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Throwback: Looking Back On Purple Hatters Ball July 14, 2016 19:41
Last month, funky friends from across the southeast gathered at the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park for the annual Purple Hatters Ball, a festival that was established as both a memorial and celebration of the life of Rachel Morningstar Hoffman. The festival is known for its diverse lineup and intimacy, and this year was no disappointment. Featured artists included The Floozies, Papadosio, The Polish Ambassador, Earphunk, Roosevelt Collier Band, The Mantras, Sunsquabi, and more. Dynamic lineups always bring interesting crowds—there were those who fell for the allure of The Floozies’ funky style and Polish’s eccentric performances as well as those who mainly came to catch Earphunk rock the stage and groove to some late night Dosio. Regardless of who people “came to see,” every stage at every set was booming and bustling with dancing bodies.
Thursday night was a reunion of sorts. Old friends embraced and sat on the deck of the music hall to share cigarettes and stories of daily life that happens in between festivals. In hospitable Suwannee fashion, new folks were just as readily welcomed. Around midnight, Sunsquabi began drawing a crowd inside for the pre-party headlining set. The couple hundred or so people who had managed to get work off on Friday and get to Suwannee a night early gathered in the music hall to drink and boogie into the late night.
The days at Hatters were long, bright, and beautiful. Once more people arrived at the festival, the river became the place to be during the day. After snagging a golf cart ride, I made it down to the river just in time to catch Funk You at the Beach Stage, which was jam-packed with jams all weekend. 14 bands played that spot over two days, and shorter half-hour/hour long sets kept the atmosphere ever evolving and interesting. Down on the water, beer, sunlight, and laughter kept attendees dizzy and joyful. Everyone piled together onto huge floats in the middle of the river. A few friends decided to maximize their chill factor by floating the river in their beloved blowup festival couch. I’ve seen that same couch several times around Suwannee, but I had to double take and chuckle when I saw it come drifting on the current, touting three guys comfortably in its seat. Jacksonville’s MZG took the opportunity to film a new music video on the river’s beach, featuring hundreds of smiling faces and a few hilarious tumbles down the giant slip n’ slide.
As the sun settled its way low into the sky each day, people headed back to their campsites to prepare for the night of music ahead. Friday evening treated us to delicious jams from The Mantras and an absolutely raging set by Earphunk. Part of my face may still be at the Amphitheater stage after lead guitarist Paul Provosty proceeded to shred it off with riff after wailing riff. Papadosio provided the crowd with a smooth set that seamlessly traversed between faster and slowed down psychedelic grooves. Every note was carried on the beat of drummer Mike Healy, who skillfully controlled the group’s tempo and vibe.
Saturday night was nothing short of dance party. Following The Hip Abduction and MZG, The Polish Ambassador did not disappoint, keeping things interesting as always, right down to the classic mid-set outfit change. The Ambassador also stopped to share some powerful and reflective words on death and Rachel’s legacy before taking the crowd back into a celebration of life and music. The Floozies closed the night with their signature sound: funky samples, distortion, and irresistibly danceable beats. The Amp stage crowd became a flowing sea of moving people—not a single body was still.
The Polish Ambassador
When the last band left the main stage each night, by no means did the party stop. In fact, it seemed to mark the official start of all late-night shenanigans. For those who couldn’t kick off their boogie shoes, the Silent Disco was popping until the sun rose. Those who wanted to adventure explored the grounds on golf carts, acting as a taxi service to random strangers who became friends within minutes. People gathered again on the beach, but the mood was much different at night. The Suwannee River flowed slowly in still silence, reflecting the moss-laden trees that tower over it in a perfect mirror image. Creatures of the night swam in the river, bathed in the moonlight, and reveled in the pure natural beauty that surrounded them.
On Sunday, Rachel’s mother shared some words before releasing butterflies into the air to honor a sweet spirit taken too soon. The gravity of death, especially young lives lost, always spurs many thoughts and emotions. I think most people can agree that life is too short, and we should use what we’ve been given to know and love as many people as we can. Though her time on earth was brief, Rachel lived her life in that way, and everyone who knows her attests to that. All weekend long, I watched relationships blossom before my eyes. While this isn’t uncommon at music festivals, there was something special in the air at Hatters—call it the Spirit of Suwannee, call it Rachel’s legacy, call it the magic of music, but the unadulterated love and joy that drifted on the wind that weekend was truly ethereal. Purple Hatters Ball reminded us to stay positive, present, and loving, and I hope people will carry that message with them and pass it along… Until next year, Purple People!
The Polish Ambassador
Michael Comeaux of Earphunk
Purple Hatters Ball 2016
Mark Hempe of Earphunk
Dave Johson of The Hip Abduction
Purple Hatters Ball 2016
David New of The Hip Abduction
A Conversation With Anders Osborne July 13, 2016 19:58
Anders Osborne at Lockn' 2015 :: Photo by Brady Cooling Photography
Since we launched Live & Listen in August of 2014, there have been a handful of truly special moments. We have had the opportunity to work with a wide range of amazing artists, both through interviews and our various benefit shows. Today was one of those special days, as we had a chance to sit down with Anders Osborne, one of the premier songwriters/guitarists of our time. Anders spoke with us about his latest studio work, his inspiration from the Grateful Dead, the future of North Mississippi Osborne, Friday night's "Rock The River" in Gadsden, AL, and much more.
Interview by Jordan Kirkland: Live & Listen
While you've been recording since the late 80's, it seems like American Patchwork (2009) really propelled you to the next level. There's so much emotion and explosive guitar playing on that album. It seems like you've been on the road ever since then. What all went into this album and how have things evolved since then?
Anders: I think that was the beginning of my sober life. That was a huge catalyst, you know what I mean? It really swung me into a whole different way of approaching everything. First of all, there is more time to be creative when you're not drinking and using all of the time (laughs). I think I got a lot more prolific and a lot more focused. So I think since American Patchwork, I've just felt a lot more inspired to do better and write more honest music; to try to respect the writing process and the music as a whole more. I'm really, really excited about making music, which for a long time, it was more of a byproduct of my other lifestyle, if you know what I'm saying. I think that's the main reason and the difference. Does that make sense?
Definitely. I didn't realize that, but it makes a lot of sense now. That record was co-produced by Stanton Moore (Galactic) and your first with Alligator Records, right?
Anders: Yes. Stanton has been a huge pillar in my new life, so to speak. He just has a great work ethic, and he's a really dear friend. I've known him since he was 17-years-old. We've become very close friends. We also brought in Pepper Keenan, from Corrosion of Conformity and Down. He's a good friend of ours, and he helped co-produce a nice portion of that record as well.
Gotcha. Stanton has been involved in some of the albums since then, right?
Anders: Yes. Stanton has, but Pepper hasn't. Pepper and I have played some live shows, but as far as making records, Stanton has been involved with one album since then. I've mixed things up a bit on the others.
Watch Anders Osborne perform at Telluride Blues & Brews Festival in February 2016 here:
So while we're on the topic of recording, you obviously released Spacedust & Ocean Views in March of this year. What was your approach with this album, and was there anything you did differently this time around?
Anders: Oh yeah. First of all, I had a lot of songs. So I had been writing for quite some time, and I think at the time I probably had over 80 songs. When we recorded it, we decided to start at the beginning of the new moon, which back then was October 22nd. The energy was really nice. I hadn't done that before. It's a very strong, positive energy with the New Moon. We did that, and I had a lot of songs. We just kept pounding as much as we could over about three weeks. That new moon period though, the first five or six days, that's the record. Anything that came after that is something that became like skeletons for the next record, which will be coming pretty soon. Basically, that first week, that new moon recording, that's what you're hearing. Out of 35 tracks, twelve seemed to fit together pretty well, so we kept those. It's also a little bit more ambience-oriented. It has more of a sunset, mellow vibe.
Wow. Was the approach with the new moon something you had set out to do?
Anders: It wasn't on purpose, to be honest with you. It was a very meditative and contemplated move for that week. That first night we came in, we cut three tracks and those are the tracks that start the album. "Pontchartrain" is the first song we recorded. The second one was "Don't Last That Long," and I think the third one was...what song was it? It's another really mellow one...maybe "Cape Cod"? It was all in one night. It's a very mellow, peaceful time during the new moon. You should check it out. Start reading a book on the new moon and see what happens.
That's not a bad idea. I need to make more time for reading, so I'll definitely keep that in mind.
Anders: (laughs) Yeah man. Let me know.
Photo by ShowLove Media
I know you began playing guitar at an early age. When you think back on being a kid and learning to play, who were you listening to? Who do you feel had the biggest influence on helping you develop your sound?
Anders: I listen to a lot of music. I think that the main influence for me really was the variety of music that I listen to. I listened to Cannonball Adderley, Ry Cooder, and Bob Marley. I listened to Led Zeppelin and Kiss. Then there was Neil Young and Bob Dylan. Van Morrison came a little bit later. My mom was into Van Morrison, so she and I would have fun with that. My dad introduced me to Art Blakey. A lot of classical music. I love sentimental music in general; very atmospherey stuff.
I think when it comes to guitar, the very original shaping of how I got started with the guitar, I think it was Ry Cooder. In terms of songwriting, believe it or not, it was probably Joni Mitchell. Those two things created something that I can't quite explain. I think some of her odd tunings and Ry Cooder's depressive style...I think those two factors together were a big thing for me. I think John Coltrane played a major role too. Eventually, that led to kind of the rawness of Neil Young; that electric factor. The songwriting of Bob Dylan was probably my biggest influence.
So, you've been known to cover the Grateful Dead in recent years. I know you have a nice history with Phil Lesh; most recently as a member of the Terrapin Allstars last month. I remember you and Luther (Dickinson) playing "Black Muddy River" for the JamBase feature last summer. At what point in your life were you introduced to the Dead, and what type of impact has their music had on you?
Anders: The first introduction I had to the Grateful Dead was probably 1986. I lived in California for a minute. I guess I lived out there for about 8 or 10 months. "Black Muddy River" was the first Dead song I ever heard. It came on the radio, and I was driving North of Santa Barbara in a place called Santa Ynez Valley, where I was working at the time. That was the first time, and I think that was the release of...what's the "Touch of Grey" record called?
I think "Touch of Grey" was from In The Dark, right?
Anders: In The Dark! That's it. The one with all of the eyes on the cover. After that, I never really heard anymore. There was about a month where they were playing "Touch of Grey" and "Black Muddy River" on the radio. Then about five or six years ago, a friend of mine from New Orleans named Billy Iuso started playing with me and jamming it out. He's a huge Grateful Dead fan. He would cover a couple of tunes when he was playing with me, so I started to scratch at the catalog a bit and realized how cool and different they were. It's hard to explain. They have such a unique, beautiful sound.
I think the real introduction was honestly when Phil (Lesh) invited me to come play with him for a week. I think that was the early part of 2013. So that was only a little over three years ago. Once I dove into that, we did a full tour, and he gave me 196 songs to learn. Once I got that going, I honestly have to say that I think it has changed me pretty drastically. I wouldn't say that I'm trying to make Grateful Dead music, but I think I've opened my horizons quite a bit, as far as how to compose songs. Just like Dylan did when I was young, I think that the Grateful Dead showed me that you can change and transpose keys within the keys. The minor / major progressions...odd times...odd meters...all of that stuff. Not a lot of people do that unless they're doing prog rock. Grateful Dead doesn't really do it with these simple themes. They change it from one verse to the next. It's very, very unique, and it was liberating to learn that. It's been a huge influence ever since.
