NYS Music 20​12

Tag: Phish

  • Trey Anastasio Band to play Syracuse and Albany in January

    Trey Anastasio Band to play Syracuse and Albany in January

    Trey Anastasio Band embarks on an early 2013 Winter Tour this January, with stops in Upstate NY at The Landmark in Syracuse on Saturday, January 19th and a week later at The Palace Theatre in Albany on January 26th. Trey also hits off The Capitol Theater in Port Washington in between, on January 23 and 24, with the first night a rescheduled date from October, allowing ticket-holders to attend the 23rd with the original ticket. Having played a well-received Fall Tour that featured songs off his new album Traveler, these shows are sure to be incredible.

    trey anastasio band januaryThe last time Trey played in Syracuse was February 22, 2001, an incredible show that proved to be a difficult ticket at the height of hiatus, as so many Upstate fans needed their Phish fix from Trey. Mostly new songs off past studio work as well as the then-unreleased self-titled album from Trey were performed, peppered with some memorable covers (Rainy Day Woman #12 & 35, It Makes no Difference, Will it go Round in Circles?) and an acoustic “Guyute” at the end of set one. A recording of this show can be heard here, courtesy of Resident Taper Lenny Stubbe. Trey even sat in after his show with Strangefolk at Armory High (aka Styleens and Club Orange, among other names) for Neighbor > Norwegian Wood > Neighbor and that can be downloaded from the Live Music Archive.

    Trey is no stranger to Albany, having played here six times previously with the different lineups of Trey Anastasio Band, starting out on May 15th, 1999 at The Palace and playing June 13th, 2002, November 18th, 2005, December 29th, 2006, October 18th, 2008 and most recently on February 19th, 2011 (he seems to enjoy the cold months here). That show was incredible and featured the debut of Gorillaz “Clint Eastwood”, found on Traveler. You can download Set One of Albany 2011 here and Set Two here

    Tickets for all shows will be available through a real time presale beginning this Friday, December 7th at 10am EST at http://treytickets.rlc.net. For complete ticketing information or public on sale dates, please visit www.trey.com.

    Update 12/5/12: The Times Union has posted a retrospective of Trey over the years in the Capital District

  • An Interview with the Guys of Formula 5

    Formula 5 has come a very long way since their start. Their talent as individuals and as a band has moved light years ahead from when they first took stage around the Capital District. Formula 5 has quickly become a staple in the Albany live music scene, opening for such bands as Timbre Coup, Twiddle, The Heavy Pets, Dopapod, The McLovins and Lucid. It is certainly refreshing to see a young up and coming band be so passionate about their music and be representing Albany’s music scene. Jenni Wilson sat down with the guys from of Formula 5 at the recent Autumnation Festival and followed up with the band for their first interview with .

    Jenni Wilson: Where are you all from?

    Formula 5: We are all pretty local to the Capital Region/Upstate NY area. Mike (Keys, Vocals) and Joe (Guitar, Vocals) are from Latham, Bill (Bass, Vocals) is from Clifton Park and Greg (Drums, Yelling) is the odd ball from all the way up in Lake George.

    Jenni: When did you guys start playing together and how did you meet?

    F5: I guess the way we all came together was pretty random. It was definitely a gradual process starting with Bill. Bill had been playing some music with some former members of our old band called Chinatown Lights. You may or may not have heard that name before in the Albany area. They played as a threesome for a little while (2 guitars and bass) and eventually met Greg by chance. Bill met while waiting in line for Phish tickets at the Times Union Center, found out he played drums and lived in Lake George and they set up a time to jam. They got together, liked the connection and started playing as a foursome. Eventually they wanted a keyboardist and they contacted Mike, who went to the same local high school as the former guitarist, was local to the area and was currently playing keys in a Grateful Dead cover band called the Green Mountain Pranksters. Mike joined wanting to explore his original music ideas and they started practicing and scheduling more gigs around the Albany/Upstate area. After about a year, the band stalled out when the former lead singer and major song writer departed the group.

