Phish released their latest box set, Chicago ’94, on July 31st with fans excited to hear two shows from the same venue played over the course of the 1994 tour. The two shows at UIC Pavilion at University of Illinois, Chicago, 6/18/94 and 11/25/94, are both notable for their growing sound as they ventured into larger venues before they took on new life as the band grew. The songs of the Hoist era such as ‘Sample in a Jar’, ‘Julius’, and ‘Down with Disease’ are featured across both shows as are the thorough jams of vehicles such as ‘David Bowie’, ‘Reba’ and ‘You Enjoy Myself’.
The June show features a solid first set, with ‘The Mango Song’ > ‘Down with Disease’ packing a one two punch midway through. The second set enters the realm of new territory, an era that fans today clamor for and led to the positive reaction given upon the announcement of the box set. Starting with ‘Peaches en Regalia’, the set launches as ‘David Bowie’ swings low into a ‘Mind Left Body Jam’ with multiple teases in this rich, 18+ minute version. The set has a masterful centerpiece in ‘McGrupp’ > ‘Tweezer’ > ‘Lifeboy’ > ‘You Enjoy Myself’, the last of which contains incredible and frequent teases amid the jam and numerous calls and wordplay in the vocal jam of ‘YEM’. Led Zeppelin fans will be pleased to hear ‘How Many More Times’ teased during this show as well as in the soundcheck at the end of the sixth disk of the box set.
The Thanksgiving show has as terrific version of ‘Reba’ and second set storytime sandwich of ‘Simple’ > ‘Harpua’ > ‘Weekapaug Groove’. Phish takes every opportunity to exit the song structure and delve into improvisation, while ‘Harpua’ told the story of the green love beams and red hate beams, the crowd cheering along with Trey’s ongoing tale of Jimmy. Both shows were recorded by Paul Languedoc and remastered by Fred Kevorkian to create a crisp and stellar recording, perfect for fans of the era and provides evidence of Phish delivering the heat at UIC since 1994.
In a new measure from the Metro Music Index of the geographic concentration of musicians and music-related businesses, notable was Rochester, New York, placing 9th nationally. Home to the Eastman School of Music, The Rochester International Jazz Festival, as well as local venues Water Street Music Hall and The German House, Rochester has a well regarded symphony and home to musicians such as soprano Renée Fleming, Gym Class Heroes, Brann Dailor and Bill Kelliher of Mastodon, jazz legend Chuck Mangione, Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth and Gospel singers The Campbell Brothers, as well as the infamous jazz singer Cab Calloway.
Also quite notable are Kingston and Albany, which are classified as small metro areas in the Index, but when included in the full list rank 6th and 14th overall, respectively.
The Metro Music Index was created by examining records from the Bureau of Labor Statistics for concentrations of musicians in the country, as well as the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis which keeps statistics on music business establishments. While the study does not take the approach to analyze the impact artists have on an area, the emergence of artists from regional scenes, it is notable to consider that cities with music scenes as flourishing as these and others on the list (Nashville, Las Vegas, Minneapolis, Portland, Oregon) have uniquely creative economic systems that support technology and entrepreneurialism. Rochester has long been home to photography and printer giant Eastman-Kodak, while Albany is becoming a leader in the nanotechnology sector.
What does this say about Upstate New York? We have a vibrant music scene, one notable enough for inclusion in this study three times, covering the western and Hudson regions. This leads south to #2 ranking on the list, the NYC metro area, just behind the greater Nashville, Tennessee area.
The Times Union reported today that local bar/restaurant/club and live music venue Jillian’s of Albany will be closing on August 11th, after 13 years of operating on North Pearl Street in Albany. Five years ago, owner Ralph Spillenger purchased Jillian’s from the national chain it had been associated with since it opened.
“I just cant keep supporting it anymore,” said Spillenger “I’ve lost all my customers, people are afraid to come to downtown Albany. It was my Waterloo.” Jillian’s is not the first North Pearl Street club to close this summer as R Bar closed in June.
While the economic downturn is likely to take the brunt of the blame for Jillian’s closing its doors, the summer concert season and warm weather tends to draw customers away from the bar scene of Pearl Street, as well as college students going home for the summer. The music venue played host to numerous bands in recent years, led by local promoter Greg Bell’s shows featuring Hot Buttered Rum, Cornmeal, The McLovins, Deer Tick and local acts Eastbound Jesus, Timbre Coup, Formula 5 and Higher Organix. With the closing of Jillian’s, The Bayou, Red Square and The Barrel Saloon remain the only bar/live music venues in downtown Albany.
Scott Murawski has been playing music with legendary band Max Creek since he was in high school. With a career spanning over 40 years with Max Creek, as well a member of side projects BK3 and Mike Gordon Band, as well as two festivals that bear his band’s name, Camp Creek and StrangeCreek, Murawski is a legend among jamband fans for his expansive career and incredible guitar sound. NYS Music’s online editor, Pete Mason, talked with Scott about Max Creek, music festivals and playing with Mike Gordon.
