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Hearing Aide: Phish Chicago ’94 Box set

Phish released their latest box set, Chicago ’94, on July 31^st 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.

You can order the box set here

August 7, 2012
Jillian’s of Albany set to close on August 11th

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.

Earlier this year, The Electric Company in Utica closed its doors.

August 6, 2012
Interview with Scott Murawski of Max Creek

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 18^th and at Bella Terra in Stephentown, NY on Sunday August 19^th.

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!

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ER-LYYlxgWM&w=560&h=315]

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!

August 6, 2012
Gathering of the Vibes 2012: A Little Something for Everyone

One of the great rites of passage the Northeast music scene has to offer every summer is a not so little festival called Gathering of the Vibes. Spawned from a small Deadhead party thrown at SUNY-Purchase in 1996, it’s now grown into a much larger annual celebration of The Grateful Dead and music in general. Thousands of fans set up camp within Seaside Park in Bridgeport, CT and are treated to a long 2012 weekend of musical acts that featured some contemporary bands and new names but also a lot of classic and familiar ones.

Thursday’s music got started bright and early on the Green Vibes Stage at noon with sets by MIZ and Lucid which served as a more than acceptable soundtrack for people arriving and setting up camps nearby. The Green Vibes Stage served as the main secondary stage for the festival and it was also utilized for the late night festivities. This was the most scenic of the stages as well located just feet away from the majestic waters of Long Island Sound with plenty of trees up close that provided shade during the day.

One of the first familiar faces of the weekend belonged to George Porter, Jr. & his Runnin’ Pardners who graced the Green Vibes stage later that afternoon. The legendary New Orleans bassist and his band bobbed and weaved through an expectedly funky and uptempo set which seemed to really kick off the festival. It also featured some of the first slightly “Dead” themed music of the weekend as the ‘Aiko Aiko’ -> ‘Hey Pocky Way’ that was played is something that could be plucked right out of a late 80s setlist. They also threw in their take on ‘Lovelight’ as well as the Alan Toussaint classic, ‘Sneakin’ Sally Through the Alley’.

While this was going on, Zach Deputy Band got things cooking on the Main Stage. His unique brand of soulful rock infused with looping technology and introspective lyrics served as an opening act of sorts for one of the more high profile bands of the weekend, Yonder Mountain String Band. This self-dubbed high energy acoustic bluegrass band has been a festival staple for years now. This set marked the second to last gig of their current tour and one of their last chances to “get their ya-ya’s out” per mandolinist Jeff Austin. The latter part of their set featured YMSB classic hits like ‘Complicated’ and ‘On the Run’ as the sun began to set on the first night of Vibes.

The Grateful Dead aspect of the festival ramped up into full gear with Thursday night’s main act, Dark Star Orchestra. This group has been touring the country since 1997 delivering both spot on replicas of actual Dead shows and creative original sets filled with Dead tunes. They picked a gem of a show to cover this evening by playing 7/18/89 Alpine Valley in its entirety. This classic late 80s show opened with ‘Touch of Grey’ and was followed by a poignantly played ‘Jack Straw’. A quintessential cover The Grateful Dead did during this era, Bob Dylan’s ‘Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again’, was also very well executed with Rob Eaton nailing the extensive lyrics. The second set opened with the classic ‘Sugar Magnolia’ -> ‘Scarlet Begonia’ pairing and took off from there. ‘Eyes of the World’ lead into the ‘Drums and Space’ portion of the show and later on the covers kept on coming with the band’s takes on Traffic’s ‘Dear Mr. Fantasy’ and The Beatles’ ‘Hey Jude’. Fittingly, the encore of this show was yet another cover and another Dylan one at that with ‘The Mighty Quinn (Quinn the Eskimo)’ closing it out.

For anyone still on their feet and able to move, the late night portion of Thursday’s music was filled by The Royal Family Ball featuring Soulive and Lettuce. These are another two acts that have become a regular sight on festival lineups due to their unique blend of soul, funk and rhythm and blues. Both groups feature the talents of Eric Krasno on guitar and Neal Evans on keys so that doesn’t hurt either.