    With the future of the band in question, Bill and Mike decided they wanted to try and keep this thing afloat by finding a new guitarist and pursuing the music that they loved – Jam music. The older lineup tended to be more of a funk/soul group and they all felt like they were ignoring their true musical direction of more improvisational music. They went through many, many auditions and finally settled on the unlikely younger brother of one of Mike’s high school friends – Young Joseph. When Joe came up to audition we weren’t exactly sure of what to think. He was 19, he had no band experience and no one had heard him play prior to the audition because he had no recordings of his playing to send us. From the very first audition, we knew he was the guitarist that we were looking for. He fit our style very well and things seemed to “click” right away. In January of 2012, Joe became our guitarist – and things have really taken off since we finalized our current lineup.

    Jenni: Who are some of your influences?

    F5: Being that we employ a very loose, improvised musical standpoint, our influences would have to point to artists such as Phish, Grateful Dead, Medeski, Martin & Wood, moe., Umphrey’s McGee and many others who have made the jam scene what it is today. We are also very big blues, folk, Americana, Motown and classic rock fans that have been influenced by the greats such as Jeff Beck, Clapton (and his assorted projects), Traffic, David Bowie, Van Morrision, The Band, Little Feat, Bob Dylan, Led Zeppelin, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Rush, Miles Davis, BB King, Stevie Wonder, among many, many others. Growing up in our generation we have been exposed to many different genres and we are indeed very influenced by 90’s alternative music, some pop music as well as some of the newer indie groups that are writing great music in the 21st century. We like a lot of different music.

    Jenni: What are some of your goals as a band?

    F5: Some of our goals as a band include playing some larger regional festivals such as Catskill Chill, Gathering of the Vibes, Mountain Jam, moe.down, Backwoods Pondfest and others. In the next year we would like to release another larger studio album. We have enough new original material for two albums already and can’t wait to get back into the studio with some of these newer tracks that we are already playing live.

    One major goal that we have as a band is to expand our musical resume as pertaining to different styles of music. Some of our favorite genres include reggae, funk, folk and blues but we really are working to encompass other genres such as more progressive rock, electronica, and even some exotic music styles. We have already written a bluegrass song and experimented with more progressive time structures and Middle Eastern scales in some of our newer material and are looking to incorporate these genres into our new material.

    Jenni: Can you guys talk about the reincarnation of Formula 5 and the origin of your band’s name?

    F5: Sometime towards the end of our old lineup, we decided we wanted to change our band name and we were toying with some concepts such as “Formula” or “Elixir” referring to the various influences and styles that come together from our various members to create our unique sound. We dragged the decision making process out for a very long time and we finally decided on Formula 5, due to their being 5 members in the band at that time and the fact that we were so sick of arguing about it. It seemed to be the name that everyone hated the least. Clearly we are now a four-piece band so it’s the most misleading band name of all time. In all honesty, we just thought it would be less trouble to keep the same name, websites, mailing lists, logos, etc… rather than re-branding ourselves. We knew that our new sound with Joe on guitar was going to do a majority of the re-branding anyways. Now we kind of enjoy the name because we know people are sitting there trying to figure out why we’re named Formula 5. People either think we can’t count or were looking to add another member. The truth is neither: we can count and no, we are not actively looking for another member. We are just focusing on becoming tighter as a band and writing more and more new material as a band.

    Jenni: Where have you guys toured so far?

    F5: In our short year as a group we have begun to play around parts of New York State and even a few outside of the borders as we look to grow and expand. While we haven’t strung together what could be considered a “tour”, we try to do the weekend warrior thing while we work our day jobs during the week. We frequent the Albany music stops, Putnam Den in Saratoga, Shepards Cove/Park in Lake George, The Monopole in Plattsburgh, The Waterhole in Saranac Lake, Java Barn in Canton, Oneonta, Rochester, Syracuse, Buffalo, Jamestown and other random places across the state. We’ve played a few festivals as well such as StrangeCreek, Bellstock, the recent Autumation Festival, Green Mountain Getdown festival in VT, Mama Strawberry Jam and a few other smaller festivals. We are working on something in Boston and New York City as well.

