Upstate NY Jamwich

Last Sunday through this Tuesday I served myself up two slices of Phish and stuffed it with a piece of Furthur... and also worked in a dollop of Tortoise of course. This sandwich contained more than the weekly recommended allowance of spun-out people, both of the mellow and entertaining kind (moreso at Furthur) or seriously whacked out schmucks (moreso at Phish).

Let's start with the bread. I made a last-minute trip out to SPAC for the Sunday night show, ditching my family on Father's Day. This show can be summed up quickly: Gordo PWNS FTW. The man was simply possessed for most of the evening. Roggae and Drowned were the standouts of the show, though in the 5 shows I have seen in the past 2 years, I have now seen Drowned 3 times. It takes a little of the excitement away, but nothing could drag this version down. Simply amazing. Roggae is a song I have always loved, and it just keeps getting better. Overall the setlist looks better on paper, still, this was a fantastic show, well worth the trip.

A week later I was back for more closer to home at CMAC. Other than finally getting to hear Reba again after all these years (and a fine version it was), the clear highlight of the show was Mikes>Simple>I Am the Walrus>Weekapaug. Mike's was the straight ahead, head-banging rocker it was born to be. Only thing missing was a stage full of smoke and crazed strobe lights. When it fizzled into Simple, my first thought was, old-school, which was directed at the Simple and not the Mike's. Simple, back where it was born. The end jam was gorgeous, approaching the Roggae from a week previous. They really did an amazing job with I Am the Walrus, and the jam was Tweeprise-esque, except better? I could live with this being a one-time occurrence, but could also see it living the life of a staple. After a solid Weekapaug, the set kind of went downhill, not precipitous, but it definitely peaked in the noise of Walrus. One of the best songs through the mid-90s, I would be happy to never hear another Harry Hood again, it just doesn't do much for me anymore, which is unfortunate. Another solid show, ranking pretty closely with SPAC, maybe a notch below.






2 years ago Phil Lesh played Highland Bowl. Last year Bob Weir did. This year they both played it. What next year? The show started with a lot of promise. The playing was good, the song selection was good. Then, what is essentially the best Dead cover band ever, became just a damn good cover band. I don't mind them playing non-Dead covers in and of itself, I in fact would count their Ryan Adams cover from Ithaca one of that show's highlights, though when you start throwing covers into the mix that just don't fit it throws the whole thing off, and did. Songs like Strawberry Fields Forever and especially Time were square pegs in a round hole. They handled Time quite well, it sounded good, the playing was some of the best of the show, particularly Joe Russo on drums, but it was totally out of place. On top of that, they decided to string the entire 2nd set together with meandering jams that jumped abruptly into the next song, there were a lot of awkward musical moments. Getting the kinks out on the first show of the tour I guess. As negative as I sound, it was still great fun, great venue, perfect weather, and overall good music. But when I leave a show with my highlight being the Death Don't Have No Mercy (which was stellar), I leave knowing the show could have been much better.

Furthur @ Barton Hall

Phil Lesh and Bob Weir, back at Barton Hall, a venue made famous by one random spectacular show over 30 years ago and certainly not for it's quality as a place to see a concert. An impossibly slow entrance kept me and the throngs around me outside until midway through the first set, cavernous like an airport hangar the sound was pretty pitiful in spots, concessions limited to free water served in shotglass sized plastic cups etc etc... I've experienced much worse, but still, Barton Hall really shouldn't be so revered. One thing that was pretty nice, they sold it out at a very comfortable level, making for a nice movable and breathable scene inside. I'd say they could have fit another 1000 people in there easy, though I'm thinking with the entrance/exit situation it would have made for a serious fire hazard.

This latest incarnation of the Grateful Dead puts an interesting group of musicians out there on stage. They call it Furthur, but you could call it the J-ful Dead. Backing up Lesh and Weir you've got Jay, Joe, John, and Jeff. Plus the two backup singers. Considering how new this grouping is, they are surprisingly and impressively tight. But also, somewhat disappointingly Weir-centric. Most glaringly this was the case when he took the reins for Standing on the Moon late in the 2nd set.

It was great to see Joe Russo lay down the beats for the classic Dead songbook. His work on Sugaree of all things was the highlight of the first set, at least what I saw of it.