Watch Anders Osborne & Luther Dickinson perform "Black Muddy River" here:
That's amazing. I was fortunate enough to discover the Grateful Dead as a really young kid by accident. I picked up Skeletons From The Closet at the CD store by pure luck. I really got hooked as a young kid, and the next thing I knew I was listening to that album in the shower before school everyday. It's one of the best things that ever happened to me. I can only imagine the effect it has as a musician.
Anders: (laughs) That's so awesome! It's really, really unique. Some of the beauty of what they do is they come with this bearing approach to every show. They have lots of big mistakes. Actually, I wouldn't even call them mistakes. They're just searching. It's very similar to the jazz approach. Coltrane will search and search and search, so I understood the idea of trying new things while you're standing on stage. It doesn't have to be pre-worked out. Now, they're more arranged than you think. It's not like New Orleans. In New Orleans, we have a great groove, and we stick to a format, so to speak, of a core progression or something; whether it's trad jazz, R&B, funk, or something like that. The Grateful Dead have this extended progression of chord changes. It opens up things differently. It's a different way of improvising that is really beautiful. I love it.
Me too. There is nothing like it. I was lucky enough to get to go to Soldier Field last summer. I'm 29-years-old, so Jerry died when I was eight. I was too young to experience the real Grateful Dead. It was really special to experience the magic that The Dead can bring to a city for a full weekend.
Anders: That's so wonderful. I love it man.
Anders Osborne and Phil Lesh at The Capitol Theatre in 2013 :: Photo by Dino Perucci
In addition to the experience with Phil Lesh, you've had the opportunity to collaborate and share the stage with some amazing guitarists such as Derek Trucks, Warren Haynes, Tab Benoit, Luther Dickinson, and so on. Do you have any specific memories from playing with these guys that really stand out?
Anders: Well, I think think they're all special. The people you just mentioned. They're really on top of their game; all of these guys. Tab is an incredible singer and not just a guitar player, but the way he trajects and demands attention in his songs, which is a rare quality to be that strong. Derek has really taken his guitar playing to a phenomenal level. He is so devoted to expressing himself on that guitar. It's very rare. Warren Haynes is one of the most well-rounded, complete guitar players out there. It's just fantastic. Luther is just this really unique, in the moment expert. He is very, very fluid at responding to what's happening. He's almost like a fluttering butterfly; musically on guitar. He's just constantly searching, moving, looking, finding, responding.
So I think in terms of specific memory, playing with all of them stands out. One in particular must be the first time Luther and I played together at Tipitina's. I'd never played with him before, and he came straight from one of those riverboat gigs. He ran up and jumped on stage, and we just had the most magical gig. It was fantastic. There was great energy, and we booked a tour right after that just so we could play some more. I think that stands out as a phenomenal moment.
I think that Maddog & the Englishmen with Warren and Derek last summer was a really fantastic experience. There's a lot of them. Me and Tab have played together for so many years. There's more than I can mention here. Being a guitar tech for Albert King was pretty fun too (laughs).
North Mississippi Osborne seemed to be a huge hit. Everyone is obviously busy with multiple projects. What do you see the future holding for NMO?
Anders: I think me and Luther are going to try to get together and co-write. The last record was all of my songs. So, I think what we're hoping to do is get together, co-write a little bit, and mix it up and see if we can continue the evolution of the band. So yeah, probably sometime in the next year, depending on scheduling. Both of us are pretty booked up. I'm booked up almost through next JazzFest. This will probably have to be next summer or next fall. We're been talking about it. We're in contact and trying to figure out how we can start writing and all of that.
Listen to North Mississippi Osborne's full length EP "Freedom & Dreams" here:
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A lot of people will be looking forward to that. So you've obviously been able to watch and experience the evolution of modern music first hand. In my lifetime alone, I can remember the progression from tapes, CDs, mp3s, and ultimately the world of iTunes & Spotify. How has the new world of digital music affected you, and what would your advice be to a young, aspiring musician of this era?
Anders: I think that the streaming, especially some of the big companies doing the streaming, I think it has changed the landscape so much that honestly...I have to think about it for a minute. It's hard to come up with one specific bit of advice, because so much of our income and business model has been taken away. We're not selling records anymore. We used to sell thousands of records. Now, you have to scramble. You can't get any budget for records. You have to do it yourself.
I think my advice to a young musician would be to make sure to surround yourself with a few people that are doing better at what you're aspiring to do. Make sure you have a peer group where some people are teaching you something, so that you have a nice mixture. That will bring you forward. On a practical level, I think it's really important that you find a basic way to do some of your recording at home, because there is less money in the music industry, specifically in sales.
If you go into the studio and make a record today, I think the model is to maybe not spend all of the time in studio. You're actually going to track some stuff, get some great sounds, and then maybe do some of the extra spice and sauce and overdubs at your house. That way you can save money. I would also say that the thing that has worked for me the most over the years has been to take up residency in one place, even if it's just for a year or so. If you play regularly in one club, you work up your chops. You get sort of a venue that fits what you're doing. You make sure that you pick the right venue for yourself. If you work really hard to develop your identity, your feel, and your songs, it will teach you what the audience responds to. So that's on the live side. Otherwise, just have fun as much as possible. Make sure that you enjoy it, because it's supposed to give people joy.
Absolutely. That's what it's all about, first and foremost. If you don't love what you do, you'll never live up to your full potential.
Anders: Yeah. I've found myself in a situation many times where I'm not having fun, and it reflects not only the music, but you can't do a good job and perform right if you're not really happy doing it. So, figure out what bothers you, and see if you can correct it.
Amen. That's great advice man. So, just one more thing. This Friday, you're coming to Gadsden, Alabama for the annual "Rock the River" event. You've obviously played all types of gigs: clubs, theaters, major festivals, as well as these community events. What makes an event like this so unique, and how does it's appeal differ from that of the big theater shows and festival spots?
Anders: I think that these types of gigs are more about the event themselves, and not necessarily just about me and my band. It becomes about getting together. We're going to be on the banks of the river. It's going to be a beautiful setting. People are going to come out and bring their kids. They're going to have a beautiful gathering with friends and family, and then I'm going to be performing my stuff. The band is going to rock out and give you guys a beautiful sunset. I think that these things are kind of the bread and butter of a grassroots work environment. You've gotta do a lot of this stuff, I think. You can't just play the high profile theaters and major tours all of the time. We have something in New Orleans called "Wednesdays at The Square," which is at Lafayette Square downtown. It's a free event and thousands of people come out after work. It's one of my all-time favorite gigs. It's just such a beautiful event. This feels kind of similar.
Very true. This type of event brings out a different audience than that of one of your standard shows. It gives a lot of new people the opportunity to experience your music, which is a beautiful thing.
Anders: Exactly. Some people may not like it, but they're going to stick around anyway, get some drinks, and have a good time (laughs). We'll see what happens. You'll be there, so bring your dancing shoes man.
Greensky Bluegrass Announces 2016 Fall Tour Dates July 12, 2016 16:43
Michigan-based jam grass act Greensky Bluegrass has just announced a lengthy fall tour, which runs from early September to early November and includes a steady mix of headlining gigs and festival appearances. This tour spans from coast to coast, so Greensky fans should have plenty of options to catch the band this fall.
Just a few weeks after playing The Werk Out Music & Arts Festival in Ohio, the tour kicks off on Thursday, September 4th at Chicago's North Coast Music Festival, followed by appearances across the midwest and up into the northeast, including appearances at Deep Roots Mountain Revival in Masontown, WV and Catskill Chill Music Festival in Lakewood, PA. Greensky will close out the month with a stop in Black Mountain (NC) and an appearance at 3 Sisters Bluegrass Festival in Chattanooga.
October will include stops at the Wide Open Bluegrass Festival in Raleigh (NC) and a headlining show in Memphis (TN), followed by an appearance at The Hillberry Festival in Arkansas and span of shows through Texas and Arizona. The band will then retreat down to Florida for two sets at Hulaween festival at Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park on Thursday, October 28th and Friday, October 29th.
November will see the band out to the west coast, with stops in Solana Beach (CA), Los Angeles (CA), Crystal Bay (NV), before closing the tour out at The Warfield in San Francisco (CA). The band is also scheduled to make their annual destination appearance at Strings & Sol in Puerto Moreles, Mexico from December 9th - 13th.
Watch Greensky Bluegrass perform "Burn Them" here:
Catskill Chill Reveals VIP Details, Private Performances, & Much More July 12, 2016 11:55
Photo by Hype Media & Entertainment
The seventh annual Catskill Chill Music Festival taking place September 23rd – 25th, 2016 at New Minglewood, a private summer camp in Lakewood, PA, has announced details for the VIP Packages, going on sale Wednesday, July 13 at 1PM EST.
The 2016 VIP package includes all the amenities of last year along with exclusive use of an indoor/outdoor VIP and Artist swimming pool and Jacuzzi, and intimate VIP BBQ sets with private performances by Eric Krasno Band and Michelangelo’s Sunday Sauce featuring Nick Cassarino, Roosevelt Collier, Steve Molitz, Nate Edgar and Michelangelo Carubba. It also includes access to the onsite pre-party on Thursday, September 22nd featuring two sets of Twiddle, and several other performers.
This year’s VIP Package includes:
· 2016 Catskill Chill Commemorative VIP Laminate
Watch Dopakuaz (Dopapod + Turkuaz) perform "Everyone's a Winner" at Catskill Chill 2015 here:
Watch Phish's Weekend Run at The Gorge in Full HD July 11, 2016 17:49
Photo by Keith Griner :: Phierce Photo
Phish continues off it's highly anticipated summer tour this weekend at The Gorge Amphitheatre in George, Washington, and the band has once again made their shows available for HD streaming via LivePhish.com. The two-night run kicks off on Friday, July 15th and concludes on Saturday, July 16th. Coming off of four days rest following red hot shows at Xfinity Center in Hartford and Lakeview Amphitheatre in Syracuse, this weekend at The Gorge is sure to be a special. If you've never experienced an evening of Phish "couch tour", it's something we highly recommend. The band offers an experience like no other from the comfort of your own home, with live HD footage and soundboard audio.
Click Here: Order Your Phish Webcast Package Today
- Watch Phish live from The Gorge Amphitheatre, George, WA in Full 1080p HD - We are broadcasting in Full 1080p HD in addition to our standard (SD) webcast streams. Select the HD Webcast tab above to purchase the Full 1080p HD webcasts.
- PLEASE NOTE: Full 1080p HD Webcast requires at least 5Mbps wired internet connection. Test your internet connection speed athttp://www.speedtest.net
- You may watch the Full 1080p HD streams on iOS devices only if you are on a fast enough WiFi connection.
- Watch the webcasts on your PC or Mac or iOS devices. Android devices and gaming consoles are not officially supported. Please see the LivePhish FAQ for more information.
- You will be able to stream each night's show for 24 hours following each webcast
- Save 10% on multi-night bundles
- Get MP3s of each show with the Webcast+MP3 Bundles
- Order an Event T-Shirt with Webcast+T-Shirt Bundles
Watch Phish aficionado FZappa20's official recap from the Syracuse show here:
Watch Phish perform "Guelah Papyrus" in Saratoga Springs on 07.03.16 here:
Check out the official event t-shirt for The Gorge!
Turkuaz Releases New Music Video For "Doktor Jazz" July 11, 2016 17:23
Photo by Jordan Kirkland: Live & Listen
Ever since being introduced to Turkuaz back in 2014, this band has simply dominated our personal playlists. The nine-piece "power funk army" from New York has since taken the festival scene by storm, bringing a level of energy and new age funk like we have never seen before. Earlier today, Turkuaz released their most recent music video for "Doktor Jazz," a tune off of their most recent album Digitonium (2015).