Max Creek performs at Backwoods Pondfest in Plattsburgh, NY on Saturday August 18th and at Bella Terra in Stephentown, NY on Sunday August 19th.
Pete Mason: MaxCreek has just celebrated 41 years together as a band, a rare feat for any musical act. How do you explain the longevity of the band?
Scott Murawski: We’ve lasted this long because we don’t speak to each other! Kidding!
Way back in the beginning before “mission statements” were in fashion, we came up with the idea that Max Creek should be a place where people come to create, including the band, crew and audience. I think this attitude has given us a place where we feel the most comfortable being creative, and a place where we can bring any idea and have it accepted. Sometimes you might have to play songs that aren’t necessarily your favorites to play, but it’s an easy trade off to be able to bring any creative idea to the band and have it at least tried. I believe that this attitude is responsible for those magic moments that can only happen when everyone lets go, and that magic keeps happening and keeps us all coming back for more!
PM: You were 15 when you joined Max Creek. What was that experience like for you and how did it shape you as you grew up with the band?
SM: It was a great experience in many ways. It was a relief to get out of my “jock” high school and hang with college kids. It was great to be underage and playing guitar in bars. It was great to be thrown in with musicians vastly better than myself. But most of all it was great to establish connections with people that would remain my “other” family throughout my life, and to be part of an organization that would bring such beauty to so many people for years and years.
PM: What are some of your favorite memories and notable shows over the course of Max Creek’s career?
SM: Oh man. There have been so many shows!! I remember playing at Hammonasset Beach State Park in the late 80s. We were headlining along with Thunder Road and Cryer (I think) and they were expecting a few hundred kids and instead, 30,000 people showed up! All of the Camp Creeks have been memorable. Most recently having the band play in Costa Rica is a VERY cool thing!
PM: Sound engineer John Archer was a pivotal part of Max Creek and his loss had a large impact on the band. In what way did he impact the band and leave a lasting impression on the groups legacy?
SM: John was like the 5th Beatle for us. I personally feel that the sound man is the MOST important member of the band because all of the sound goes through him before anyone hears it. In the 70s and early 80s we were on the bleeding edge of technology. We were always trying to have the best sound possible and we built our own PA system and we used differential microphones and a four way crossed over system. We were always experimenting and trying to find (or make) the best of the best. Archer was an integral part of that. And even after that period, when we stopped owning our own PA and were depending on house sound systems, or rented systems, John had his own effects rack that he would bring in. He knew exactly what he wanted this band to sound like and would take extraordinary steps to get there. We owned sound analysis equipment and before each show John would “tune” whatever PA was being used, and more often than not, ended up fixing broken gear for the house. It was a great blow to the band and its sound when he left and he is still very much missed.
PM: Camp Creek was one of the longest running festivals in the country. What made that festival experience unique, and how have StrangeCreek and Jungle Jam built off the success of past festivals?
SM: I think the thing that made Camp Creek so amazing was the attitude of “Have fun, just don’t hurt anyone.” Again, it was the philosophy of come and be creative in any way you want. What I loved about most of the Camp Creeks was that there was only one main stage, and one smaller stage in the same area, so that there was really only one musical act to see at any given moment. I think the festivals today are trying to cram too much music down everyone’s throat. They’re hiring too many bands, which jacks the ticket price up, and forces audiences to choose between the bands they want to see.
The other thing that made Camp Creek so special was the feeling of family at the event. Everybody was on the hill at the same time listening to the same music and it felt great that way. And there was a family feel between all the musicians and bands as well with much jamming and cross pollination between the various artists.
PM: ‘You’re the Only One’ is one of your most popular songs and leads to audience members singing along, even with proposals during the song. What is it about this song that makes it feel so seminal and are there any other songs that you feel define Max Creek over the course of their career?
SM: John Rider writes a great song, doesn’t he?
People want hope. People want to belong. And they want to sing! I think that “Only One” achieves all of these with great success. It’s so hard to have a lasting relationship these days. Peoples’ attention spans are getting shorter and shorter and the globalization of our community has enabled us to reach out to exponentially more people than ever before. I think when people are singing ‘Only One’ they feel like they are part of something larger than themselves and this larger thing is giving them hope that someday they will find the one person they have been dreaming about. I’d be hard pressed to tell you what other songs define the band. I have no perspective on it!
PM: How and when did you first meet Mike Gordon? What was your first encounter like?
SM: We met when we were playing in Burlington and Mike was in college up there. My first memory of him was him giving me a transcription of one of my guitar solos. Along with it was a recording of the solo, a bootleg of Creek doing “Emotional Railroad”, with Creek on the right channel, and Mike playing bass on the left channel. I was pretty impressed that someone had actually paid that much attention to what I was doing.
