in California starting at the end of March, a 4/20 performance in Phoenix, and dates throughout the Southeast to close out April and begin May."

On Saturday night, The Machine graced the stage at Penn’s Peak, delivering full renditions of three legendary Pink Floyd albums. This New York-based quartet, composed of founder Tahrah Cohen on drums, long-time members Scott Chasolen (keys/vocals) and Ryan Ball (guitar/vocals), along with the latest addition, Chris DeAngelis (bass/vocals), captivated the Northeast Pennsylvania audience with complete performances of "Wish You Were Here," "Animals," and "The Dark Side of the Moon."

The evening commenced with the 1975 classic "Wish You Were Here," as the pitch-black stage resonated with the opening synth of “Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts I-V).” The band also introduced their first guest musician of the night, John Thompson on saxophone, perfectly recreating the iconic track. Highlights included powerful renditions of “Have a Cigar” and “Welcome to the Machine,” a heartfelt performance of “Wish You Were Here” supported enthusiastically by the audience, and an explorative “Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts VI-IX)” with Ball joining Chasolen on the keys.

Following a brief standing ovation, the band seamlessly transitioned into "Animals" with the familiar rhythm guitar of “Pigs on the Wing (Part 1),” before embarking on an epic performance of “Dogs,” showcasing DeAngelis’s vocal prowess. They creatively took a set break, mirroring the natural pause of flipping a vinyl record at home. The band returned with the ominous sound of the pig from “Pigs (Three Different Ones).” The performance of “Sheep” stood out, highlighting Chasolen’s keyboard mastery and earning an ovation before the band continued with the album’s closing “Pigs on the Wing (Part 2).”

A brief ovation gave way to the iconic heartbeat intro of "The Dark Side of the Moon." The band delivered a masterful sequence of “Speak to Me/Breathe” into “On the Run” into “Time,” employing classic visuals reminiscent of the "Delicate Sound of Thunder" era, including Langley Iddins in a flying hospital bed during “On the Run” and rotating clock dials during “Time.”

Performing "The Dark Side of the Moon" in its entirety always raises questions about how the band will approach the vocally demanding “Great Gig in the Sky.” The Machine answered this emphatically with Abby Ahmed leading the charge. Her rendition guided the audience through the song and transitioned seamlessly into the cash register sounds of “Money.” Thompson rejoined to enhance a dynamic “Money,” a poignant “Us and Them,” and a groovy “Any Colour You Like.” The band concluded the set with “Brain Damage” into “Eclipse,” supported by Ahmed's vocals.

The evening concluded on a high note with encores of the darkly meditative “One of These Days” and a rousing “Comfortably Numb” featuring Ahmed on the 12-string guitar.

Don’t miss The Machine as they continue their tour through Connecticut, New York, Arkansas, Tennessee, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania through the end of April and into May.

Setlists:

    Set 1: "Wish You Were Here" (Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts I – V), Welcome to the Machine, Have a Cigar, Wish You Were Here, Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts VI – IX))
    Set 2: "Animals" (Continued: Pigs (Three Different Ones), Sheep, Pigs on the Wing (Part 2)) "The Dark Side of the Moon" (Speak to Me/Breathe > On the Run > Time > Breathe (Reprise) > Great Gig in the Sky > Money > Us and Them > Any Colour You Like > Brain Damage > Eclipse)

Encore: One of These Days, Comfortably Numb

The Disco Biscuits extended their nationwide Why We Dance tour with a performance at the historic F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts in Wilkes-Barre, PA, on Thursday night. Following an impressive series of shows in New England, with the rising star Karina Rykman supporting, the Philadelphia-based quartet brought their pre-album release excitement to the eager crowd in northeast Pennsylvania. With their new album, Revolution in Motion, set to hit streaming platforms at midnight on Friday, the show focused on material not featured on the forthcoming release.

The evening began with a trance-like yet frenetic rendition of Aram Khatchaturian's orchestral piece, “Sabre Dance,” a rare choice for an opener that had not been seen since 2003. They swiftly transitioned into the 2006 hit “Caterpillar,” showcasing their remarkable synergy. Aaron Magner (keys/vocals) and Jon Gutwillig (guitar/vocals) took turns leading the jam, while Marc Brownstein (bass/vocals) and Allen Aucoin (drums) maintained a tight rhythm, keeping the audience moving and the band in harmony.

The jam on “Caterpillar” seamlessly flowed into a unique inverted version of “Strobelights and Martinis.” The Disco Biscuits are known for their playful approach to live song arrangements, with an “inverted” version meaning they segue out of one song before its conclusion, introduce the ending of another song, and then circle back to the beginning of the latter. “Photograph” followed, leading to another rarity—an inverted “Crickets” that transitioned back into “Caterpillar” to conclude the set.

The second set opened with the late '90s favorite “Shem-Rah Boo,” paving the way for a non-stop segue experience. A blend of old and new emerged as “Shem-Rah Boo” gave way to the 2023 original “Falling,” which then moved into the night's final inverted piece, “Above the Waves.” The set wrapped up with a concise “Tamarin Alley,” which led back into “Shem-Rah Boo.” After a warm round of applause, the band returned for an encore with the energetic “Highwire,” leaving the audience delighted.

Don't miss their new album, Revolution in Motion, releasing on 3/29, and catch them on tour in New York before they head south in April.

Set 1: Sabre Dance, Caterpillar > Strobelights and Martinis > Photograph > Crickets > Caterpillar
Set 2: Shem-Rah Boo > Falling > Above The Waves > Tamarin Alley > Shem-Rah Boo
Encore: Highwire