Soulive kicked things off in proper fashion with two of their classics, ‘Hat Trick” and “Upright’. Both songs were accompanied by a three piece horn section dubbed The Shady Horns. The covers just kept on coming as the band’s unique take on ‘Eleanor Rigby’ followed and this segued nicely into ‘Third Stone From the Sun’. Soulive released an entire album of Beatles covers appropriately titled “RubberSoulive” and is a must hear for any fan of the Fab Four, Soulive or both.

The Shady Horns later re-emerged towards the end of Soulive’s performance, Adam Deitch took over on drums and just like that Lettuce was grown on stage. The multi-piece funk/soul/RnB outfit kept things grooving all the way into early Friday morning thus capping off a truly full day 1 of music and fun.

A light but very steady rain greeted festival goers on Day 2. This soaked the grounds pretty thoroughly and made for a more than adequate test in keeping a dry campsite. Small puddles and thick, viscous mud formed on the main field which tested everyone’s footwork a little. Shortly after noon, Reid Genauer made his first appearance of the weekend with Assembly of Dust.

This soon gave way to the next Grateful Dead themed act of the weekend, 7 Walkers, which features Bill Kreutzmann on drums, Papa Mali on guitar and the aforementioned George Porter, Jr. on bass, naturally. These guys have done a wonderful job of taking a handful of Dead classics and infusing them with a rich, soulful New Orleans sound. Their version of “Sugaree” has become a signature song of sorts for the group and this rendition was supplemented with guitar work by Scott Murawski of MaxCreek who sat in. He also joined in on versions of ‘Bird Song’ and ‘Wharf Rat’ that were both well received. All of this mixed with the typically fun and infectious ‘New Orleans Crawl’ led by Papa Mali made for a great early set of music regardless of the elements.

While the sun never really appeared on Friday, the rain eventually subsided a little and more festival goers emerged from their respective covers and made their way over to the main stage. There were certainly plenty of good reasons to do so as one of the weekend’s more prestigious collaborations was taking place on the Main Stage. Bruce Hornsby, Bob Weir and none other than Branford Marsalis combined musical forces and put on a treat for all to hear.

The set started out with just the three men on stage trading licks and playing off one another like they’ve done so many times before. Before long, some light noodling by Weir and some distinctive piano work by Hornsby gave way to a full fledged version of ‘Dark Star’ that seem to catch everyone by surprise a little. Later on, a rhythm section filled in behind the music legends and the set kicked into high gear. They treated everyone to a rollicking ‘Me and My Uncle’ – > ‘Mexicali Blues’ that everyone dancing and singing along. The set concluded with a monstrous ‘Playing in the Band’ that left nothing but smiles on both the audience and musician’s faces.

The main act Friday night saw the third living member of The Grateful Dead take the stage, Phil Lesh. Phil and his ‘Friends’ (which included his sons Brian and Grahame) treated everyone to a fun show that spanned two sets and featured several gems from the Dead catalog of songs. Not to be outdone by 7 Walkers, Phil led the band through their own version of ‘Bird Song’ in the first set. Therein lies one of the unavoidable ‘problems’ of a Dead-based music festival: the repeating of songs. While it may be an issue for fans who aren’t as into The Grateful Dead as others may be, true fans were able to hear some of their favorite songs interpreted by different bands all throughout the weekend.

The second set opened with a monstrous ‘St. Stephen’ and later on ‘Scarlet Begonias’ made another appearance. This time, the band stretched it out a little and segued nicely into ‘Fire on the Mountain’. Phil & Friends delivered Dead classics all night long and ‘Shakedown Street’ served as the encore and the final song of the day on the Main Stage.

The Friday late-night slot switched up gears, musically speaking, to say the least. Classic Dead tunes and rock covers gave way to uptempo electronica as done by Conspirator and Gigantic Underground Conspiracy. Another ‘interlocking band member’ pairing, the two acts made sure everyone in attendance was still moving and moving hard as Friday night became Saturday morning.

Conspirator started out as a Disco Biscuits side project for members Marc Brownstein and Aron Magner and has now emerged as its own beast altogether. They’ve increased their touring significantly lately and have been making their mark on the festival circuit this year. Christ Michetti, formerly of Raq, has taken over on guitar for the group and gives the band a technical precision that meshes perfectly with the pulsing beats and electronic grooves that are generated. Conspirator looked great and sounded better as the band members were clearly locked in to one another and having a great time doing so.