    Jenni: Where are your favorite places to play?

    F5: We are still trying to play some of major stops in the northeast but we still love getting back to place we got our start – Red Square in Albany. We’ve had some great shows in the north county at the Waterhole in Saranac Lake and the Monopole in Plattsburgh. The Java Barn was a very memorable for us we absolutely loved the hospitality and the eager crowd that couldn’t get enough. Black Oak Tavern in Oneonta is also a very fun one for us.

    Jenni: What is the name of your album and how many tracks are you including?

    F5: Currently the album is slated to be self-titled “Formula 5”. Another idea we had was “Peanut Butter Tuesday” but not sure if that’s going to happen. It will likely be self-titled unless an amazing name comes up in the next few weeks. We are picking our final mixes of the songs and will be sending it off to get mastered over the next couple of weeks. There are seven tracks total on the album with one of them being a short interlude leading into the track “Mister Elixir”. We chose six of the oldest tracks that we have been playing since the beginning of this lineup and many of them were written and played long before Formula 5. While being our oldest tracks, we also feel that these tracks really illustrate our style as a band and what we like to do with our songwriting. Each song averages about 7-8 mins (we’re a jam band…) and they showcase many different styles that drive us. We have straight ahead rock, minimal funk, horn-driven R&B, gritty blues, reggae, progressive time structures and plenty of improvisation across these six tracks. We employed the horn work of Bryan Brundige (trombone) and Jeff Nania (saxophone), two well know performers in the Capital Region to spice up the funky track “Houdini.” Stay tuned for an album release party in early 2013.

    Track Listing for the upcoming self-titled debut album:

    1. “Hot Box”
    2. “Coming Home”
    3. “Paella”
    4. “Sueno”
    5. “Mister Elixir”
    6. “3 Ring Circus”
    7. “Houdini” feat. Bryan Brundige and Jeff Nania on horns

    Jenni: Is this your first experience in the studio as a band?

    F5: Yes, this is the first time we have entered the studio as a band. A few of us have done some assorted studio work but nothing too extensive. We really focused on this album and put a lot of time and thought into it. We can’t wait to get it out there for people to hear.

    Jenni: What are some future shows you guys will be playing?

    F5: We’ve got some great shows schedule in the next month or two. Friday November 23rd we are at the Bayou in Albany; December 7th we’re at the Monopole in Plattsburgh; December 15th at The Putnam Den in Saratoga with our friends Lucid; January 4th we’re at the Dinosaur BBQ in Troy; January 18th we’re in Buffalo with our good friends Funktional Flow; January 19th we play in Jamestown, NY again w/ Funktional Flow and February 2nd we are in Oneonta at the Black Oak Tavern.

  • Phish to release Star Lake 98 DVD

    JEMP Records announced today the latest release from the Phish Archives: Star Lake 98 will hit stores and online this coming December 11th. Phish’s 2 DVD set features a multi-camera screen feed from their August 11,1998 performance at the Star Lake Amphitheatre in Burgettstown, PA.

    Star Lake 98 represents the only full-length show available on video from the band’s 1998 summer tour. While the set was created from lawn feeds captured by VHS tapes, the audio was mixed by Jon Atschiller from Paul Languedoc’s multi-track masters. You can pre-order the DVD set now at Phish Dry Goods. A bonus CD available with the pre-order is “So Inclined”, featuring music from the three remaining unreleased Star Lake concerts.