Anyone who ever doubted the influence and likeness of Ryan Adams' later work with the music of the Grateful Dead would have those doubts quickly erased hearing his music dropped right into their set. Peaceful Valley formed seamlessly out of Uncle John's Band and produced what was probably the finest improvisation of the night. It sounded like they were going to drop into the Other One at any moment before they fizzled out the jam completely. We'd have to wait a little longer for that Other One.

08 Year in Review

Aught-eight was a surprisingly good year for live music both in quantity and quality. I knew a move from Boston to Rochester would diminish my musical choices quite a bit, but I did have a hopeful feeling that there would still be enough to sate my live music addiction. My feeling was indeed correct. The choices were fewer, but all that did was make it easier to decide which shows to see, and even got me out to see some great bands I definitely would have missed in a more saturated environment. Anyway, here is my list for the best 8 shows of 08, with a mix of the second half of the year thrown in at the end. Click the links for original reviews.

8. El Ten Eleven @ Bug Jar
I had never heard of El Ten Eleven but after reading a brief preview of the show in the paper, I thought it might be something I'd like to check out. And I was right! Hot damn! It was a Monday night, and a long freaking wait inside the small club for their headlining set, but well worth it. Probably the only time I have ever walked out of a show and bought 2 albums from the same band.

7. My Morning Jacket @ Radio City Music Hall
6. David Byrne @ Landmark Theatre
5. Wilco @ Auditorium Theatre
The only thing these 3 had going against them were high expectations. Met and exceeded for all 3. Also they happened to be the 3 longest encores of the year. MMJ did it all in one break, Wilco and Byrne forced 2 and 3 standing O's respectively from their audiences.

4. Apollo Sunshine @ Beat Kitchen
So happy to get to see Apollo Sunshine this year, what with their outstanding new album and all. I had to go all the way to Chicago to do it, and stay out way late on a weekend work night, but completely worth it. Not the best AS show I have ever seen, but I have a hard time ever missing an opportunity to catch these guys.

3. Phil Lesh/Levon Helm @ Highland Bowl
Best venue I attended this year, helped tremendously by the gorgeous summer afternoon, but also just a great spot right in the city with a super-chill outdoor party atmosphere both on stage and in the crowd. Seeing Levon was a great treat, and I really loved the new version of Phil's band, a lot more than others seem to. The song selection was great and the playing even better.

2. Fiery Furnaces @ Bug Jar
When it popped up on the calendar that the Fiery Furnaces would be playing the teeny tiny Bug Jar I was floored. When I popped up at the venue and the Fiery Furncaces were actually on stage at the teeny tiny Bug Jar, well I was just floored. Just a crazy crazy show in a crazy crazy atmosphere. I had to remind myself I was in Rochester.

1. Akron/Family @ Boulder Festival
These guys got inside my head and just turned up the happy juice, I was in heaven. Mindblowing.

Biggest disappointments: Mike Gordon @ Thursdays in the Park. I never got around to reviewing this one, but let's just say, booooooring. Way too jammy with a way underpar band.
Other than that, having to miss Dr. Dog the day after Akron/Family at the Boulder Festival, missing not one but two local MMW shows, arriving too late for Earl Greyhound, and getting sold out from the Felice Brothers.

Best new discoveries: El Ten Eleven, Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band, Syme, Wax Fang, Le Loup, Cornmeal

Download my 2nd half mix here. My first half mix can be found here.
1. Sympathy for the Devil (w/ Jerry Joseph) Widespread Panic 8 July 2008 Rochester
2. Hey Jude Derek Trucks Band 11 July 2008 Rochester
3. The Other One > Phil Lesh & Friends 12 July 2008 Rochester
4. Another Reason to Go Vetiver 6 December 2008 Detroit
5. Raising the Sparks Akron/Family 21 February 2007 Edgar's Club Clemson, SC
6. Wonderwall Ryan Adams & The Cardinals 27 September 2008 Rochester
7. Dirty Black Nag Cornmeal 9 October 2008 Syracuse
8. The Doctor Will See You Now Wax Fang 2007-11-17 - Headliners Music Hall
9. Better Change Your Mind Apollo Sunshine Daytrotter Session
10. k10 El Ten Eleven Sunset Tavern 5 June 2008 Seattle
11. Impossible Germany Wilco 6 December 2008 Rochester, NY

Gettin' HIGH Part III: Phil Lesh and Levon Helm @ HIGHland Bowl

I closed out this little trilogy on a serious HIGH note. I'll come right out and say it, this concert was near perfect. Looking back I don't think I would change one thing, except the steep ticket price. But at least I didn't give Ticketbastard a cut.