PM: You have been playing guitar in Mike Gordon’s band for a few years now. How is playing in Gordo’s band different than Max Creek, and what does this collection of musicians bring to the stage each night?
SM: Mike has an incredible work ethic and in Mike’s band you have to have a similar work ethic if you want to keep up. Mike’s band rehearses for many long days before a tour and we not only rehearse tunes, we also practice jamming together. Creek never rehearsed jamming, in fact, I don’t think we ever even discussed jamming. For Creek jamming was something that just developed over the years but it always seemed easy to us.
The guys in Mike band come from a variety of backgrounds. Tom teaches jazz at UVM, and Todd plays jazz in NYC, while both Todd and Craig have traveled the world learning about different types of music. It’s not dissimilar to Creek where each of us has our own tastes and our own styles that we bring to the table. In both bands those styles mesh into a cohesive unit but those units are each as unique as the elements that make them up.
PM: Phish covered Back Porch Boogie Blues back in the late 80s with Mike convincing the band it was an original bluegrass composition when it was actually a Max Creek song. How did you come to learn of this cover and what was your reaction to being covered by a then-unknown band from Vermont?
SM: Mike told me that story years after it happened. I think it’s hilarious! I enjoy hearing other bands cover my tunes and will seek them out!!
PM: On the road with Mike, you seem to have a hand in song selection, singing ‘One Hand in my Pocket’ as well as playing ‘Sugar Shack’. How do you approach these songs, contribute to the band’s repertoire and setlist selection each night?
SM: I’ve brought in a few of my originals including ‘Jones’ and ‘Willow Tree’ but have also brought in some odd covers like Radiohead’s ’15 Steps’ and The Shins ‘Kissing The Lipless’.
Mike usually puts together a rough setlist early in the day and will usually run it by me before he shares it with the rest of the band. Between us, we have over 70 years of playing to audiences and I think we both have some instinct as to how the energy of a show will flow and what songs lend themselves to certain moments within a set.
Mike is always encouraging all of us to bring tunes into the band. Even though the band carries his name he really wants it to be a group effort and is open to trying anything any of us wants to do.
PM: What do you feel is the long term impact of Max Creek and Phish on the music scene in the Northeast and throughout the country?
SM: I would like to think that Max Creek is, and has been, an inspiration to younger musicians to play more experimental and improvisational music, and the same must be true for Phish as well. It’s a great honor to consider that we might have inspired Phish in some way! I think what separated Max Creek and Phish from a lot of other acts is that both bands strove to find their own sound. Even when performing covers, Creek never tried to emulate the exact sound of the originals, but rather strove to put our own imprint on them and interpret them our own way. I would hope that we encourage musicians to find their own voices rather than emulate ours.
I also think that both bands have always attempted to make each show an event for the audiences and as a result both bands developed “a scene” at each show.
And perhaps both bands have been influential in the creation of the “jam band” genre.
PM: You performed with the Bill Kreutzman Trio and have utilized improvisation inspired by the Grateful Dead. Were you approached to play with Furthur before John Kadlecik got the gig?
SM: I was not. Although my playing has been inspired by the Dead, I don’t think I sound like Garcia, nor do I want to, and I’m not sure my sound would fit into the Furthur sound. I have a lot of respect and admiration for John K and his ability to emulate that sound and style!
On August 25th, 51Basscamp returns to Maple Ski Ridge in Rotterdam NY for 18 hours of Electronic Dance Music created by bands, DJs and national headlining and regional performers among other unique acts in a multi-stage event. Running from Noon on August 25th and ending around sunrise on August 26th, 51Basscamp is a late summer music festival that combines great music with an ideal setting in Schoharie County.
Acts at 51Basscamp this year include recent additions Nigel Richards, Psyncus Circus of the Senses, Beacon in the Dark, Michael Anthony, Jay Balance, Milkdud, and Just The Sauce They join a lineup that includes Donald Glaude, Orchard Lounge, Comic Strips, Horizon Wireless, Jeff Bujak, Blue Boy Productions, Don Stone, Dream Job, Static Groove, Evac Protocol, Kloud9, Mikey Parkay, LazerBass, Vudoo Runner, Sweat Pants Money, Digital Dharma, Tier 1 and Primitive. In addition to the amazing music and performers, 51Basscamp features local lighting designer Dutch Masterson Designs on visuals as well as a one of kind Laser installation for the main stage of the event. Beacon in the Dark will be providing a UV art installation with exotic fetish body painting and dancers along with roaming entertainment. In addition, artists will be creating one of a kind art pieces on each of the stages during peak set times.
will be giving away TWO tickets to 51Basscamp. All you have to do is one or both of the following:
Like 51Basscamp on Facebook between August 1st and August 20th. OR Comment below about what band you MOST want to see at 51Basscamp, and why. Two lucky winners will get passes to 51Basscamp, courtesy of . Winners will be selected on August 21st. Tickets are available for only $40 online, you can pick them up through Fanfueled.