    Phish Archivist Kevin Shapiro shared his thoughts on the show’s release:

    The Star Lake 98 show was the 20th of summer to showcase the loose, experimental vibe of a tour that began in Europe and jumped to the United States en route to the summer’s ending Lemonwheel festival.  The introduction of a never-before-played cover each night earned the tour the nickname “summer of covers” from fans and Star Lake’s contribution was a “Trench Town Rock” opener.  Star Lake also saw the return of “Time Loves A Hero” which was played for the first time in a decade and segued out of a sultry “Wolfman’s Brother”.  “Julius”, an extended “Fee” outro (during which hip Pittsburghians clapped along on the 2 and 4) and deep renditions of “Maze” and “Reba” set the stage for set II.  The second set featured a super-swinging, ethereal “Runaway Jim” that foreshadowed 2011’s “Storage Jam” and an unusual pairing of “Meat > Limb By Limb.”  Local flavor of the Commonwealth was provided by “Bittersweet Motel” (the title of the Phish documentary recorded during Europe ’98 dates) and “Wilson”, King of Prussia.

    8/11/98 – Burgettstown, PA Tracklist

    Disc One
    Set I:
    1. Trench Town Rock
    2. Julius
    3. Wolfman’s Brother
    4. Time Loves A Hero
    5. Bittersweet Motel
    6. Reba
    7. The Sloth
    8. Ginseng Sullivan
    9. Fee
    10. Maze
    11. Sample In A Jar

    Disc Two
    Set II:
    1. Runaway Jim
    2. Meat
    3. Limb by Limb
    4. When The Circus Comes
    5. Down With Disease
    Encore:
    1. Wilson
    2. Golgi Apparatus

    [vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/52084147 w=500&h=338]

    “Down With Disease” – Star Lake 98 DVD from Phish on Vimeo.

  • Funk at The Palace: A Review of Live Phish 12/6/97

    Funk at The Palace: A Review of Live Phish 12/6/97

    On September 25, Phish introduced a new member to its Live Phish Archive collection with one of their more memorable shows from one of the most impressive eras of their history. Their 1997 Fall Tour (a.k.a Phish Destroys America) is one of their most engaging and influential tours and also serves as an ideal picking ground for any live release. Their performance at The Palace of Auburn Hills on 12/6/97 is a show that’s already been established amongst devoted fans as one of the best ever. Now, the soundboard mix gets the Fred Kevorkian re-mastering technique applied and allows everyone to hear and understand what the hype behind this show is all about.

    Phish 12/6/97The album opens with the sounds of a raucous Palace crowd, a common occurrence on this tour that many regard as one of the best and certainly funkiest in the band’s history to this point. Trey utters a short count off and the show opens with “Golgi Apparatus”, a Phish tune almost as old as the band itself. This number, which served as a show opener for numerous shows in the 80’s, would surprisingly never be serve as a show opener again until Burgettstown in 2009. The band rolls through the opening verses with ease while slowly creating a high energy environment that comes across beautifully in this recording from start to finish. By the end of this standard yet powerful version, an already lively crowd has now been shifted into high gear.

    Accordingly, Trey Anastasio immediately begins the opening guitar chords to “Run Like An Antelope” to complete a memorable 1-2 opening punch to the show. The band again displays an ultra-sharp precision while rolling through the opening sections with ease before giving way to a digital delay loop type jam initiated by Trey at the 3:14 mark. Keyboardist Page McConnell then adds a layer of ambience on top of this and instantly the band is off and running on an incredible jam. Featuring the thick funk and steady grooves this era of Phish is so well known for, this Antelope becomes an animal of a whole different sort with Trey’s ‘wah’ peddle and Mike’s steady bass line prominently involved. The jam slowly devolves from the typical Antelope progression to a full on funk jam for several minutes before Trey begins to steer it back around 7:00 minutes into the track. Before long, the typical raging Antelope ending sequence is back in place as the song continues to slowly build in energy and anticipation. The “release” at 13:44 is met with a loud roar of appreciation befit of a version of this quality. Page adds a couple of simple licks on the clavichord before the band rolls through the ending section of this Antelope that clocks in at a very enjoyable 16:29 of music. With no warning, Phish delivers a monster opening two numbers that could just as easily appear towards the end of a show instead given their reputation and the high energy they induced.