I left the beautiful smell of smoking meats and followed the stench of western New York's biggest hippie gathering of the year. With the rain behind us the weather turned perfect again, and the setting for this concert could not have been any better. Might as well have dropped us into Golden Gate Park in the late 60s. The Highland Bowl is a bowled area in the park, with nice sloping hills on all sides, surrounded by trees, featuring a small amphitheater in the middle. There was a good amount of moochers hanging out in the periphery of the park getting free access to the music, and not too bad views for some of them too. The only security presence was at the fences surrounding the area, inside it was virtual free-for-all. An old man decked out in about as much marijuana swag possible on one human body (he wasn't wearing any shoes but if he was I am sure they would have sported a marijuana leaf) whipped out his bag of goodies, broke it up, rolled one, smoked it and passed it around in broad daylight without ever looking over his shoulder for fear of getting caught. The show drew a decently large crowd, tough to really tell how many in this setting. There were a lot of people there, but it was spread out nicely and you could really go anywhere you wanted with ease, even all the way 3 rows off the rail. It was a very mellow scene, as it should be.

Anyway, onto the music. Levon Helm and his band were up first. The setup reminded me of the Soul Stew show I had seen the night before, the size of the band and the 3 piece horns were what really made the connection. Whereas Soul Stew examined the bluesier side of American music, Helm and his band dug into the folk roots realm more, oh and also this band you might have heard of before, whose name was, wait don't tell me, oh yeah, The Band. Levon's band on this night accordioned from as few as 4 to as many as 10 members, and yes, even featured an accordion. Larry Campbell pulled double duty on the night playing in both bands and John Molo also sat in on drums for a bunch of tunes. They closed with the Weight just as the Soul Stew had the night before. I had thought to myself then, I am definitely hearing this one again. This was a great set to see, in part to see a living legend, and in larger part because the music was just so damn good. I will have to pick up his new album pronto.

As I read some reviews of last weekend's All Good Festival I realized that nearly every band I saw this week, from Widespread on through to Phil Lesh, also played at All Good. And most of them played at Rothbury the week before. I guess Rochester makes a good stopping point between Michigan and West Virginia. Good for us.

I don't remember the last time I had seen Phil and Friends. A few years maybe. But I also don't remember seeing a Phil and Friends concert that was quite this good, rivaling the best of the Herring/Haynes era. Jackie Greene is just that good. He's got the voice, he absolutely shreds on guitar, and plays piano and organ too... Then throw in Larry Campbell on guitar and pedal steel (which I am a total sucker for), Steve Molitz on keys (who happened to be a nice change and upgrade from Barraco, throwing in some unexpected and whacked-out sounds here and there, but in a good, nay great, way), and Teresa Williams from Levon's band adding some fantastic vocals here and there. Wow, this was a great band. And by the way, Phil Lesh is the best jamming bass player out there. He somehow holds down the low end and doesn't ever play a bass line all night. His fingers are always moving and he never settles on a single groove, it is constant change with him. But he also never stands out and never puts his sound out front, always melding in perfectly with everyone else.

The first set wasn't so much about what was played, but what was played in between what was played. Phil would call out commands into his mic and the band would heed, switching key, changing rhythm, or simply heading in a new direction. These little interludes were fantastic. At set break I realized I hardly could repeat a single song they played, but I knew I loved every minute of it.
Set closing Cosmic Charlie:

The second set was then all about what they played. And they freakin played. Rippin versions of the Other One, Morning Dew (how good with Jackie and Teresa on vocals?-- this was a total shudder free concert), and Help>Slip>Frank's. Franklin's Tower was such a sweet way to end the night. The band was bopping, the crowd was hopping, and Teresa was dancing (her voice just a perfect addition here), it was seriously electric. Jackie Greene was just an all-star. I have heard good reviews since he joined on, but really I couldn't have expected this, the kid can play! And has it been mentioned that he bears the initials JG?! What a great day. I left before the encore to beat the crowd and get home after a long day.

Set 1: One More Saturday Night, Cumberland Blues, Me & My Uncle > Brown-Eyed Women, So Hard To Find My Way > Operator, Cosmic Charlie

Set 2: New Speedway Boogie > He's Gone, Candyman, Cryptical > Other One > Cryptical > Morning Dew, Help On The Way > Slipknot !> Franklin's Tower

encore: Truckin'

Download the show here