Visit www.51bass.net and contact 51bassinfo@gmail.com for submissions of any kind.
Update 8/21: Congrats to our two winners, Vicky Nelson and Dylan Brown!
On August 17th & 18th 2012 at Twin Ponds Campsite in Peru, New York the 6th Annual Backwoods Pondfest Music Festival will take place, with a weekend slate of live music, camping, art and fun. The festival includes over twenty bands from throughout the northeast featured on two stages. Performers include Max Creek, Floodwood featuring Al Schnier and Vinnie Amico from moe., Breakscience, Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds and Plattsburgh’s own Lucid.
One of the benefits to a small music festival like Backwoods Pondfest is the simplicity of car-camping, having your own campfire, bring your own choice of beer in (although no glass, as it is at most festivals). Fire spinners, food vendors, craft & novelty vendors and many more will be on hand throughout the weekend.
The cost for a weekend pass is $65 in advance or $80 at the gate. Tickets can be purchased through the Backwoods Pondfest website.
In additional to the art and entertainment, Strangers Helping Strangers will also be hosting a food drive at Backwoods Pondfest. Strangers Helping Strangers is a nonprofit organization that provides organization, support and resources to care for those less fortunate by setting up food drives at concerts and festivals. After the event they deliver the supplies to local food banks, pantries and shelters.
CashorTrade.org, a website where live music fans can sell or buy tickets for face value price, has grown to over 30,000 strong in the past few years and continues to set the standard within the ticketing industry. The new version of CashorTrade.org breaks their website down into three areas: Tickets, Products, and Community. Offering face value tickets, products for cash or trade, as well as community posts like rides, housing, and services makes it easy to close the loop and unite this good spirited, fair trade community.
Trade List API integration is one CashorTrade proudest accomplishments. The CashorTrade Trade List API technology is easy to use and simple to plug into any website or blog offering a feed of CashorTrade posts in real time to your site’s visitors.
Partners include Phish.net, YEMBlog.com and Headstash.com among others Future development of COT include pages for storefronts and groups, both to facilitate the development of the COT online community. All members will have the ability to set up their very own COT Storefront where products and trades can be organized and searched on. COT Groups will provide you the ability to share your trades to sub-communities within the greater CashorTrade network.
CashorTrade is a member of or run many face value trading groups. These include the Phantasy Tour Face Value Group, the CashorTrade Facebook Group and Page, CashorTrade’s Twitter Feed, the iTour Mobile App and many other Facebook Trading networks. Giving each group an exclusive place within COT will undoubtedly make trading with close friends extremely easy. Texting, phone calls and email chains will be replaced with an easy to use interface for all to utilize. By continuing to embrace face value, CashorTrade.org hopes to restore affordable ticket prices and renew the concept of ethical barter. Working with legislators and providing you with the tools to become part of the process, this new framework makes anything possible and COT is dedicated to making a positive change in the live music industry.
After almost a month of playing what has been hailed as one of their best in over a decade, Phish made a final stop in Saratoga for a truly amazing three night run at Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC). Fans packed local hotels, Lee’s Campground and the couches and floorspace of friends and family to prepare for the end to a great tour. Phish has had some good tours since they got back (Fall 2010, Summer 09 leg 2, NYE 2010) but as the tour evolved, it became clear that Phish had devoted time and effort into finding that 3.0 sound on a regular basis inside shows, as well as reintroducing an aire of unpredictability to their setlists. Practice and a more focused band generated best-of performances of songs, especially Carini and Sand, plus huge bustouts of songs long shelved, namely Little Feat’s Skin it Back, played for the first time in 24 years at Jones Beach on July 3rd. To both tour vets and new and excitable phans, the shows at SPAC were slated to ring out the tour with a bang.
Friday, the venue and sprawling parking lots were filled with fans of all ages, as Phish has become a true family affair, with parents bringing kids and phamily traveling long distances to see each other and enjoy some amazing music along the way.
The show started with Runaway Jim and progressed through first set crowd favorites before opening up Tube (finally!) for a rare appearance of Talking Heads’ ‘Psycho Killer’ which energized the crowd immeasurably. If that wasn’t enough, the organ of Argent’s ‘Hold Your Head Up’ presented us not with Jon Fishman, but Friar Tuck, the running name gag from Fish, derived from his tucking of his dress into his boxers, now in the same pattern as his iconic dress. Tuck brought out a large pair of cymbals which meant ‘Cracklin’ Rosie’, last heard in 1999. The crowd sang loudly with Tuck before he dashed around the stage and bowed over and over again. The rest of the set had Stash, a beautiful Corinna and excellent set closer in Light Up Or Leave Me Alone
Set 2 charged out the gates with three jam-worthy songs: Chalk Dust Torture > Carini > Sand. By the time the funk had settled, 20+ minutes had elapsed and we were all sweaty. The set continued to roll with Roses Are Free > Punch You In the Eye > Sneakin’ Sally Through the Alley -> Ghost > Suzy Greenberg, a set of songs with monster jam potential, capped with Tom Marshall and Steve Pollak onstage for the lyrics to Run Like an Antelope. Loving Cup capped a great show as fans meandered back down to their hotels and latenight plans.