The band seems to enjoy embrace the old school 80's approach to their videos, as the video for "The Generator," the first single off Digitonium, has a similar vibe to it. This approach feels entirely appropriate for Turkuaz, who is known for their dynamic stage presence and color-coded stage attire. If you're not yet riding the Turkuaz power funk bandwagon, the time is now. For those of you who are, sit back and enjoy the latest work from one of the most entertaining touring bands in America. Head over to the band's official store to purchase the entire Digitonium album today.
Click here to read our recent interview with Josh Schwartz of Turkuaz
Watch Turkuaz's music video for "Doktor Funk" here:
Watch Phish's 19-Minute "Light" from Mansfield in HD July 11, 2016 10:43
Photo by Andrea Nusinov: AZN Pics
Phish's annual summer tour is rolling along in full force, as the band has just wrapped up it's midwest/northeast leg of the tour. With four days off to travel, rest, and prepare for the upcoming weekend at The Gorge Amphitheatre in George, Washington, Phish fans can expect a fresh, rejuvenated band full of surprises. The first half of Phish's summer tour has been full of highlights, with major bust outs and tour debuts coming early and often at nearly every show.
One of the tour's most recent highlights came in the second set on Friday night at the Xfinity Center in Mansfield, Massachusetts. After kicking off the set with "Ghost," the band swiftly transitioned into "Light," arguably the most legitimate jam vehicle off of the band's 2009 release Joy. The Mansfield "Light" featured some serious type-two jamming with some heavy funk and even a few "woo's," making for one of the longest jams of the tour thus far. Fortunately, Phish has released full HD footage of "Light," which can be watched below.
Watch Phish perform "Light" in Mansfield, MA on July 8th 2016 here:
Setlist: Phish - Xfinity Center - Mansfield, MA - 07.08.16
Set 1: Party Time > 46 Days, Poor Heart, The Dogs, Bathtub Gin, Fast Enough for You, How Many People Are You, Strange Design, Fuego, Cities[1], Space Oddity
Set 2: Ghost > Light > Wolfman's Brother[2], Chalk Dust Torture, Saw It Again > Back on the Train > Slave to the Traffic Light
Encore: I Am the Walrus
[1] Trey broke a string and switched guitars mid-song, also introducing his guitar tech, Brian Brown. Trey then switched to Marimba Lumina and Mike played Trey's guitar.
[2] Vocal jam, during which the PA cut out and the band left the stage. Unfinished.
Teases:
· Eine kleine Nachtmusik tease
Notes: Eine kleine Nachtmusik was teased prior to Party Time. During Cities, Trey broke a string, switched guitars, and introduced his guitar tech, Brian Brown; Trey then switched to Marimba Lumina while Mike played Trey's guitar. Wolfman's contained a vocal jam, during which the PA cut out and the band left the stage. Wolfman's was unfinished, and after several minutes the band resumed with CDT.
Watch Dead & Company Debut "Dire Wolf" at Alpine Valley July 10, 2016 13:43
Dead & Company's summer tour continued in fine form last night, with the first of a two-night run at Alpine Valley Music Theatre in Elkhorn, Wisconsin. This summer has been full of exciting moments and debuts, as the band has made a point to feed off of 2015's momentum and expand on their catalog. Saturday night at Alpine Valley was no different, as John Mayer (guitar/vocals) led the band through the Grateful Dead's "Dire Wolf," a debut tune for Dead & Company, and one which was surprisingly not performed at any of the five 'Fare Thee Well' shows last summer. "Dire Wolf" seemed to be as perfect of a fit as any for Mayer, as his blues/rock background truly complimented the Dead classic. Saturday night's show would also include two Bob Dylan classics: "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall" and the Dead & Company debut of "Knockin' On Heavens Door" during the encore.
Click Here: Tune in to Night 2 of Dead & Company at Alpine Valley via nugs.tv
Watch Dead & Company debut "Dire Wolf" at Alpine Valley here:
Umphrey's McGee Will Join Widespread Panic in Tuscaloosa This Fall July 8, 2016 16:54
Just over a month ago, jam pioneers Widespread Panic announced that Umphrey's McGee would be joining them for an opening set at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre in Alpharetta, Georgia on Friday, September 16th. Last night at Avondale Brewery in Birmingham, Joel Cummins (keyboards) of Umphrey's McGee announced that they would be seeing the Birmingham crowd again soon in Tuscaloosa, AL with Widespread Panic. Both bands confirmed the announcement via Twitter earlier today. It should be noted that Widespread Panic will still play two full sets at each show.
The two bands have performed together several times in recent years, including a two night run at theFamily Circle Cup in Charleston SC in October of 2013, as well as shows at Jones Beach in Wantaugh, NY and Stage AE in Pittsburgh, PA in June of 2015.
Hooray! @UmphreysMcGee join the band Sept. 15 at @TuscaloosaAmp! Tickets on sale now: https://t.co/d0mblfRYqz pic.twitter.com/RmdHqS14b2
— Widespread Panic (@WidespreadPanic) July 8, 2016
Watch Widespread Panic perform w/ members of Umphrey's McGee in Charleston, SC in 2014 here:
CukoRakko Music & Arts Festival Reveals Phase 1 Lineup For FallFest July 8, 2016 16:30
CukoRakko Music & Arts Festival has revealed it's phase one artist announcement for this October's FallFest. The first phase includes The Heavy Pets, Funk You, Col. Bruce Hampton & The Madrid Express w/ Carter Herring, Backup Planet, and Jason Bailey Band. Early bird ticket packages will go on sale on Tuesday, July 12th at 10:00 AM CST. Stay tuned for future announcements and lineup additions.
That “magic feeling on the mountain” continues like nowhere else in the Southeast. Held at the beautiful Horse Pens 40 in Steele, Alabama, this friends and family event features 3 days of music and mixed media arts. Enjoy yoga, rock climbing, glass blowing, blacksmithing, disc golf with a PDGA tourney, camping, hiking, kid’s activities, food and drinks, crafts and more.
CukoRakko is the Creek Indian word for ceremonial ground, stomp ground, big house and dance ground. This perfectly describes the phenomenal energy that can be felt at this historic outdoor nature park. Horse Pens 40 is a natural wonderland of unique rock formations nestled atop Chandler Mountain in the foothills of the Appalachians. Located on top of the third highest mountain in Alabama, the stone formations here are said to be among the oldest naturally exposed stones in the world, dating from 600 million to 1.3 billion years old. This sacred ground has a vivid history. Don’t miss this opportunity to visit this incredible natural amphitheater.
Click Here: Official Website - CukoRakko Music & Arts Festival
Watch McLovins perform at CukoRakko SpringFest in May of 2016 here:
Live & Listen's 'Bands You Should Know': Little Raine Band July 8, 2016 14:48
Live & Listen is pleased to introduce a brand new weekly feature known as Bands You Should Know. This new concept will highlight a different band each Friday with an interview, general background information, current happenings, as well as videos and audio from each band. After nearly two years of various interviews and artist spotlights, we feel that installing a consistent weekly feature is the best next step for Live & Listen.
For our second edition of Bands You Should Know, we sat down with Davis Little (guitar/vocals) of Little Raine Band, a band that we've been following closely since the spring of 2015. This band was fortunately the first band we ever saw at CukoRakko Music & Arts Festival, an event that has become a major part of our annual calendar. We can't think of a more perfect band to acclimate us with such a special experience. Little Raine Band will hit you with elements of progressive rock, jazz, blues, and just the right amount of space funk. The sky is the limit for this young Birmingham-based band, and they've only scratched the surface.
From what I recall, Little Raine Band got started with you and Daniel (Raine) playing music back in junior high school, and then you added in Isaiah (Smith) and Devonte (Hutchins) a few years later. When do you feel that things really started taking off for the band?
Davis: I guess when I really noticed it taking off was after we released our first album (Liveheart), in a way. Before that, our shows had been good, and things had really been gelling with Devonte and Isaiah. That album was really the milestone marker for me. It felt like, "Ok...this is a unit now." For me, the album was really our solidifying point.
That makes sense. It gives the people who have been coming to your shows the opportunity to listen to your music at home, in the car, wherever.
Davis: Right...yeah it was the first time they could take us home with them.
I'm sure you started to notice more people showing up and singing along with some of those songs.
Davis: Exactly. It was a progressive start, you know? When Devonte joined the band, that was a really big moment in our career. He made us realize, "Ok...it works now." We started to notice more people coming to the shows, and many of the same people coming back to the next show. It was beginning to grow in different cities as well. After that album, we did a little tour in each of the cities that we had developed a market in, and it's all been moving forward from there.
I'm not surprised to hear that. He is an absolute beast of a drummer.
Davis: (laughs) Yeah he is. He's a prodigy, to say the least.
Speaking of the album, you guys recorded Liveheart in April of 2015. This had obviously been in the works for quite some time. How much original material were you guys working with at the time, and how did you decide which to include?
Davis: That process was pretty interesting, because we did have a lot of material to work with. We're going through the same process right now as we work on a new album. We just take a look at all of the songs that we had and kind of narrow it down to the ones that have been well received and people seem to like. We also want to include some of the songs we haven't played as much, but we know we want people to hear them.
So, it's a mix of that type of process. The weeding out process...and which ones are composed better. Some of them are just kind of ideas that we took to the stage. Either we'll elaborate on them in the studio and build them into something better, which happened on our first album a bit. There's a whole number of processes that go into it. It's really about trying to get new material in people's ears, as well as what they have already heard and hopefully enjoy.
Listen to Little Raine Band's debut album Liveheart here:
So you mentioned you're starting to work on a new album. Can you tell me a little more about that?
Davis: Yeah...we have a bunch of stuff that we're working on right now. We're really just going at it right now. We are doing a full-length album, and we are in the process of recording it right now. There are always financial hindrances and that type of thing, so it's a little bit slower moving this time. We're getting on it though. We are also recording at our house. During our shows, we have some segments where we kind of go into different genres or zones, where it can get a little more trancey. So at home, we're recording some of these more trancey parts of our shows. We are kind of putting them in a folder, and we don't know what we are going to do with them yet. So we definitely have plans to release something before long, but it's kind of forming before our eyes. We don't know exactly what's going to happen yet.
That's great though. I'm sure it's nice to have a few different angles to choose from, as far as what you ultimately want to go for in the studio.
Davis: Right. We want to have a great studio with all of our actual songs, but we also have all of these other elements that we play live. We want people to understand what our live show is all about when they hear our album. So we want to incorporate all of the pieces of the album, from beginning to end, or at least that's how we try to do it. We're creating this live experience, in a way.
Photo by Thomas Diasio
Little Raine Band's sound is truly distinct and unique. I hear elements of psychedelic funk and blues. Then, I hear some really calming, spacey moments, and plenty of heavy, progressing jamming. I feel like your guitar playing has a lot to do with it. How would you describe the sound that you guys are going for?
Davis: That's always been an interesting thing for me. I think about it all the time, but I've never really found an answer for. Basically, it comes down to the fact that individually, we all listen to such a wide variety of music. Each of us play different styles of music. Daniel plays banjo, and sometimes we'll play bluegrass and jazz. Each one of us is different. I think mainly, our sound comes from the fact that we are each individual musicians. We all write songs differently. When we come together and put it all on the table, it melts into it's own thing. That's what I enjoy the most about playing with this band. It's a lot of fun on stage, because we can kind of go on this journey. We might start off doing a gospel/funk/psychedelic thing, then move things into this deep space trance. Then we'll take it out with a progressive punch at the end. It's pretty fun to write a setlist and play a show with this group of guys and that mentality.