    Recognizing the need for a breather of sorts, “Train Song” appears next in the opening set. Mike Gordon takes the lead on vocals and the short almost acoustic song gives the crowd (and the listener) a chance to relax a little before giving way to the true highlight of the first set. This “Bathtub Gin -> Foam” sequence is a must listen for any fan or anyone who wants to know what this band is all about. Gin begins with Page pounding on his piano like he’s mad at it and goes through the standard opening procedure. At the 4:44 mark, the band, led by Trey and Page intertwining melodic riffs, slowly begins to build the jam. The next eight minutes is a steady climb in tempo and energy done masterfully by everyone, especially the synchronized rhythm section led by Mike Gordon and Jon Fishman. As the song approaches 11:00 minutes, Trey again steers the jam back towards something resembling a typical Bathtub Gin ending.

    However, instead of just ending the song. Trey begins chording ferociously, Page joins in on the clavinet and the aforementioned rhythm section begins the opening patterns of “Foam” while McConnell and Anastasio continue to play wildly. Gordon then delivers the iconic bass line intro and as the seamless segues concludes the crowd lets out yet another very audible roar of approval. The band nails the composed parts of another one of their classic songs before giving way to a truly beautiful McConnell piano solo, a staple of any good “Foam”. The baton is then passed to Trey who also delivers a stirring solo that continuously builds in both volume and tone. The rest of the band soon joins in as the jam builds to a stirring peak before breaking down into the vocal outro. This 23:00 minute overall sequence gives the casual listener a great audio example of the essence of Phish: a seamless musical segue, tight knit orchestration, offbeat lyrics, rousing piano and guitar solos and four individuals effortlessly working as one musical unit.

    Perhaps sensing another appropriate spot for a breather of sorts, Trey begins the opening chords to “Sample in a Jar” and a standard version clocking in at 5:03 follows. Trey’s guitar solo is executed flawlessly and complimented perfectly by the drum play of Jon Fishman. The song achieves its goal of slowing things down a little while keeping the collective energy high in The Palace.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9OmP4fGhvQ

    Following this, the opening drum beat of “Fee” begins and Phish is off and running with yet another one of the classic songs in their canon. Trey, sans megaphone, delivers the lyrical part of the song with ease and Page delivers beautiful piano fills throughout. As the song concludes and the typical outro jam eases to a stop, the high hat cymbal sound signaling the beginning of “Maze” is initiated by Fishman. Phish then takes the audience on a fifteen minute journey of pure psychedelic rock goodness. Starting with more digital delay loop play from Trey in the opening, this rendition is truly memorable and harkens back to another classic Phish 1-2 song pairing. “Fee -> Maze” was a common sight on set lists from shows in the early 90’s and this version sees the band on top of its musical game. Electrifying organ and guitar solos take the already high energy to another level and the ending is performed with a true precision seen right from the start of this set. “Cavern” then puts the finishing touches on an incredible first set.

    A few small vocal flubs from Trey in this song are the only things keeping this from being a truly perfect first set. Phish delivered an opening act that saw them run through some of their more legendary songs and jam vehicles at the time. This set just kept in line with the growing expectations for every show played in this legendary span of Phish history. Trey promised the crowd a return in 15 minutes with ‘a whole lot more’ and the second half of this promise was kept ten times over in the form of a second set for the ages.

    Sensing the opportunity to immediately elevate this show to an epic status, Phish opens up the second set with the jam monster of “Tweezer” which sends an already ravenous crowd into a frenzy. From the outset, this appears to be anything but a straightforward “Tweezer”. After the opening chords from Trey, the intro spaces out for a minute or two as the band playfully toys around with the beginning. After a short, fun and almost plinko-esqe sequence, the song begins its standard opening at 2:06 and never looks back. The signature pounding of Gordon’s bass has an extremely crisp sound on this track as well as throughout this impeccable recording.