Featured latenight Wyllys and NY Hustler Ensemble, took Putnam Den by storm, unleashing an energetic and powerful performance. Wyllys tore through albums and sweat bullets as he spun with hardly a break over two hours. Alongside him was Jennifer Hartswick on trumpet, Steve Molitz (Particle) on keys and Derek VanScoten on guitar. Ferocious jams grew from Wyllys’ mixing and generated a dance party of the gorgeous Phish female variety. Anyone who has yet to experience the Hustler Ensemble is missing great dance music and an eclectic combination of musicians blending their sounds together fluidly.
Saturday brought more of Friday’s heat, as well as NYS Music’s own Tabitha Clancy, who attended her first Phish show that (read Tabitha’s thoughts on the show in italics below).
The show got off to an interesting start with Grind, a barbershop quartet tune, followed by a well laid out set, including a solid version of Cities->Maze and Peaches en Regalia> Bathtub Gin.
“I meandered into the thick crowd weaving in and out and around whatever little pathway down the lawn I could find. So far, in the parking lots, at the concessions, and on the lawn, everyone was jovial, pleasant, courteous and generous. No sooner did I take my spot on the lawn, a four part vocal harmony broke out yonder. Phish began a cappella and the entire crowd was at attention. Another misconception was now proven wrong. I always thought the Phish scene was for the drugs, not the music. I was wrong, dead wrong. These people loved their music first and foremost. As the sun began to set, Phish and their fans were inching their way into my heart.”
The second set started with a bang, sandwiching the rarely played cover (last time in 1998) Blister in the Sun in between two parts of Down with Disease, which segued seamlessly into Boogie on Reggae Woman, TV on the Radio’s Golden Age and 2001, making for nearly an hour of jams and dancing for the eager crowd.
“Going into this not knowing any songs, it would be unfair of me to attempt any sort of set list review. I can say this, I was immediately impressed with Page McConnell. He had all his various keyboard equipment under his command at every moment. He was boxed in but it was as though he only had to wave a finger on an ivory press, and bam”
A trio of songs for the weary to rest their feet and bodies followed: Backwards Down the Number Line> Prince Caspian-> Scent of a Mule, the latter with one of many Blister teases. A Mike’s Groove sandwiching Contact in between wrapped up the set, but not the show, as a tribute to fallen Beastie Boy MCA was in order, with a fired up crowd responding to the classic ‘Sabotage’
“All the musicians looked as though they were up there to do what they love. I saw lots of smiles on stage. The crowd added to the experience as well, they too are as much a part of the show as the music. And they know their cues. For example, during “Also Sprach Zarathustra,” on the last peak in each instrumental chorus, the entire audience tossed up their glow sticks.”
The crowd left knowing there was only one more day for more Phish magic, one more day of bustouts and Type II jamming that defies explanation to non-phans; this is part of the power of Phish, where you can rage a show proper but explain it to a friend? Quite difficult.
“Much of what my assumptions were, have been proven wrong. I enjoyed Phish at what has become their hometown turf. I am doubtful I will become a die-hard follower, but I would definitely see them again nearby. Overall, I was happy to be a part of what amounts to be an experience – one that everyone should have at least once.”
Once out of the venue and headed to downtown Saratoga, Putnam Den held a sold-out show with Dead Sessions, Vermont’s premiere Grateful Dead tribute band. The show doubled as a celebration of The Waterwheel Foundation’s 15th anniversary and a portion of ticket sales benefitted their work to keep Lake Champlain clean. Seth Yacavone, a gifted guitarist, took the lead on many vocals, notably Cold Rain and Snow, Alabama Getaway and Half-Step. Vocalist Christina Durfee added radiant harmony and danced onstage to the music, mirroring the full house. Post-shows are designed for the latenight revelers and unfulfilled dancers, both of which made Putnam Den and easy hot ticket this early Sunday Morning.
And now it was upon us: the end of tour. Sometimes bittersweet, sometimes long sought, the final show of this 19 show tour had fans on the edge of their seats, with a great number of songs possible and excitement teething from the lots to the pit.
Sunday Funkday began with AC/DC Bag > My Soul followed by Camel Walk. Sample in a Jar gave the crowd a breath before Wilson segued into Party Time. A rare and soft Driver followed Gumbo and Nellie Kane, landing into Foam. If I Could provided a soft interlude for couples and fans of this now-rare song off 1994’s Hoist and the one two punch of Split Open and Melt > La Grange (ZZ Top) got the crowd down and dirty, along with a smattering of “FUCK YEAH!’s” from the crowd when La Grange appeared for the first time in over 300 shows.