Yeah...it kind of turns the set into a little bit of a story, right?
Davis: Exactly. We find ourselves doing that type of thing. We'll mashup lyrics in our songs. If you look at the setlist, there will be a story within it. You will see it with the song names. We always joke that no one who is listening is going that deep. We're not Phish, you know? No one is going to go quite that deep with our set, but we're going to do it anyway (laughs). It's a lot of fun.
I'm sure you'll start to notice people picking up on that over time, if they havent already.
Davis: Hopefully so man. It's there...so they if they catch it, that will be cool.
I think it's just a matter of who your audience is and how familiar they are with your music. No one is going to pick up on Phish doing that type of thing unless they see them on a regular basis.
Davis: Exactly...that's a great point. It takes a certain type of audio file to really dig in. It's fun to have that type of mentality. It almost creates it's own universe that you can get sucked into. It's one that our band lives in. We all live in that universe, so it's fun for us. You'll see some of this on the next album. There is going to be some stuff that people may or may not notice that we've planted in our first album. I can't really reveal much more than that, but there are some little nuances.
Watch Little Raine Band perform "Trying to Fly" at Zydeco in Birmingham, AL here:
In terms of the songwriting process, how does it work for you guys when working on a new idea? Is everyone bringing different elements to the table and hammering it out from there? I'm always interested to hear how different bands go about that.
Davis: It's a really interesting thing honestly. We've all gone through different ideas with it. Ultimately, everyone is expected to bring a solid idea to the table. Don't bring it to the table if it's not at least halfway done yet. We still live by that to an extent. You have to have a good idea to present to the band. We always do that, no matter what. But if we're really going to grind something out, we have to have a rule of having a ideas that are at least semi-fluent. From there, we'll grind it out as much as possible during rehearsal.
It's always changing though, especially with technology. Sometimes we'll record some of it on the computer and work with it from there. You can only rehearse so much. Technology has been a blessing and a curse. It's one of those things where we can use it as a really awesome tool for our songwriting. We've even written songs in the van; using keyboard and computers on the way to a gig and played it that night. Then we evaluate it from there. It's a mixed process. There isn't really an exact form to it. We just try to get it done, if we can.
We're in the midst of a time where there seems to be more bands than ever before. What do you feel are some of the biggest challenges and rewards that a young band like Little Raine Band faces out on the road?
Davis: One of the biggest challenges that I can think of is just that there are so many bands out there in our echelon. By that, I mean bands with a good market that are starting to make some noise. There are some bands that are more business savvy. Some might have better connections. That can be the main issue with getting gigs sometimes. Everyone has their own sound, so it is relative. I love the fact that there are so many bands out there, because we can link up when we go to a new city. You only have so many agents who are trying to represent bands at this level. If their roster is full, their roster is full...until something happens otherwise.
It's really just the business side of finding agents and trying to make the connections that everyone is trying to get. We can't do it all by ourselves, you know? One day, we would like to just be able to play music, and not have to worry about booking gigs (laughs). At this point, it's a bit of a distant dream. We do have some guys that help us, and it's a wonderful team of people. We're always trying to move forward and trying to get the next leg up. Everyone wants that same leg.
In terms of the rewards, I can only imagine how satisfying it is when you do land that gig or festival spot that you were working for. That's essentially why you guys do this, right?
Davis: Absolutely. It's definitely a rewarding experience, but at the same time, it's a fleeting experience. Every gig happens so quickly, and then it's over. You're left standing there like, "Damn...I need more!" (laughs). You get your hour and a half of satisfaction on stage, and it's such a great experience. It can be an upsetting thing when it's all said and done, but it's also what we live for. It's all about that gratifying experience. We're definitely not doing this for the money (laughs). We're always chasing the gig, more than anything.
Recently busted out a cover of the Grateful Dead masterpiece "Terrapin Station". You guys nailed all 3 parts of the suite. That was a bold move. When did you guys decide to tackle this song, and how much preparation went into it before performing it live?
Davis: Yeah man...we did the entire suite. That was really fun for us. We have been talking about doing that for years. I've learned it a few times, and we were going to do it once at our annual "day after christmas" shows in Birmingham. We were going to make it a really special thing, but it ended up not being the right time. We've been going to this festival, Acoustic Cafe, for years. Once the owner invited us to play this year, we were just like "Ok, it's time." Then the next week we were playing Jam in the Ham in Birmingham, so it seemed like the perfect time. We knew if we were going to do it, we had to learn every note and do the full suite. When Dead & Company plays it live, they just stop after that first part "Lady with a Fan." We just decided this was our time, and we wanted to do the whole thing. It was a big challenge, but it was really fun.
That's no easy task man. Paying honor to one of the greatest bands of all time.
Davis: Right. The forefathers of a culture that is fueling desires of both musicians and fans alike. It's something thats much bigger than just a picture in a storybook.
Watch a clip from Little Raine Band's "Terrapin Station" at Zydeco in Birmingham here:
Well before we wrap this up, I know it's obviously a pivotal time for the band. I know you guys are continuing to grind it out and build on what you have already accomplished. What are you guys focusing on in the 2nd half of 2016 and what do you hope to accomplish? Next Step?
Davis: The next step for us is just to keep on going. We have some great ideas that we've been working on with some really special shows involving albums and certain concepts. We are finally getting to the point that we can do them. Without totally letting the cat out of the bag, we have a certain Birmingham show this year where we plan on doing something we've been wanting to do for a long time. I'm not even sure if a band has done it yet.
There's a few things like that happening. We're just trying to get gigs and pay off our van (laughs). We need to pick up a few more weddings and college gigs. Next summer, we really want to get on more festivals. We're playing some festivals this summer, but not enough to fill up the calendar. That's definitely our goal for next year, so we're trying to branch out into those markets in the meantime. That's kind of our thing right now.
Official Website: Little Raine Band
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Dead & Company Announces Webcasts For Alpine Valley Shows July 7, 2016 09:20
Dead & Company, the newly formed supergroup featuring Grateful Dead members Bob Weir,Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart joined by John Mayer, Jeff Chimenti and Oteil Burbridge, are continuing their summer tour this weekend at Apine Valley Music Theatre in Elkhorn, Wisconsin. If you're unable to make it to the shows, the band is giving you the option to watch the shows from the comfort of your own couch.
Webcasts of both Dead & Company shows at Alpine Valley are available on a Pay-Per-View basis via nugs.tv. Both webcasts can be purchased in both HD and SD formats. The broadcasts are expected to start at 8:30 p.m. ET on Saturday and Sunday nights. If you can’t watch live you can catch any parts you missed via nugs.tv's Video On Demand option after the show for 48 hours. Dead & Company continues their summer tour on Thursday night at DTE Energy Music Theatre near Detroit.
Gadsden's "Rock The River" To Feature Anders Osborne On July 15th July 6, 2016 18:46
Photo by ShowLove Media
The Gadsden Cultural Arts Foundation is set to host it's third annual "Rock The River" event on Friday, July 15th, and they're confident that this year will be their strongest showing yet. Rock the River will take place at Coosa Landing, the city's boat launch between Memorial Bridge and the railroad trestle, on the river's east side. This year's event will feature a performance from legendary New Orleans musician Anders Osborne. Those familiar with Osborne's music will be the first to tell you that this is a show you don't want to miss.
Gates open at 7 pm, the show starts at 8 pm, lawn chairs and coolers are welcome, and food vendors will be available. General admission tickets are $25 per person and are available at the Hardin Center and online here. The funds raised by Rock the River go to support the programs and projects of the Hardin Center.
Click Here: Purchase Tickets to Rock The River
A limited number of reserved VIP tables of 8 seats are available for $600. VIP tables include a premium reserved table, a VIP parking pass, and vouchers to be used at the food vendors. For more information or to reserve a VIP table, please call (256) 490-7227 or email. Coosa Landing is an outdoor venue on the eastern bank of the Coosa River between the Memorial Bridge and the railroad trestle. Click here to view a map of the venue.
We recently spoke with Tom Banks, deputy director of the Gadsden Cultural Arts Foundation, in order to learn more about the purpose behind this annual event, it's effect on the foundation and greater Gadsden community:
"We do Rock the River for two main reasons. The main purpose is to raise funds for the Gadsden Cultural Arts Foundation. We use the funds to support our exhibits, our children's museum, our youth orchestra, our school for the arts, and all of our community programs. The second reason is to provide a quality event for our community in a unique venue with a reasonable ticket price. We are pleased be able to bring in a talented artist and provide a great outdoor atmosphere for a show along Gadsden's beautiful riverfront.
This is our third year for Rock the River and the event has grown each year. We hope to continue to build upon the momentum each year and create a festival atmosphere that can be enjoyed by a diverse group of people.
We hope for this year's event to appeal to a broad audience and particularly to people who enjoy live music. Anders Osborne is known to be an incredible musician and a terrific performer. People of all ages and demographics like his music. We feel like Anders is the perfect fit for an outdoor concert along a beautiful river and we hope he'll bring in a large crowd of new people who may not already be familiar with Gadsden."
Watch Anders Osborne's performance at the 2016 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival here:
Bio: Anders Osborne
Between the potency of his richly detailed songwriting, his intensely emotional, soulful vocals and his piercing, expert guitar work, New Orleans’ Anders Osborne is a true musical treasure. He is among the most original and visionary musicians writing and performing today.Guitar Player calls him “the poet laureate of Louisiana’s fertile roots music scene.” New Orleans' Gambit Weekly recently honored Osborne as the Entertainer Of The Year. OffBeat named him the Crescent City’s Best Guitarist for the third year in a row, and the Best Songwriter for the second straight year. Osborne also won Song Of The Year for his composition, Louisiana Gold.
Since the release of his 2010 Alligator Records debut, American Patchwork, his 2012 follow-up, Black Eye Galaxy, his critically acclaimed EP Three Free Amigos, and 2013’s Peace, Osborne has earned hordes of new fans. He has toured virtually non-stop, either with his road-tested trio, as a solo artist, or as a guest with his countless musical admirers, including Toots and The Maytals, Stanton Moore, Derek Trucks, Warren Haynes, Keb Mo, The Grateful Dead’s Phil Lesh and Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe. He’s appeared on Galactic’s Ya-Ka-May album, and in 2011 produced and played on critically acclaimed albums by Tab Benoit, Johnny Sansone and Mike Zito.
Since his recording debut in 1989, Osborne has written virtually all of his own material and contributed memorable songs to a wide variety of artists. Two tunes co-written by Osborne appear on Keb Mo’s Grammy-winning 1999 release Slow Down. Country superstar Tim McGraw scored a #1 hit with Anders’ song Watch The Wind Blow By. Osborne’s compositions have been covered by artists as diverse as Brad Paisley, Tab Benoit, Jonny Lang and Kim Carnes. His songs have appeared in multiple feature films. He can also be seen performing in an episode of HBO’s New Orleans-based drama, Treme.
10 Things You Didn't Know About McLovins July 6, 2016 16:45
- McLovins were named by online fans who first discovered the band.
- The band was recently included on Broadway star Lin Manuel Miranda’s US Weekly playlist.
- McLovins' eclectic sound stems from a wide range of influences like The Flaming Lips, The Band and Wilco.
- The bands most current album McLovins was produced by Grammy award winning 'Hamilton' producer Bill Sherman.
- The band is currently on a national tour with a full Fall schedule to be announced shortly.
- Drummer and lead vocalist Jake Huffman is also a composer for Sesame Street.