    At the 6:36 mark, the jam starts up and Trey immediately introduces the funk theme that was so prevalent in 1997. Page then replies with more play on the clavinet and a slow and steady groove is established over the next several minutes. Around 10:30 into the track, Trey once again layers the digtal loop on top of an already stellar groove that soon has a much spacier sound to it. This proceeds in the customary fashion until 13:54, when Trey shifts the guitar into a totally different type of tone usually designated for soloing. What follows is an incredible few minutes of musicianship highlighted by said guitar play and the corresponding drum work from Jon Fishman who shows both a phenomenal ear and mastery of tempo throughout this show. Soon, a shuffle-type beat is established behind massive piano and guitar fills with everything held together by the sound bass playing of Mike Gordon. The jam slowly and surely builds in intensity as each band member plays perfectly of off one another. As this monster jam approaches the 18:28 mark, it slows down slightly with the band seemingly catching their breath this time before a final stretch run.

    Trey soon establishes his signature reverb sound as Page chimes in with ferocious piano play. Now over twenty minutes long, the jam continues in this fashion as Trey and Page continue to trade rock riffs between one another. The beat slows down slightly as the band seems to be seeking a new direction in which to take this jam. Trey and Fishman oblige and soon establish some interplay which instantly morphs into the Jimi Hendrix classic, “Izabella”. Phish then proceeds to tear through this cover song which was debuted earlier this year and the energy pulsating throughout The Palace is nearly tangible at this point. As the song approaches 4:20, “Izabella” subsides and another incredible funk jam develops replete with at least one band member shouting out yells of approval. Highlighted by phenomenal precision and more clavinet solos from Page, the jam that follows just adds to an already exceptional open to the second set.

    Eventually, it breaks down into a drum and bass only jam with Fishman playing something similar to the “Foam” drum beat at one point. This gives the rhythm section a much deserved chance to take the musical reigns and be front and center for a little. Trey then joins in with some more funk licks before steering the group into the opening of “Twist”. The beginning vocal section of this song plays much slower than the modern day variety as this song was still in its infancy stages at this point; its debut was not even 6 months prior. However, the song’s musical gears soon get lubricated a little and a fun rock jam with the customary loud “woo!’s” thrown in by the band ensues.

    Instead of a jam, the band slowly brings the song to a halt with some blissful interplay between Page and Trey. The latter takes this opportunity to begin the opening chords to “Piper” and the band executes another flawless segue into another one of their dominant jam vehicles. “Piper” is another song featured on the album Farmhouse which was also pretty new to the Phish repertoire in 1997. For those who prefer the slowly drawn out openings, this version is a must hear. The band takes its time with the intro before Page slowly builds up intensity and the rest of the band then follows suit. Vocals don’t appear until well after three minutes in and the song then continues to grow in tempo and energy. Another few audible roars of approval from someone in the band shows just how much fun they’re having and what kind of show this is. “Piper” continues to grow in fury as ‘machine-gun’ Trey makes another appearance at the 7:07 mark as the set continues to cement itself in Phish lore.

    This marks only the halfway point of the track as Trey continues to lead the band through a raging display of psychedelic rock for another seven minutes. The crisp drum work and steady bass groove really holds this jam together as “Piper” makes it known early on in its existence that it is a force to be reckoned with. The tempo slows down a little bit before picking up once again and the song gets the true rock ending it deserves and also serves as a most impressive bookend to this four song sequence that epitomizes the overall excellence of this show.

    With all four songs almost seamlessly flowing into one another, there was no chance for any slow down or ‘breather’ song. Phish decides to deliver one before ending the set in the form of the lighthearted crowd favorite “Sleeping Monkey”. More impeccable guitar play from Trey soon gives way to the familiar opening sounds of “Tweezer Reprise”, giving everyone in The Palace one last display of pure arena rock before ending the set. A “Rocky Top” encore serves as another chance for Page to display his piano mastery and serves as the footnote to one of the more seminal shows in this band’s history.