First-timer and Niskayuna resident Reece Taylor shared his take on his show experience (in italics below).:
“Seeing the band on stage was amazing. The five string bass laid down some groove work and Trey sung with his guitar. It was a first, watching band members bounce on a trampoline while still playing instruments or at all for that matter. The band sounds almost prog rock but showed they have many other influences. The cool crowd had a laid back persona for the most part”
Set 2 brought the heat and spacey jamming inside and out of numerous songs. Opening with Axilla > Light > Twist was a “we’re not done just yet” statement, segueing into every song and not stopping till David Bowie said so. A unique version of Kill Devil Falls > My Friend, My Friend was cooled down with the rare Swept Away > Steep which moved peacefully into Piper, a competitor for best SPAC Piper yet, rivaling 2004’s version. From there, Free moved into a spooky Kung, a stellar Harry Hood, Cavern and David Bowie to cap things. Returning to the stage for the encore, Page gave thanks to the fans and their crew for the support and love this tour, and the band dipped into You Enjoy Myself, only the second version this tour of their most-played song. The crowd went nuts for much of the song’s 20 minutes, rising high to the occasion during the peaks and lyrics “Boy. Man. God. Shit.” letting their energy pour that one last drop to end the show.
The three nights of Phish at SPAC proved to be a highlight run of the tour, although the level at which Phish is playing these days, fans will debate the best show of Summer 2012 for quite sometime. This is due in part to a ‘something for everyone’ quality to the shows, as well as Phish fans willing to debate all aspects of the band, ad nauseum. All the bustouts of rarely played songs have added to anticipation among fans, because the best thing about all the bustouts is that they are ALL in play now. Expect the unexpected at Phish and don’t miss them next time they roll into town, its worth it every single time.
Funk is great music for getting down to, although late night at StrangeCreek Music and Arts Festival brings out some of the best up and coming bands in the Northeast. When 10-piece band Big Ol’ Dirty Bucket from Boston started playing, I was drawn in by the horns and stayed for the rhythm and double threat vocals. The cabin got quite warm throughout the set, as it would be expected with a sexually charged dose of funk and world beats. The band is only two years old but holds great promise with strong live performances coupled with a great self-titled debut album
With strong influences from Parliament Funkadelic, The Meters, Stevie Wonder and most music from the Soul Train era of 70s funk, Big Ol’ Dirty Bucket has strong potential and with funk this deep, they should be on JamCruise within a few years time. The opener, Phototonic Amplifier People has blaring horns and impressive vocals from Sarah, aka Lil’ Shrimp. Mic Smoke gets sharp horns accenting catchy lyrics “When Smokey told Michael Jackson, When they give you the mic don’t give it back son”, Big Daddy Disco sings with a Q-Tip velocity and cadence to the words. SinLamento starts with a deep grooved bass before growing into a salsa/tejano number, sung entirely in Spanish. ChuckNorris is notable for weed references and high speed funk, Blue Dream gives a Stevie wonder groove on the keys while I Don’t Want to Ride Your Emotional Rollercoaster is soft in an R&B style, akin to Bill Withers ‘Ain’t No Sunshine When She’s Gone’, a very emotional track. Black Cloud Joe is Wilson Pickett-esque with a big band backing a boisterous story about Joe. Capping it all off is a highlight, All Night Long and Once in the Mornin’, a sexually charged song, with a dash of Ohio Players and a porno-funk guitar in the background, plus balanced dueling vocals.
As said in the final track, “There ain’t no party like a bucket party cause a bucket party don’t stop” are true words, coming from first hand experience and listening to a funking wonderful debut album. Look for Big Ol’ Dirty Bucket this summer at a festival near you!
Key Tracks: Mic Smoke, Sin Lamento, All Night Long and Once in the Mornin’
Having been to many music festivals in the past few years, I have seen the growth of music festivals, the broadening of the crowd and lineups, as well as a community that is vibrant, positive and open to all. Music festivals are one of the great American cultural events and their continued development is a positive for local communities nationwide. However, there is a growing trend that is both disturbing and dangerous to both festival attendees and those in the local communities nearby. Sky Lanterns, also known as Chinese Lanterns, are a dangerous new trend at festivals that have the high potential to create the worst scenarios at a festival, and miles away.
After mentioning my concern in festival reviews over the past two years, where I witnessed the dangerous nature of Sky Lanterns, I attended StrangeCreek Music and Arts Festival in Greenfield, Mass over Memorial Day weekend where I saw these lanterns sent up in the air without concern for the risk or impact involved. In order to educate the festival-going populace, a few conversations were had with friends and acquaintances that led to this article.