- The band promotes shows with an inventive series of episodes called "Atticus Facts".
- Although the band writes tight and formulaic songs, when performed live, many songs contain improvised and extended elements making every show unique.
- All four band members share song writing responsibility with a new album coming early next year.
- McLovins also strongly recommend that fans wear their seat belts.
Watch McLovins perform "Buildin' It Up" at Telefunken Studios here:
Watch McLovins' acoustic performance of their original "Hold Up" here:
CBDB and Members of The Werks Will Play Umphrey's Afterparty in Birmingham July 6, 2016 11:53
If you're heading to see Umphrey's McGee at Avondale Brewery on Thursday night, you're going to want to plan accordingly for your after show plans. One of the southeast's hottest young bands, CBDB, is scheduled to play the official Umphrey's McGee afterparty at Zydeco, and they're preparing for an extra special occasion. Joining CBDB will be several members from The Werks, who is currently on tour with Umphrey's and opening up Thursday night's show at Avondale Brewery. Music is scheduled to begin at 11:00 PM, so head on over to Zydeco as soon as Umphrey's wraps up at Avondale.
Click Here: Purchase Tickets Today!
We spoke with CBDB's Kris Gottlieb (guitar) earlier today, and it's clear that this is a night that the band has been looking ahead to for some time:
"This is going to be our first official Umphrey's afterparty. We went on tour with The Werks back in April, so we're really excited to have a few of those guys join us. We just recently got home from a run through the northeast. Our last show was on Father's Day in Brooklyn, NY. We've been off since then, so we're really excited to play this week. It's always great to get back to Birmingham, especially for such a special occasion. We're very grateful for the opportunity, and we hope everyone shows up ready for a great show." - Kris Gottlieb (guitar) of CBDB
Watch CBDB's official music video for "Somewhere to Fall" here:
CBDB is a progressive rock/jam band formed in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, whose stock is rising fast. Fresh off the release of their third album, entitled The FAME EP, they are seeing a pattern of snowballing momentum with large, energetic crowds hungry for their unique brand of progressive jam-rock, dubbed Joyfunk. CBDB blends soulful vocals and virtuosic instrumentation with smart, tasteful songwriting resulting in a sound that can be enjoyed by the casual listener and audiophile alike. On stage, they parade tight, ambitious compositions that seamlessly gives way to loose, adventurous improvisation and have quickly become a must-see act.
One Year Ago: The Grateful Dead's Final Stand at Soldier Field July 5, 2016 18:09
Photo by Phierce Photo by Keith Griner
Words by Jordan Kirkland: Live & Listen
When I awoke and drove in to work on Friday, January 16th, I was already excited and knew that I was in for a long day. Several of us were heading to the Charleston Pour House for four rotating sets of Phish and Widespread Panic, courtesy of tribute bands Runaway Gin and Machine Funk. Sometime around noon, my phone started to light up with calls and text messages asking if I had heard the news. The rumors were officially true: The Grateful Dead were playing a three-night run at Soldier Field over the weekend of July 4th. To make things even sweeter, Trey Anastasio, Bruce Hornsby, and Jeff Chimenti were all set to round out the lineup. Any chance at the slightest bit of productivity that afternoon was officially shot, and a hotel reservation in Chicago was made immediately.
In order to honor their creative tradition, the initial ticket offer was made via mail order, in order to ensure that the band's total ticket allotment would be available only to those willing to make the extra effort. Elaborate, Dead-themed artwork was encouraged on each envelope. Over 500,000 ticket requests were received, leaving just a ten percent chance of "winning the lottery." The overwhelming response led promoters to adjust the seating arrangement to accommodate more guests. Peter Shapiro, the event's organizer and head promoter, gave his word that the level of production would provide all mail order ticket holders with an amazing experience.
On April 10th, more rumors were confirmed when the band announced that their final run would now consist of two additional shows at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, CA on June 27th and 28th. It only seemed right that the band make a return to the Bay Area, where it all officially started 50 years prior. Much debate surrounded the band's selection of Anastasio on lead guitar, as past Dead lineups have included many other amazing guitarists such as Warren Haynes, Steve Kimock, Jimmy Herring, and John Kadlecick in that role.
Full Recap: The Grateful Dead Shine In Santa Clara, Roll On To Chicago
Tremendous progression was made over the course of the initial Santa Clara shows, with countless highlights that easily outweighed a handful of rusty moments. As expected, momentum was established, and it was time for the final three shows in Chicago. After a brief tease from Lesh and Anastasio, all seven members took the stage and were met with an eruption from 70,000+ at Soldier Field. "Box of Rain," the final song played at Jerry Garcia's last show (June 9th, 1995 - Soldier Field) allowed Bobby, Phil, Mickey, and Billy to pick up right where they left off. Next came "Jack Straw," and Bobby could barely be heard when it came time for the line "Leaving Texas, fourth day of July!" This was just the first of many moments that you could truly feel 70,000+ singing in unison.
Photo by Phierce Photo by Keith Griner
"Bertha" made for three consecutive classics from the early 70's, just before a rocking take on "Passenger," an original which was debuted in 1978 at Memorial Coliseum in Tuscaloosa. Weir handled lead vocals, while Hornsby put a touch of Brent Mydland on harmony vocals. The late, great Mydland was also honored this weekend as Chimenti played the fallen organist’s Hammond B-3 all three nights. In an interview in Dupree's Diamond News, Lesh once said of "Passenger": "What's weird about that song is I sort of did it as a joke. It's a take on a Fleetwood Mac tune called "Station Man." I just sort of sped it up and put some different chord changes in there..." We were pleasantly surprised with "The Wheel," which has often come out of a "Drums" or "Space" since its debut in 1976. "Crazy Fingers," a tune named after jazz pianist Claude Hopkins, opened up a nice challenge for Anastasio, as the song features a vast array of chords and key changes, as its title suggests. The opening bass line of "The Music Never Stopped" sent the stadium into an all out frenzy. This song embodied the occasion; celebrating "a band beyond description" that would play all night long and never let the party slow down. Anastasio took his game to another level when it came time for the solo, and just like that, the weekend's first set came to a close in just 60 minutes, ending with two consecutive tunes from Blues for Allah, which later proved to be the theme of the night.
One of the biggest surprises of the weekend came as the second set opened with “Mason’s Children,” an outtake from Workingman’s Dead. Chimenti, who was absolutely brilliant all weekend, delivered one of his more memorable solos of the night as this rare gem winded down. As Anastasio hit the opening notes of “Scarlet Begonias,” I honestly thought I felt the stadium shake. We were well into the thick of the evening, and Scarlet seemed as perfect as any tune for Anastasio to sing. We all knew what was next, as Chimenti took to a heavy synth effect with the transition into “Fire on the Mountain.” Anastasio was absolutely nailing that signature Garcia sound before Hornsby jumped on the vocals just a little early. The rare mishap by Bruce was quickly forgotten as he delivered in beautiful fashion. What had become one of the best jams of the night was abruptly ended with “Drums > Space,” which required a moment of mental transition. Another rare gem came in “New Potato Caboose,” a tune named for an old Irish jig, which appeared on the 1968 release, Anthem of the Sun. Caboose made for a memorable series of exchanges between Hornsby and Anastasio.
Video via LazyLightning55a
The Grateful Dead – Setlist – 07.03.15
SET ONE: Box of Rain > Jack Straw, Bertha > Passenger, The Wheel > Crazy Fingers > The Music Never Stopped
SET TWO: Mason’s Children > Scarlet Begonias > Fire on the Mountain > Drums > Space > New Potato Caboose > Playing’ In the Band > Let It Grow > Help on the Way > Slipknot! > Franklin’s Tower
ENCORE: Ripple
Another beautiful day was in store for July 4th, allowing those who were traveling much of the day Friday to get to Soldier Field in time to enjoy the best parking lot atmosphere I’ve ever been a part of. With three out of five Fare Thee Well shows in the books without one song repeated, the speculation and predictions were coming in from all directions. Those wishing for a “Shakedown” opener got just that, and night two was off and running. Weir took the lead vocals in stride, while Anastasio nailed the signature Garcia “multron” effects that we all know so well. “Liberty,” another Robert Hunter/Jerry Garcia original was a fitting choice to follow. “Liberty” first appeared as the title track of Hunter’s 1988 studio album, and was debuted by The Dead on February 21st, 1993 at Oakland Coliseum Arena. Anastasio was next on the mic for “Standing on the Moon,” another late 80’s Hunter/Garcia product. This was one of Garcia’s well-known ballads and undoubtedly a humbling moment for Anastasio. “Me & My Uncle” then picked up the pace and pumped some much needed energy into the stadium after things had slowed down a bit.
The energy in the stadium took a surge upon the opening notes of “Tennessee Jed,” one which Anastasio was given the nod on lead vocals, much to the crowd’s delight. The first repeat of the Fare Thee Well run turned out to be “Cumberland Blues,” one which was as common as any in the late 60’s through the mid 70’s. “Friend of the Devil” felt perfectly placed for this rootsy, bluegrass-friendly stretch of the first set. Weir took the lead next on Willie Dixon’s “Little Red Rooster,” one of very few covers over the final five shows. This made for quite the entertaining bluesy, slide guitar dual between Weir and Anastasio. Another early 70s sing-a-long was due before this set could end, and “Deal” provided just that. The crowd reaction when it came time for the line, “If I told you ‘bout all that went down, it would burn off both of your ears,” was one I have been waiting to hear for as long as I can remember. The sun had started to set, the lights were in full effect, and “Deal” most certainly left a fire burning at Soldier Field as we reached the set break.
Photo by Phierce Photo by Keith Griner
A stellar version "Bird Song," a Garcia/Hunter tune born upon the death of Janis Joplin, kicked off the second set. Lesh handled lead vocals, while Hornsby seemed to truly drive the rhythm and keep the entire stadium's attention. "The Golden Road (To Unlimited Devotion)" turned into one hell of a party, as expected. Being the opening track on my first Dead album (Skeletons from the Closet), I'd been waiting for this one for an extremely long time, and hearing Anastasio and Hornsby trade off on vocals was an absolute treat.
There was no question as to how much fun the band was having at this point, each of them grinning from ear to ear. "Lost Sailor," a song that lost its place for many years in the Dead rotation, couldn't have been executed better, and the transition into "Saint of Circumstance" was beautiful. I have to say that this one truly caught me off guard. While I was very familiar with the In the Dark album at a young age, "Saint of Circumstance" somehow fell out of my personal rotation, and I had certainly never heard it performed live. I couldn't stop singing "Sure don't know what I'm goin' for, but I'm gonna go for it for sure" until well after I returned to Alabama on Monday. Hornsby was up next for vocals on "West L.A. Fadeaway," while Chimenti added a heavy dose of funk on the Hammond. The set jumped back to the late 80's with "Foolish Heart," just before the nightly dose of "Drums" > "Space."
While Weir couldn't seem to get everyone on the same page, he led the charge into "Stella Blue" and displayed some of the most powerful emotion of the weekend. There was no doubt this one was personal, and he was determined to make Jerry proud. While we all knew it was coming, the build up throughout the night that led into "One More Saturday Night" was a sight to see. Scanning across Soldier Field and seeing that many people dance so wildly to such a classic party tune created a memory that will never fade. As the band left the stage, it was a safe assumption that "U.S. Blues" would bring this party to an end. As the patriotic anthem reached its peak, a massive display of fireworks spread across the sky, leaving the entire stadium mesmerized.