As their set went on, more instruments were brought on stage, drum parts were exchanged and soon the evolution into Gigantic Underground Conspiracy was complete. This outfit consists of the aforementioned members of Conspirator along with Dominic Lalli and Jeremy Salken of Big Gigantic and Ben Baruch of Underground Orchestra. Saxophone and percussion were now thrown into an already infectiously uptempo mix. This kept the party going strong as revelers could either enjoy this or take a walk down the beach for some good old fashioned Silent Disco until the sun began to rise. Although this walk was quite lengthy from the main festival grounds, Silent Disco is a veritable good time at any festival and a great work around to any local noise ordinances. It involves personal headphones which can pick up two DJs spinning nearby and offers the listener the chance to pick which one they’d rather listen to. It’s a dance party with everyone wearing headphones, while having a great time.

For those scoring at home, so far the 2012 edition of Gathering of the Vibes has featured one of the most heralded touring bluegrass acts in the country, a New Orleans bass legend, three living members of The Grateful Dead and their respective projects, two other Grammy award winning legends and jaw dropping live electronica done by some of the best in the business…..and the weekend is only half way done.

Saturday brought better weather and much more typical summer festival conditions: hot and humid. Many people took advantage of the beach and the nearby water for some temporary relief. The water was also filled with docked boats in the area with people lounging, swimming and taking in the festival atmosphere.

Ryan Montbleau Band kicked things off early on the Main Stage with an energetic set which served as good wake up call for many. However, there were a lot of people very content to lie down in the few spots of available shade. The band contributed to the great covers played all weekend with their take on the Steve Miller Band hit ‘Jet Airliner’.

Their set gave way to perhaps one of the coolest cover bands out there right now, Zappa plays Zappa. This group has been touring pretty consistently for the last few years and the book on them has been very clearly written. Dweezil Zappa, offspring of Frank, and a bunch of insanely talented musicians and singers do spot on covers of Zappa tunes. The songs are always well performed and serve as a fitting tribute to one of the more unique musical minds to ever live. As an added bonus, lead vocalist and trumpet player Ben Thomas even sounds like Frank when he sings, be it intentional or not.

As the temperature began to get a little hotter, so did this set. ‘Dirty Love’ was well done and soon after that ‘Apostrophe’ was performed to perfection with relentless guitar work by Dweezil. He also displayed his well honed chops in a fun set closing ‘Muffin Man’. For any Zappa fan, this group is a must see.

Later that afternoon, the last of the living members of The Grateful Dead graced the Main Stage as Mickey Hart Band treated everyone to a set replete with Dead classics and innovative original tunes. ‘Not Fade Away’ filled the opener slot, a far cry from its usual set ending or encore positions in Dead shows of yore. MHB also threw in a fun ‘Franklin’s Tower’ that had many singing along.

For those in need of another dose of high octane electronica with a dash of progressive rock thrown in, Dopapod delivered the same over on the Green Vibes Stage. This quartet prides itself on not restricting itself to one musical genre or style as elements of funk, rock, trance and dubstep weaved in and out throughout their set. They also joined in the cover parade that lasted all weekend with a truly unique version of the 90s hit, ‘Peaches’.

Later that night, there was a reunion of sorts on the Main Stage as the original lineup of Strangefolk turned back the clock and rocked Gathering of the Vibes once more. This was a band that was a staple on the bills of early Gatherings along with other up and coming regional jam bands like Percy Hill and moe. Reid Genauer made his second appearance of the weekend and looked like he was having a great time as he led the group through the classic songs ‘Valhalla’ and ‘Lines and Circles’ to open. As night began to fall, the four old friends ripped through favorite after favorite from their catalog of songs creating disbelief that they hadn’t played together like this since 2000 prior to this year. They also remembered to pay proper homage to the founding spirit of this festival with a set closing ‘Touch of Grey’.