First of all, what are Sky Lanterns? They are purchased completely flat and then expand to create a three foot tall cylindrical shape with a cardboard platform, roughly the size of a small pizza box. Once expanded, the wick is attached to the bottom of the paper lantern and lit on fire. Aside from not burning the paper, the lantern is held up and allows the flame to heat the air, thus rising up and floating away.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUe-EuLO-mU
But wait, aren’t open fires banned at festivals? Indeed nearly all festivals ban open fires, with only a select few having a bonfire that is far away from spreading the fire to nearby trees and brush, and under the watchful eye of an attendant staff member. A sky lantern IS an open fire and if you can’t burn citronella candles, votives or campfires at a festival, common sense dictates that these should not be allowed, as it is an uncontained fire.
Yes, it is a bit appalling that folks who set them up and watch the fire grow will laugh and ogle. There’s little you can do here, but at the least, learn from a mistake, like these folks.
So why do people set them up? The number one reason given to me by multiple people at multiple festivals over the past few years: it looks cool. That’s all it takes, for something to look cool, you just have to ignore what happens after it is released. When I ask these folks during setup and take off, they are focused and want to make sure the wick is attached properly, and they happily share that it looks cool. Over three years and more than a dozen festivals, it’s still the only answer I have received.
You may ask yourself, is this actually a problem? Yes, very much so and a proactive community effort can stem this from becoming a tragic problem. Some may not notice this as an issue because they do not go to festivals or may not see one while at a festival. The presence of a sky lantern at a festival may be to add to the vibe of the festival but facts are facts: this is a flaming surface being sent up into the skies with no way to control its direction. Think of a flaming, stringless kite that doesn’t burn out for 20 minutes or so, and you get the idea.
I have seen these lanterns crash down, flame lit, causing damage. Here are a few stories from fans who have witnessed them in recent years:
Superball, July 2011
A first person account from Andy Hill: “At first I thought the sky lanterns were cool. I had seen them at a bunch of shows leading up to Phish’s Superball at Watkins Glen Speedway and they were set off without incident to my knowledge. So I didn’t give them much thought beyond that. They definitely look awesome when done in a proper and safe manner. But my opinion of them changed pretty quickly after Superball. I was in the back of the concert field, slightly Fish side enjoying the show. More than not, my eyes are closed when getting down at a Phish show, as was the case this time. Eventually I started hearing a commotion from the people surrounding me and as I opened my eyes and looked to see what the ruckus was about and out of the corner of my eye I saw a bright light coming towards me. Before I realized what it was it hit me it was gone. A sky lantern had been let go prematurely and did not have enough lift to fly. Instead it listed towards me and clipped my head and continued on into the crowd, staying dangerously low and leaving me with the smell of burnt hair…MY BURNT HAIR!!! Luckily, I was not hurt but it was far too close for comfort. I agree that under controlled circumstances, sky lanterns are pretty harmless and are pretty amazing to watch. But in a concert setting where there are so many variables that could allow a dangerous outcome, the risk is certainly not worth the reward.”
StrangeCreek, May 2012
This past weekend at the StrangeCreek Music and Arts Festival, near the main stage, a few fans were setting the sky lanterns up in the evening and night. Lowell Wurster, working festival staff recalls “I saw three sky lanterns get set off this weekend and one of them fell burning in the woods, which had to be extinguished. It’s the same reason why most festivals don’t allow fires.” There were at least a dozen set off Saturday and Sunday night at StrangeCreek, all because “it looks cool.” (This is an actual quote). Later reports indicate that these sky lanterns were landing in a cow pasture up the road and scaring the cows. It’s a bad idea at a venue such as Camp Kee-wa-nee due to the fact that fans are living in the forest for three or four days where there is a lot of material that could combust with ease.
Liberate, August 2011
Taking an early morning walk at Liberate Music Festival, near St. Albans, Vermont, I found some paths behind the stage that led into the woods. I got about ¼ of a mile down a trail and I saw something unique – a bush that was burnt out and had the shell and wires of a sky lantern. I looked around and found little around the bush that caught fire as a result, thankfully. It was a case of pure luck that this bush didn’t ignite the woods around bush. I brought the shell to the festival producer and his jaw dropped. Needless to say, no lanterns were set off that night. Proof again that these lanterns do not burn out and they are a fire hazard.
moe.down, September 2010
Standing to the left of the soundboard on Saturday night of moe.down, I saw some people setting these off from the top of the hill near ‘Gelston Castle’. Some took off over the trees into the Mohawk Valley but one took a dive from a windgust and dove directly into the tapers section right in front of the soundboard. This lantern came in with speed and wind behind it and dove direct into the taper pole, knocking a couple over before trailing off into the rest of the crowd, then taking off again! Of course, more lanterns followed after, and on Sunday night too.