Photo by Phierce Photo by Keith Griner
Photo by Phierce Photo by Keith Griner
The Grateful Dead – Setlist – 07.04.15
SET ONE: Shakedown Street, Liberty, Standing on the Moon, Me and My Uncle, Tennessee Jed, Cumberland Blues, Little Red Rooster, Friend of the Devil, Deal
SET TWO: Bird Song > The Golden Road (To Unlimited Devotion) > Lost Sailor > Saint of Circumstance > West L.A. Fadeaway, Foolish Heart > Drums > Space > Stella Blue > One More Saturday Night
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The buzz was in full force Sunday afternoon, with someone "needing a miracle" to get into the show everywhere you looked, and no one in sight selling extras. As of about 3:00 PM, the cheapest ticket for the final Sunday show was listed at $530. With only one repeat over the previous four nights, there were a handful of classics that had to be played. "China Cat Sunflower" > "I Know You Rider" knocked two of those off the list immediately. While "Estimated Prophet" didn't spur quite the level of improvisation as it could have, it most definitely had the natural, empowering effect that I have always associated with it. "Built to Last," the title track from the Dead's final studio album, came as a major surprise, as it only made a handful of live appearances in 1989 and 1990.
The party turned up a notch with an aggressive, foot-stomping rendition of "Samson and Delilah." You could hear the echo of the entire stadium every time the chorus came around. "Mountains of the Moon" took us back to the earliest days of The Dead. Each night, the first set would end just as the sun had fully set, and the song selection was so strong for each these moments, as the lights would take full force. Sunday night it was "Throwing Stones," one of my favorites off of In the Dark, and a testament to the early 80's vibe of The Dead.
The final set of the Fare Thee Well run was now upon us, and with it came "Truckin'," just the second of two total repeats played over the course of five total shows. It wouldn't have been right had the band not sung, "What a long, strange trip it's been" at their final performance. Another swift, well-executed transition led into "Cassidy," which of course includes the words "fare thee well," adding a little extra nostalgia. Anastasio's attention to detail was proven yet again, as nailed the signature sound of "Althea" on every note. It was finally time to buckle up for "Terrapin Station," easily one of the most anticipated moments of the entire weekend. Lesh led the way on vocals, and while that tends to be a rocky ride, it was a powerful, resounding moment.
Video via LazyLightning55a
Billy and Mickey's final take on "Drums" > "Space" reached its peak when Mickey brought out a train horn and nearly deafened the entire stadium. "Unbroken Chain" came next and provided one last moment for Lesh to shine center stage. In a touching tribute to Garcia, the band kept the slow pace for "Days Between," which has served as an anthem for honoring Jerry's life, and is often referred to the days between his birthday (August 1st) and his day of passing (August 9th).
With just enough time to close out the second set, the all-too-familiar beat of "Not Fade Away" began. The positive nature and uplifting message of this song couldn't have been a more perfect way to close out the final set. "You know our love will not fade away," paired with the series of five claps, carried on for nearly three minutes amongst the stadium after the band had left the stage. Of all the truly special moments throughout the weekend, it is difficult to imagine being a part of such a powerful moment ever again. After Lesh's final speech, "Touch of Grey" brought that magic and energy back into the air. As they ended, the "Not Fade Away" chant/clap picked back up in full force, and the band returned one last time for "Attics of My Life," as a touching slideshow honored those like Jerry, Ron "Pig Pen" McKernon, Keith Godchaux, and Brent Mydland, who were unfortunately lost far too soon.
While this weekend garnered as much anticipation as any I can recall, I could not have possibly prepared myself for what was in store. The overall experience surrounding this music scene that we love so much goes so far beyond the music, and I can’t even imagine where the world of live music would be without the Grateful Dead. This is the band that took elements of country, folk, bluegrass, jazz, blues, reggae, and rock, and fused them into one. You look at the hype that has surrounded this event since January, the absurd ticket demand, and even the polarizing views on Trey sitting in Jerry’s seat, and it all speaks very clearly to the testament of this band’s impact on the world. I cannot do justice to the energy and vibe that was in the air in Chicago this weekend. Deadheads were everywhere, and I have never seen a bigger collection of open-minded, compassionate people. Anywhere you looked in Soldier Field, fans were thanking the security staff, vendors, and even the police for working so hard so that we could enjoy this experience. As we left the stadium Sunday night, thousands of fans continued to sing “you know our love will not fade away” as they walked through Grant Park. The impact of the Grateful Dead truly made this world a better place, and we should all be grateful for the music, love, and positive energy this band has created over the past fifty years.
Photo by Phierce Photo by Keith Griner
The Grateful Dead - Setlist - 07.05.15
SET ONE: China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider, Estimated Prophet , Built To Last, Samson and Delilah, Mountains of the Moon > Throwing Stones
SET TWO: Truckin' > Cassidy, Althea, Terrapin Station > Drums > Space > Unbroken Chain > Days Between > Not Fade Away
Encore One: Touch of Grey
Encore Two: Attics of my Life
The String Cheese Incident Delivers Epic July 4th Celebration in Atlanta July 5, 2016 14:50
Words and Photos by Jordan Kirkland: Live & Listen
It is always a special occasion when The String Cheese Incident embarks on a lengthy tour, especially when said tour includes a handful of dates in the southeast. As soon as the band announced it's two-night July 4th run in Atlanta, there was no doubt as to what I would be doing on this Independence Day weekend. Following an unforgettable performance on Sunday night, Cheese returned to the stage at Chastain Park on Monday night for a July 4th celebration that we will be talking about for years to come.
Click Here: Recap + Photo Gallery + Video from Sunday Night (07/03) at Chastain Park
The first set got started with "Valley of the Jig," a melodic bluegrass instrumental which featured some amazing back-and-forth moments from Michael Kang on fiddle and Bill Nershi on guitar, before transitioning into a somewhat techno jam. No band can pull off that concept quite like Cheese. "Got What He Wanted" was next; giving the lively Atlanta crowd a well-known sing-along early on. Another vintage bluegrass instrumental then came in the form of "Dudley's Kitchen," one which simply demands you to dance. Keith Moseley (bass/vocals) then took the lead on "Sometime's a River," another heartwarming sing-along.
The energy in Chastain Park went to another level with the jam-focused "Turn This Around," a tune that allows Kang to absolutely wail on the electric guitar. A seamless transition led into "Smile," and if that song doesn't make you feel all warm and fuzzy, you may have some issues worth addressing. The band then introduced Ms. Rhonda Thomas, who would be making her first of many appearances on stage. They wasted no time busting into a cover of Stevie Wonder's "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" that will never be forgotten to close the first set. Fortunately, Moseley assured the crowd that we would be seeing more of Ms. Thomas in the second set.
After a brief intermission, Cheese returned to the stage and called upon Ms. Thomas for her vocal assistance once again. Kyle Hollingsworth led us into the super funky "Believe," and the second set was off to a blazing start. Moseley stepped up once again for "Sweet Spot," easily one of the catchiest, feel-good tunes in the Cheese catalog. That seems to be a bit of a pattern anytime Moseley handles lead vocals.
Rhonda Thomas stayed on stage for one more tune, and nobody saw it coming. The band busted into a cover of Vulfpeck's "Funky Duck," and it could not have been a better decision. If you haven't yet jumped on the Vulfpeck funk bandwagon, I recommend making it a priority. Nershi calmed things down a bit with "Farther," just before Kang led a raging "Howard" that pumped a new life into Chastain Park. I'd be shocked if there was a single attendant not singing along as the band worked through "Outside and Inside," the title track from the band's 2001 studio release (Outside Inside). The decision to cover the Allman Brother's "Hot 'Lanta" couldn't have been any more appropriate, and the ultimate buildup into "Let's Go Outside" was simply perfect. Hollingsworth left it all on the stage as he led the crowd through one of Cheese's newer, high-energy funk tunes.
Unfortunately, this "weekend" had to end somewhere, but not before an overwhelming encore. "Black Clouds," one of my all-time favorites from the Born on the Wrong Planet album, gave us one more chance to get down to the classic Cheese bluegrass vibe. Our old friend Rhonda Thomas then took the stage for one final appearance, which Moseley described as "the most patriotic song we could possibly play on July 4th." This version of "America, The Beautiful" was on another level, prompting a whole lot of hugs and high fives throughout Chastain Park.
I simply can't say enough about The String Cheese Incident and their ability to resonate such a warm energy with every song. After nearly 15 years of listening attentively to this band, this was only the fifth and sixth opportunity I have had to see them live. This weekend will serve as a constant reminder of why I fell in love with this band at such an early age, and why I plan on going out of my way to see them again whenever the opportunity presents itself.
Click Here: Recap + Photo Gallery + Video from Sunday Night (07/03) at Chastain Park
Watch The String Cheese Incident and Ms. Rhonda Thomas perform Stevie Wonder's "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" here:
The String Cheese Incident Lights Up Atlanta's Chastain Park July 4, 2016 12:49
Words and Photos by Jordan Kirkland: Live & Listen
The String Cheese Incident returned to Atlanta for the first time in over five years (Fox Theatre: 11/26/11 - 11/27/11) on Sunday night, and they did so in fine form. This would serve as the third show of the band's summer tour, and the first of a two-night run at the prestigious Chastain Park Amphitheatre. After a thirty minute rain delay, the crowd filtered back into the stands just before 8:00 PM EST, ready for the party that would follow.
The band came out swinging as they opened with "Close Your Eyes," before moving into "Doin' My Time." "Betray The Dark" and "Xai Xai" would come next, only to be followed by the rousing classic "Rhythm of the Road." Kyle Hollingsworth (keys/vocals) then took full control and led the rowdy Atlanta crowd through one of the bands newer dance party tunes "Stop, Drop, Roll" to close out the first set.
Following a brief set break, the band returned to the stage with overwhelming energy as they worked through the trancey, electronic "Bumpin' Reel." The heavy funk vibe continued with "Dirk," before Billy Nershi (guitar/vocals) calmed things down a bit with the always beautiful "Windy Mountain." Keith Moseley (bass) got everyone moving again with the heavy, slap bass driven "Freedom Jazz Dance," as Chastain Park became an official dance party. From here, Michael Kang took the lead with the peaceful, melodic opening notes of "Shine," which always builds into such a powerful tune.
Michael Travis (drums) and Jason Hann (percussion) would then lead the band into The Rolling Stones' "Sympathy For The Devil," a move that sent the entire amphitheater into an all out frenzy. And just when you thought the energy had reached it's peak, Hollingsworth kicked the jam straight into a raging "Rosie" that would close out the second set. After a brief exit from the stage, the band returned with special guest Tony Furtado (mandolin) for a mesmerizing performance of the classic "Restless Wind." Cheese returns to the stage at Chastain Park on Monday night for what is sure to be an epic celebration of America's freedom.
Check out our favorite photos from night one at Chastain Park below, as well as video clips from "Shine" and "Sympathy for the Devil." Stay tuned for coverage of the band's Fourth of July celebration on Monday night in Atlanta!
Setlist: The String Cheese Incident - Atlanta, GA - 07.03.16
SET 1: Close Your Eyes > Doin' My Time, Betray The Dark, Xai Xai, Rhythm of the Road > Stop, Drop, Roll
SET 2: Bumpin' Reel, Dirk, Windy Mountain > Freedom Jazz Dance, Shine > Sympathy For The Devil > Rosie
ENCORE: Restless Wind1
NOTES: 1 with Tony Furtado
Watch a clip of The String Cheese Incident performing "Sympathy for the Devil" here:
Watch Phish's 3-Night Run in Saratoga Springs in Full HD July 1, 2016 15:21
Phish continues off it's highly anticipated summer tour this weekend at Saratoga Performing Arts Center in Saratoga Springs, NY, and the band has once again made their shows available for HD streaming via LivePhish.com. The three-night run kicks off on Friday, July 1st and concludes on Sunday, July 3rd. Coming off of two red hot two-night runs at Wrigley Field in Chicago and The Mann in Philadelphia, this weekend at SPAC is sure to be a special weekend. If you've never experienced an evening of Phish "couch tour", it's something we highly recommend. The band offers an experience like no other from the comfort of your own home, with live HD footage and soundboard audio.