The mood then shifted back to hard rock as one of the main headliners, Primus, turned the Main Stage into their own musical playground. Les Claypool delivered his usual antics, banter and explosive bass play and Larry LaLonde attached his guitar like he was angry at it. Their set included several songs off of their latest album, Green Naugahyde, including ‘Tragedy’s a’ Comin’ but they made to sure play old favorites like ‘Jerry Was a Race Car Driver’ and ‘My Name is Mud’ before all was said and done. High intensity rock and roll combined with surreal video and animation on a large screen behind the band made for a memorable set to say the least.

Saturday night offered some very danceable music as Sound Tribe Sector 9 took over after Primus and threw down as only they can, creating an almost a rave-like scene. The late night acts included The Machine, one of the premier Pink Floyd tribute bands in the country and Papadosio, who kept revelers dancing through the night and into the morning.

As dawn broke on the last day of Vibes, people could be seen slowly taking down campsites and packing cars. Some left the grounds altogether assuredly content with an amazing three days of music. The Sunday lineup did have a much more relaxed feel to it that fit the day nicely.

Always a blast in whatever time slot he plays, Keller Williams served as the wakeup call on the Main Stage this day. He held nothing back as his set was highlighted by ferocious acoustic guitar play, thick, juicy bass lines and his renowned looping technology. He also featured the most ‘outside the box’ Dead cover with a rendition of ‘Can’t Come Down’, a song so old that it was conceived when The Grateful Dead was still going by their original moniker, The Warlocks. This was a true treat and a must hear for any Deadhead….or Warlockhead. ‘Best Feeling’ was a song a lot more people were familiar with and closed out Keller’s set in grand fashion.

As Keller wrapped up, The McLovins held court on the Green Vibes stage and greeted new arrivals with a solid take of ‘Playin’ in the Band’. The new incarnation of the band later played the song that originally shot them to notoriety, Phish’s ‘You Enjoy Myself’. While it’s certainly a different look and feel, the future is still very bright for this band as they appear to be slowly forming their own sound and identity while taking on harder and more complex compositions.

The afternoon wore and on more and more campsites dwindled in size and packed cars leaving the grounds became a more common sight. Max Creek delivered an enjoyable set on the Main Stage as Scott Murawski once again displayed his guitar prowess and a band that’s been together for four decades weaved through old classics. Afterwards, legendary band Steel Pulse performed delivering a healthy dose of reggae and dub to the Sunday festivities.

To close out the weekend, The Avett Brothers played a long set with a five song encore that tied a bow on a memorable weekend. Their heartfelt lyrics and own blend of country, folk, rock and ragtime sent everyone home happy. No covers were needed in this final set of the weekend as their hits like ‘Shame’ and ‘Kick Drum Heart’ satiated loyal fans and new listeners alike.

With no more music to be had, most campsites were fully cleaned and abandoned as car after car began to exit the premises. Gathering of the Vibes promised a full weekend filled with both musical legends and up and coming acts and it delivered in spades. A festival that began as a party for lovers of The Grateful Dead came to full fruition as all living members of the band played and played well. Whether it was Dead covers, bluegrass songs, New Orleans soul or infectious dubstep, the festival offered all things for all walks of people and tastes. Seaside Park appears to be the perfect host for such a gathering and will hopefully continue to be just that for years to come as yet another chapter of the Vibes story has now been written.

August 3, 2012
51Basscamp set for liftoff on August 25th

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!

August 1, 2012
SmashMouth Takes Us Back to the 90s

Albany had the opportunity to host one of the 90’s greatest pop rock bands, SmashMouth on Thursday July 26th. Albany’s weekly music events, Alive at Five, are usually held down at the Albany Riverfront Park. However, with a forecast of harsh winds, rain, hail and a possible tornado, the city moved the event into the Times Union Center. Despite the dark clouds and weather warnings, the crowd couldn’t be kept away.

Smash Mouth is lead singer Steve Harwell, Paul DeLisle on Bass, Mike Krompass on Guitar, Michael Klooster playing keys and Randy Cooke on Drums, and they took the stage to a excited, crowded arena. With Steve lifting his red solo cup, it was the signal the audience was waiting for, to get the party started. SmashMouth began the set playing some of their classic hits, ‘Can’t Get Enough of you Baby’, ‘Then the Morning Comes’ and ‘Walking on the Sun.’ SmashMouth reigns from California, explaining their relaxed harmonies, Americana guitar rifts and catchy, youthful lyrics. With the band’s rendition of The Kinks, ‘Girl, you really got me’, Bob Marley’s ‘Is this love’ and The Monkees ‘I’m a Believer’, everyone had the opportunity to sing along. The surprise of the night was the performance of a brand a new song ‘Magic’, off their newest album set to drop September 4th. With much build up from Krompass’ guitar solo as well as Klooster’s organ solo, the encore erupted into their number one hit, ‘All Star.’ SmashMouth seemed overjoyed with the audience response and Harwell cheered, “We’re back, b*#$%es!!”