Consider this point from frequent festival-goer Dan Weathers: “Everyone probably never thought their house would flood because who would think a hurricane would affect places like Vermont and New Jersey because there is a pretty small risk of that happening. Then we get a hurricane and no one is prepared and we have a catastrophe and major problem. And people freak out and say how could we not be prepared? Everyone says it’s minor and there is very little risk but guess what, that risk can be devastating. So while they are kind of cool, who wants to be that douche that starts a major fire and causes major destruction?”
In the conversations I have had this week, it was suggested that these are never seen at concerts. This is true because there is far more security to get into a concert so it would be difficult to find these in regular use at amphitheaters. At music festivals there is less security (compared to concerts, although the search can be more stringent) but there is also more freedom at a festival, one that is taken advantage of by some.
Tents, brush, trees, dry areas and drought-prone regions all can be set ablaze quickly. Ever seen a tent go up in flames? Nylon tents (most of the ones sold today) will burst into flames very fast, leaving only poles behind. I witnessed this in Boy Scouts at a demonstration of tent safety where we were shown the result of a single flame near a tent. It took only a 20 seconds before the tent was engulfed in flames. Imagine someone is in that tent and a sky lantern comes crashing down. A friend made a valid point – people don’t think that something of beauty can be dangerous and they do not fully understand and respect fire in all its forms. Flying fire in an arid environment can devastate.
I have always wondered if there was a religious nature to these lanterns, or at least a spiritual one. While this has never been confirmed from first person interviews, it seems to still be a possibility. Festivals are spiritual events for some, so adding to the spirit of the festival is a natural next step. However, where music festivals are bigger and grander than nearly all in America, Britain has bigger problems, where family houses have burned down as a result of these sky lanterns. Even in Vietnam, an area of the world where sky lanterns are set into the air or afloat on the ocean have banned these aerial arson machines after 20 forest fires were caused from their uncontrollable nature.
Should we await a tragedy like these before acting? Certainly not. A proactive community effort needs to be in place at all festivals, including notifications of this no-no sent out in advance, including the usual suspects: glass, weapons, nitrous, fireworks, open fires and now, sky lanterns. Penalties are the same – confiscation in the interest of the public good.
When a sky lantern gets trapped in a tree and sets it on fire, how will a wooded festival be able to put the flame out, get people away and prevent the fire from spreading? That festival would not be back the next year and the result would affect all festivals nationwide. The media feeds on stories of festivals that portray them in a negative light. What better than a random flaming drones to bring down all we enjoy about festivals?
There are proper places for these lanterns, although they are limited. One idea presented in discussions was to set them off over water, preferably the ocean where it can float out to sea with a good wind behind it. I would argue that this is acceptable and the risk is minimal at best, provided the winds take sky lantern out to sea. Few festivals are located right on the water, so for the most part, leaving these behind and not using them is the best recourse for this situation.
Education of this matter is also part of a proactive effort we can all take part in. Sharing this piece will hopefully wake people up and prevent them from setting them off, because its only a matter of time before a tragic story like the one in Britain is heard in the news and online in America.
In short, sky lanterns are not needed, provide little benefit and are dangerous to all at a festival. Unless you are on the ocean or far away from an area that may be flammable, do not use sky lanterns. They are a waste and danger to us all.
Please note, I DO encourage those who enjoy sky lanterns to step forward and share the benefits they have on a festival and the area around the festival. I have asked many but there is always more to this story.
And yes, glowsticks are also bad too for the environment in the longterm because they do not biodegrade. Lights and fires are pretty, but let’s use our heads folks.
The June show features a solid first set, with ‘The Mango Song’ > ‘Down with Disease’ packing a one two punch midway through. The second set enters the realm of new territory, an era that fans today clamor for and led to the positive reaction given upon the announcement of the box set. Starting with ‘Peaches en Regalia’, the set launches as ‘David Bowie’ swings low into a ‘Mind Left Body Jam’ with multiple teases in this rich, 18+ minute version. The set has a masterful centerpiece in ‘McGrupp’ > ‘Tweezer’ > ‘Lifeboy’ > ‘You Enjoy Myself’, the last of which contains incredible and frequent teases amid the jam and numerous calls and wordplay in the vocal jam of ‘YEM’. Led Zeppelin fans will be pleased to hear ‘How Many More Times’ teased during this show as well as in the soundcheck at the end of the sixth disk of the box set.
Also quite notable are Kingston and Albany, which are classified as small metro areas in the Index, but when included in the full list rank 6th and 14th overall, respectively.
Partners include 
Friday, the venue and sprawling parking lots were filled with fans of all ages, as Phish has become a true family affair, with parents bringing kids and phamily traveling long distances to see each other and enjoy some amazing music along the way.
With strong influences from Parliament Funkadelic, The Meters, Stevie Wonder and most music from the Soul Train era of 70s funk, Big Ol’ Dirty Bucket has strong potential and with funk this deep, they should be on 