Click Here: Order Your Phish Webcast Package Today
Watch Phish perform "Fluffhead" at Wrigley Field on 06.25.16 here:
- Watch Phish live from Saratoga Performing Arts Center - Saratoga Springs, NY in FullHD 1080p - We are broadcasting in FullHD 1080p in addition to our standard (SD) webcast streams. Select the HD Webcast tab above to purchase the FullHD 1080p webcasts.
- PLEASE NOTE: FullHD 1080p Webcast requires at least 5Mbps wired internet connection. Test your internet connection speed at http://www.speedtest.net
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- Watch the webcasts on your PC or Mac or iOS devices. Android devices and gaming consoles are not officially supported. Please see the LivePhish FAQ for more information.
- You will be able to stream each night's show for 24 hours following each webcast
- Save 10% on multi-night bundles
- Get MP3s of each show with the Webcast+MP3 Bundles
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Check out the official event t-shirt for this weekend's run at SPAC!
Live & Listen's 'Bands You Should Know': Backup Planet June 30, 2016 23:54
Interview by Jordan Kirkland: Live & Listen
Live & Listen is pleased to introduce a brand new weekly feature known as Bands You Should Know. This new concept will highlight a different band each Friday with an interview, general background information, current happenings, as well as videos and audio from each band. After nearly two years of various interviews and artist spotlights, we feel that installing a consistent weekly feature is the best next step for Live & Listen.
For our first edition of Bands You Should Know, we sat down with Ben Cooper (keys/vocals) and Gavin Donati (guitar/vocals) of Backup Planet, a band we simply can't stop listening to. This band's sound is truly infectious and compelling - and for all of the right reasons. We had the pleasure of catching their set earlier this year at AURA Music & Arts Festival, and we haven't turned back since. Backup Planet's eclectic sound will lock you in from the moment you press play, and we can't wait to watch the future unfold for this explosive young four-piece.
Ben Cooper (left) and Gavin Donati (right) of Backup Planet // aLive Coverage
Backup Planet has made quite a name for itself in just under four years. Tell me a little bit about how this thing came together back in 2012.
Ben: Totally…Gavin and I actually met at a Phish show back in 2009 through a mutual friend who introduced us. Our friend just said, “Hey, you play keys, and he plays guitar. You should probably play together.” I guess the following January we started playing at this house called “The Hell House,” and it was basically just a party two nights a week. They just kind of said, “If you guys want to be the house band, you got it.” So we played just about every weekend for a while and cut our teeth a little bit. So, we started playing a long time ago, but we played with different bassists and drummers. We started the actual band in 2012. Then, we moved to Nashville in 2013 and just kind of hit the ground running.
So at what point did Blake (Gallant) and Chris (Potocik) get up with you guys?
Ben: Well it was just Gavin and I playing around for a while. Chris has been playing with us since we formed in 2012. We went through a bunch of different bassists at the time…to the point that we couldn’t really stick with one. I started playing left hand bass with the Moog, which is really fun, but it was somewhat limiting, as far as being able to play what we do with harmonized licks. I’ll do stuff with Gavin where we do some harmonized stuff with guitar and Moog. So, we decided we needed a bass player. That’s when Blake joined in the summer of 2014.
Gotcha. So the Nashville music scene is obviously a world of it’s own. There is live music on nearly every street corner. How has being a part of such a rich music culture impacted you guys as a band?
Ben: Well, honestly when we first got to town, it really made us get our act together. You know? Just for that reason. Nashville has such an appeal in the southeast, just because it is "The Music City.” For us, when we moved here we kind of had that expectation, but when we actually got here, we saw it for real and realized that everybody is good at music, and if not just music, something else like production and engineering. It really made us get our act together; practicing for hours and getting out on the road…figuring out how to do things the right way and learning to stay competitive. It’s also been a lot of other markets, you know? Just because we’ve been able to take it on the road with us and learn from a lot of people that are a lot better than us.
Ben Cooper of Backup Planet // Shot Stalker Photography
That makes sense. Nashville clearly presents plenty of opportunities to play, but I’m sure it presents it’s challenges with the amount of options people have when looking to get out and see live music.
Ben: Yeah absolutely. It’s cool because lately our crowd in Nashville has really started to grow. It’s great to develop a little bit of a following. We’ve been able to play in front of 350-400 people lately, and when we first moved here we had about six people in a dive bar. Little bars would finally give us a chance to play…and it felt like you might get stabbed or get a staph infection (laughs). They weren’t the nicest places. Then all of the sudden, we have a little bit of a following. It’s really cool to see it develop and start to move throughout the Southeast. We’re really trying to hit it hard this fall.
Right on...I’m always amazed to hear how different bands approach the songwriting process, You guys have Incredibly unique sound - mixing elements of old school funk, progressive rock, with just the right amount of pop. How do you guys go about your songwriting and building on your sound.
Gavin: I don't know...I guess I've grown up seeing "jam bands" and southern rock bands my entire life. Southern rock has always been my favorite type of music. I really want us to be one of the frontier bands in the jam scene who is able to cross over into different genres and appeal to way bigger markets. A lot of bands fall into the "jam band" category, and it can be hard to get out of that scene. I'd like to be in both of them. There aren't too many bands that really do that. We're currently working on our next album, and we're gonna start recording at the end of next month. The plan is to release it sometime in early fall. I think this album is really going to show a lot of that diversity. I'm really excited about it.
Listen to Backup Planet's "Revival" from the 2014 release 'Element' here:
So when it comes to the writing process, are different band members bringing different things to the table and just building it up from there?
Gavin: Oh yeah...the best songs, ideally, come about when we're all together and start to develop them. That's rarely the case though. I'll record what I have, and we'll demo it out, you know? Then we'll rehearse it and add different parts to it. Then we'll practice it live, and if it works live, then we might try to make it something even better. There are a lot of bands out there who record songs on an album, but they don't end up playing them live, because they don't hit that well live. They're great album songs, but they don't really translate. I really want to specialize in making everything that's on our next album extremely, extremely well received live. I'm all about the studio and doing all the tricks you can...adding all of the fancy harmonies and effects to make it the best you can. But it's gotta be able to come across live just as well as it does in the studio.
That's a great point. There are so many albums that I've listened to over the years with songs that are never played live. You forget that the song even exists until you circle back to that album.
Gavin: Yeah...I think with the jam scene there are a lot of people who don't care quite as much about studio albums as they do the jams and seeing them playing live. I want to focus on having really good songs in the studio and making those songs even better. That way you can leave a show really content, and then you can put the album on and not feel like you've lost out, if that makes sense.
Gavin Donati of Backup Planet // Phil Thach Photography
Do you find that you guys will introduce new material live, before ever doing any recording?
Gavin: Oh yeah, definitely. Right now, we're trying to record every show we play, then go back and listen. Even some of the material we recorded on Element, we don't play some of that stuff live today, because it doesn't come across that well live. We recorded it thinking that it would, and over we time we learned that some of it just doesn't translate that well. A big part of it is making up some new things live and and in the moment. We're not going to be a band that has 45-minute long improv sections, but we do like to have some extended improv sections. In the recording, if we hear something in there that we like, I wouldn't be against putting elements of it into the studio album. I think that's a great way to do it too. Whatever you're going to put on the record came up spontaneously.
Definitely...the song builds on itself and comes to life. That gives you a chance to see how the crowd reacts right away.
Gavin: Yeah, that's huge for me. One of my biggest things is how the crowd reacts to the songs.
So you guys recorded your first album, Element, in 2014. I would imagine there was plenty of songs to choose from at this point. What was it like getting in the studio and formally recording some of this material?
Ben: Yeah, most definitely. It's always a fun process. It's like a double-edged sword, because you feel like you have so much material that you want people to hear, but you have to decide what you feel works best. It's a blessing and a curse, because it's a really fun process, but there is also that bittersweet aspect that you don't get to include all of it, you know? If we could, we'd probably stay in the studio for weeks at a time. It's always a blast to go into the studio.
Gavin: It is. It is. I don't know though. The first album we ever did was kind of a learning curve, because it was all tracked separately. We recorded it at Holmes Studio in Knoxville, so we didn't all track live, which is what we want to do. That was our first time ever doing something like that, so it was a learning experience. That's why I'm excited for the new record to be a real example of what we sound like.
Ben: We're really excited. We've been shopping around with several different producers, but we're pretty sure we've found the guy. We are really excited about his involvement.
Gavin: We're hoping to record in late July / early August for a few weeks...kind of going nonstop for about 14 days. Hopefully we'll have it mastered and get it released sometime around late September.
Watch Backup Planet's official music video for "The Road" here:
Recording this new album is obviously a big moment for the band. Aside from the production, how do you feel this experience will differ from the last?
Ben: Well, this will be the first album that we record as a Red Light artist. Their involvement, as far as helping us with networking, distribution, marketing, and finding the right producer has really allowed us to shop around. It's cool, because Phish, My Morning Jacket, and all of these other artists we listen to have so much history with Red Light. They have the ability to help us talk to the right people and get to know them. It's really helped us figure out how we want to record and follow in the footsteps of so many bands that we really dig. I think that's one major difference, as well as just getting into a bigger studio with a producer who has done a lot of records.
I can only imagine. So, playing the festival circuit and touring the country gives you guys a chance to see so many different bands. Is there anyone in particular that you guys have recently been turned onto? What’s been playing in the Backup Planet van recently?
Gavin: Well, one thing we always do when we're loading out from a show...is we crank up Pantera. That's just great load-out music. We're big Pantera fans. I listen to a lot of southern classic rock, hard rock, and funk.
Ben: I'm real big into funk, but I like hard rock too. You've probably heard of the band Turkuaz. I've really been digging them lately. Then there is a group called Polyphia, and they don't have any keyboards, so it's kind of weird that I listen to them. I really dig them, and they've got some really melodic stuff. I look to bands like ZAPP and Juno What when it comes to the talk box. I've been listening to a lot of Allen Stone and Donny Hathaway and some of the older jazz players too.
Gavin: Dopapod is really great too. They did an orchestra thing recently where they played with a bunch of horns. I don't know if you saw that. I thought that was really cool; hearing them with horns. It was definitely different, but I really like Rob Compa's guitar playing.
Ben: Yeah...and Dopapod just signed with Red Light as well, so we're really hoping to work with them at again some point in the future.
Gavin: We're playing a festival this weekend called The Great Outdoors Jam. A lot of the AURA family is involved. You've got bands like Aqueous, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, The Fritz...a bunch of really good bands are on it. We're playing two sets, one of which will be all covers from all of the artists who have died this year.
Gavin Donati (left) and Ben Cooper (right) of Backup Planet // aLive Coverage
That sounds like a big weekend ahead. I couldn't agree more about Turkuaz and Dopapod. Those two bands are really blowing up, and once you see them live, it's obvious why. So, before we wrap this up, tell me about how the 2nd half of 2016 is shaping up. What can we expect from you guys?