The band’s reputation for bringing the good vibes and party attitude is still as fresh as it was in the 90s. Despite having lost band members and being dropped from their original label, SmashMouth can take a hit and keep going, very suiting to the band’s name. SmashMouth will be making a few stops in the United States, coast to coast, before touring around Austrailia. More information can be found on their website, smashmouth.com

July 30, 2012
Backwoods Pondfest Music Festival 2012 Preview

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.

July 30, 2012
CashorTrade.org – Embracing Face Value tickets since 2009

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.

July 26, 2012
Jeff Bujak at Red Square

Last Friday night, Jeff Bujak made a return to Albany’s Red Square, which hosted a number of other DJs that night including Sweatpants Money, Evac Protocol and Leila, providing plenty of variety for the crowd seeking their BassFix.

Jeff started the night out with a strong, fast tempo that went throughout both sets, living up to his label of electronic dance music. In Red Square’s small venue space, the floors were actually vibrating from Bujaks nonstop beats and key slamming fingers. It was music that you could literally feel, that physically moved you and forced you to use every part of your body. The air was electric; with such flow and control over his equipment, especially the piano, Bujak is a sight to see.

Despite the night being heavy on the electronic music, it was far from overwhelming, perfect for newcomers to the scene. With an array of mixes ranging from pop, 80s, rap and jam band, there was something to find in each song for everyone. Playing into the slogan on his website, “Finally, Something different” was exactly what the audience got and then some.

After every few songs, Jeff Bujak took the time to thank his fans, when really we should be thanking him. Jeff Bujak is touring around the East Coast and will make stops at Catskill Chill Music Festival (Sept 7-9, Hancock, NY) as well as 51BassCamp (August 25^th, Maple Ski Ridge). For a complete list of his upcoming shows as well as a vast amount of free official recordings, go to www.jeffbujak.com

July 24, 2012
Music Lovers Paradise – the 22nd annual Grassroots Festival returns to Trumansburg

The Finger Lakes GrassRoots Festival of Music and Dance started over 20 years ago as a concert to benefit local AIDS support organization AIDSwork at the State Theater in Ithaca NY. Featured artists were Donna the Buffalo and pals The Horse Flies, and Neon Baptist.

Encouraged by the success of that night, members of Donna the Buffalo conspired to create a festival that would continue to raise money for the fight against AIDS and other worthy causes, provide regional and national exposure for excellent local musicians, and expose the local and regional music lovers to excellent national and international artists.

The idea proved a success, and with the help of zillions of volunteers, and the generous support of many friends in the musical community, GrassRoots came into being as an annual event. In the intervening decade(s), GrassRoots has grown from humble beginnings to become a nationally recognized event, unique in its focus on traditional and contemporary roots music, and one of the few self-sustaining non-profit arts organizations in the state.

The festival is presented over a four day period (Thursday-Sunday) on four stages which run ridiculously long hours to accommodate the 60 some bands that play the festival. The band selection reflects the eclectic tastes of our ‘amorphous committee’, a difficult to nail down group of musicians and artists who lean toward roots related & world music.

GrassRoots doesn’t hesitate to bring you great music you’ve never heard of before. Every year wonderful new bands are discovered and presented along with many old and true friends. Check out the list of previous years artists for a general idea of what’s in store for the future.

The 22nd annual GrassRoots Festival is held at the Trumansburg Fairgrounds in Trumansburg New York, located about 10 miles north of Ithaca NY on Rt..96 on the west side of Cayuga Lake in the very scenic Finger Lakes region of central New York. It’s all about having a grand time, generating a feeling of community, and giving something back to enhance our town, our society, and our world.

Grassroots Website

Printable Schedule

July 19, 2012