Gavin: Yeah...hell yeah. Obviously we're dropping this new album, so I'm really looking forward to having our first really big album release. More or less, we're looking to be playing pretty much all of the fall. We should be booked up for three or four months, then maybe take a break around January.
Ben: We have a bunch of stuff coming up in mid to late fall that we're really excited to announce. We're really excited and getting a great strategy together. There are definitely some cool things in the works.
Official Website: Backup Planet
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Backup Planet is a progressive funk-rock band based out of Nashville, Tennessee. To see Backup Planet perform live is to simultaneously travel back in time and forward into the future. Their truly unique sound emanates from a place that seems familiar, yet unchartered.
Elements of jazz, funk, roots, blues, electronic, and progressive rock all emerge during the course of their shows. Their sound draws from so much you’ve heard before—‘70s rock and funk, high-energy improv, a touch of pop, and a sliver of metal. But the members of Backup Planet mix and match those elements—with just a hint of modern tech to burnish a sturdy nucleus of retro-minded organ and guitar—in ways that never fail to astonish. With a fantastic repertoire of original songs, they’re able to build fluid sets interspersed with extended improvisation.
Incorporating some degree of uncertainty into live performances is innate to the improvisational, or ‘jam band,’ music scene. Audiences can sense when a group takes major risks onstage; the elements of surprise and unpredictability foster a level of joy unparalleled in other types of musical performances. Masters of this process, Ben Cooper, Gavin Donati, Blake Gallant, and Chris Potocik, are doing all of the above while their rapidly growing fan base nods in approval and shouts for more.
Railroad Earth's Hangtown Music Festival Reveals 2016 Lineup June 30, 2016 11:02
Photo by Jordan Kirkland: Live & Listen
The 6th annual Hangtown Music Festival, an event formerly known as Hangtown Halloween Ball, will be held at El Dorado County Fairgrounds in Placerville, CA (10/20-10/23). Host band Railroad Earth will play three nights with support from an impressive cast. Medeski Martin & Wood will head to Hangtown following a special 25th anniversary show in NYC, as well as Nahko & Medicine For The People, The Infamous Stringdusters, The Wood Brothers, Nicki Bluhm & The Gramblers, Boombox, Dead Winter Carpenters, Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe (performing Prince's 'Dirty Mind' w/ Aneglo Moore from Fishbone) Steve Kimock & Friends (Jeff Chimenti, Bobby Vega, Dan “Lebo” Lebowitz, Leslie Mendelson and Wally Ingram), Incidental Animals (Dave Brogan and Steve Adams of ALO, Kyle Hollingsworth of The String Cheese Incident, and Jennifer Hartswick of Trey Anastasio band), TAUK, Twiddle, Pink Talking Fish, Lukas Nelson & Promise of The Real, Pimps of Joytime, Horseshoes & Hand Grenades, Whiskey Shivers, Euforquestra, Gipsy Moon, and Rabbit Wilde.
Expect additional lineup announcements leading up to the event. Tickets for Hangtown Music Festival are on sale now via Eventbrite.
Watch the official recap from Hangtown Halloween Ball 2015 here:
Famed Bassist and RatDog Co-Founder Rob Wasserman Has Passed Away June 29, 2016 18:39
We are shocked and saddened to hear of the sudden passing of legendary bassist and RatDog co-founder Rob Wasserman. This news comes just hours after Grateful Dead / Ratdog / Dead & Company guitarist Bob Weir shared the news that Wasserman had been hospitalized with serious health issues. Wasserman's death was first confirmed by RatDog guitarist Mark Karan, while Weir confirmed the news shortly thereafter.
"One of the world's most beautiful friends and artists has left us. May Rob's warmth and music live in your hearts as it always has in mine."
— Bob Weir (@BobWeir) June 29, 2016
Rob Wasserman co-founded RatDog with Bob Weir in 1995, shortly after the Grateful Dead disbanded following the death of Jerry Garcia. He was a Grammy Award winning upright bass player and NEA grant winning composer, who has played and recorded with a wide variety of musicians including Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir, David Grisman, Van Morrison, Aaron Neville, Lou Reed, Elvis Costello, Ani di Franco, Brian Wilson, Neil Young, Jackson Browne, Keller Williams, and many others.
Watch Rob Wasserman perform with RatDog at TRI Studios in 2012 here:
Watch String Cheese Incident & Karl Denson's Prince/Bowie Tribute at Electric Forest June 29, 2016 17:58
Setlist: The String Cheese Incident at Electric Forest, Rothbury, MI - 6/25/16
Set 1: BollyMunster, Song In My Head > Dudley's Kitchen, Sweet Spot, Falling Through the Cracks, Turn This Around > Can't Wait Another Day, Beautiful
Set 2: Believe, Stop Drop Roll, Kiss* (Prince) > Let’s Dance* (Bowie) > Let’s Go Crazy* (Prince) > Space Oddity* (Bowie), Search, Valley of the Jig > Kinky Reggae, Colliding, Jellyfish > Just One Story
* w/ Karl Denson
One Year Ago: The Dead Shines in Santa Clara, Rolls on to Chicago June 28, 2016 13:11
Fifty years after The Grateful Dead was born in Palo Alto, California, “The Core Four” (Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, and Bill Kreutzmann) returned to Santa Clara County to bid farewell to a sold out Levi’s Stadium on Saturday and Sunday night. Joining the core four members of The Dead for the 50th Anniversary “Fare Thee Well” run are Phish front man Trey Anastasio (lead guitar/vocals), Bruce Hornsby (piano/vocals), and Jeff Chimenti (organ/keys). The two Santa Clara shows were added shortly after the initial announcement of this coming weekend’s three-night run at Soldier Field Chicago (July 3rd – July 5th). For those unable to attend these final five shows, live hi-definition webcasts have been offered ($20-$30 per night), making it entirely too easy to watch the star-studded lineup from the comfort of your own couch. While the anticipation and reality of attending in Chicago sets in, I couldn’t resist tuning in for both nights in Santa Clara.
Due to conflicting plans, I was unable to tune in live for Saturday night’s show, but fortunately each show has been made available for 30 days once purchased. This meant a Sunday afternoon Dead show on the couch, only to be followed by a live Sunday evening Dead show…on the couch. While I couldn’t resist checking Saturday’s set list, sitting and watching it in its entirety was still the top priority. The celebration began with “Truckin’” and “Uncle John’s Band,” two of the band’s biggest hits. Phil Lesh then took over lead vocals as the band dug even deeper into the Dead archive with “Alligator.” The folksy sound of The Dead shined in “Cumberland Blues,” making way for “Born Cross Eyed.” Anastasio took on his first round of lead vocals with “Cream Puff War,” one which always seems to pump some adrenaline into the band and crowd alike. The set rounded out with “Viola Lee Blues,” originally a country/blues tune that was transformed into a psychedelic powerhouse in their earliest days. A spectacular rainbow stretched over the stadium, sparking the notion from many that Jerry was smiling down on Levi’s Stadium.
Watch "Truckin'" from Santa Clara here:
The old-school, early Dead theme continued immediately in set two with “Cryptical Envelopment,” the first of four sections of the “That’s It For The Other One” suite on Anthem Of The Sun (1968). The “Dark Star” that would follow will undoubtedly serve as one of the more special moments of the Fare Thee Well run. “Dark Star” was the first lyric that Robert Hunter wrote with the Dead and was first performed, without lyrics, by the Grateful Dead in September 1967. The first version with lyrics was in the December of that year. The song was a major focus for improvisation and was played regularly through the 1960's and up to 1973. “St. Stephen” made way for “The Eleven,” which led directly into “Turn On Your Love Light.” Kreutzmann and Hart took over on “Drums,” only to be followed by “What’s Become Of The Baby,” a tune off of Aoxomoxoa (1969) which wasn’t actually played live until being busted out by Furthur in 2010. The set’s early hints made “The Other One” no surprise, beautifully placed late into the night. Weir’s vocal delivery on “Morning Dew” was as powerful as expected and gave an emphatic ending to the second set. The band didn’t take long to return to the stage for “Casey Jones,” ending the night with the entire stadium singing along.
Night two kicked off in ferocious style, as “Feel Like A Stranger” set the tone and left no doubt that the guys had shaken any cobwebs loose. Weir roared through “New Minglewood Blues” and opened things up for an amazing delivery from Hornsby on “Brown Eyed Women.” The bluesier rendition of “Loose Lucy” came next, giving the band and crowd a chance to say “Thank you, for a real good time.” “Loser” and “Row Jimmy” slowed the pace a bit, just before Anastasio really seemed to find his groove on “Alabama Getaway,” one of his few lead vocal rolls thus far. “Black Peter” and “Hell In A Bucket” would round out set one of night two. Anastasio took “Hell In A Bucket” to another level, letting it rip, much to Lesh’s pleasure.
One of my favorites, “Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodleoo,” kicked off what developed into my favorite set of the weekend. So many Dead tunes send that fuzzy feeling through you as you sing along, and this one is up there with the best. There’s something about the line “Farewell to you old Southern skies, I’m on my way” that has always hit home for me. Next came “Wharf Rat,” the self told saga of a down and out dockside wino, another gem from Hunter and Garcia made famous in the early 70’s. They led beautifully into “Eyes of the World,” one which Lesh took lead vocals on, rather than Anastasio or Hornsby, both of which could have been a perfect fit.
It’s to be expected that there will be a few rusty moments over these final five shows, and that seemed to be the case with “He’s Gone.” Weir had some difficulty with the lyrics in multiple verses, which Anastasio and Hornsby attempted to help with. The chorus even seemed off rhythm, especially when it came time for “Nothin’ left to do but smile, smile, smile.” No one lost their composure, and the tune was still finished in respectful fashion. Round two with “Drums” seemed to go even longer, with Hart and Kreutzmann taking us all into another realm. I can relate with those who just don’t care for “Drums” every night, but they had me locked in and blown away with it on Sunday night. The stadium lit up as the opening notes of “I Need A Miracle” hit, and Weir stepped up, ready to redeem himself. This one has always given one of the most notable, resounding vocal performances from Weir, and I was immediately reminded why.
Things slowed down once more for “Death Don’t Have No Mercy,” first played by The Dead in 1966, and often credited to Rev. Gary Davis. Anastasio stepped up to the plate yet again on “Sugar Magnolia,” which sounded as on-point as any song throughout the weekend. The “Sunshine Daydream” medley seemed entirely too perfect for the second set closer, and those watching in Santa Clara, as well as around the world, had every reason to rejoice. “Brokedown Palace,” which includes the line of words “fare thee well”, for which this entire run of shows is named, brought the two-night run in Santa Clara to a close.
There was an expected progression seen from the entire band over the weekend, and Anastasio was no exception. Being an enthusiastic fan of both The Dead and Phish, it’s been interesting to watch the progression of Trey in this highly scrutinized role. He was apparently given 90 songs to master and has spent at least five hours each day doing so. He has shown the ultimate composure and poise, focusing on hitting every note just as Jerry would. Some might say that he is holding back, or that the guys need to cut him loose, but let’s be honest, he knows his role in this band. His selection for these shows has been a hot topic, and he is proving the doubters and naysayers wrong. Bobby, Phil, Mickey, and Billy knew that this was his role to play, and he’s validating their notions with every tune. Will there be moments where Trey is delegated to play rhythm and might have made more sense on lead vocals? Of course. “Eyes of the World” was a perfect example. No one should expect to see the same demeanor from Trey as they are accustomed to with Phish. This role is about paying homage to Jerry Garcia and The Grateful Dead, not being the front man of one of the greatest bands since Jerry paved the path. He is clearly ecstatic to be on stage, as that big smile we have seen suggests.