    This show displays all of the elements that endear Phish to its dedicated audience: well executed originals, fun covers, exquisite improvisation and deep, pulsating funk. The powers that be picked a live show to release that was already well established as one the epic performances in this band’s rich history. Whether it’s a truly dedicated fan or just the casual listener, this show offers a little something for everyone and is truly a must hear.

    Pick up the album at livephish.com

    Setlist via Phish.net

    Phish – The Palace at Auburn Hills, Auburn, MI, 12/6/97

    Soundcheck: Dog Log, AC/DC Bag, Ginseng Sullivan, Black-Eyed Katy

    SET 1: Golgi Apparatus, Run Like an Antelope, Train Song > Bathtub Gin -> Foam, Sample in a Jar, Fee > Maze, Cavern

    SET 2: Tweezer -> Izabella -> Twist -> Piper, Sleeping Monkey > Tweezer Reprise

    ENCORE: Rocky Top

  • Live Free But Die Digital : An Interview with Jimkata Frontman Evan Friedell

    Live Free But Die Digital : An Interview with Jimkata Frontman Evan Friedell

    Nearly exactly four and half years ago, I drove up to Ithaca to interview four young musicians making local waves as an up and coming college band called Jimkata. They had barely released a 5-track LP and were playing Friday nights in Ithaca and Oneonta. Fast forward to today, that same foursome has caught the attention of more than just Ithacans or regional Upstate New York jam fans.

    Evan Friedell On the heels of releasing their 4th album Die Digital, due out September 18th, and a 10-week national fall tour, I caught up with Jimkata’s front man and guitarist Evan Friedell. The following is the transcript of our recent discussion covering everything from sharing the stage w/ Umphrey’s McGee, their new fan-funded album and how the uniquely infectious sound Jimkata has patented continues to evolve.

    Johnny Goff: so I believe it was 2008 when I came over to your house in Ithaca and sat down to interview you guys. You guys were just getting going. What’s changed in the past 4 and half years as a band?

    Evan Friedell:  We’ve come miles in those 4-5 years. No. 1,  we’ve all grown up and changed as individuals. And also, we’re just kind of starting to find our sound. When we started, our sound went many different directions. And now finally, the sound writing, the instrumentation, the use of technology w/ analog/synth and e-drums has really evolved our sound to what it is today. We’ve also started touring more extensively in the past several years and that has helped us grow a fan-base which is awesome. Also, the new record has been entirely fan-funded. So yeah, we’ve come a long way from a scrappy, little college bar band into you know what we are today.

    Evan FriedellJohnny:  So, in attempting to achieve a good fan base, how important is it that you guys, as a band play every night of the week and not just weekends in attempting to win over new fans?

    Evan: Well, you know, that’s something that has changed over time too. We’ve realized now that we can’t pick a day here or there and play those dates. We’ve realized that in order to get your name out there, you have to play every day of the week. For example, when we go out to Colorado, we decide to play Michigan on the way. And it’s funny, one of the bi-products we’ve found is when we leave our home area and venture away and then return to our home area, our local fans seem to be more energized and at the same time, we are building new grounds withnew fans.

    Johnny: So I’ve noticed that recently, you’ve shared the stage with some pretty notable bands. Can you talk about that?

    Evan: We’ve played a number of festivals on the same bill as some pretty big acts. And we’ve also had the chance to directly support Umphreys McGee for a few shows in Colorado and in Utah. I think as of right now, it’s pretty inspiring to see how bigger acts work from the inside. The professionalism is a totally different ballgame. Everything’s pretty regimented for them and they are on schedules, etc…and then there’s us…you know, we slept in the van and go on stage. We’d love to be there someday but right now, even though we’re growing, it feels like a different world.  The big ones are great too, but I love seeing bands we’ve built the comradery together over the years and seeing them at regional festivals and hanging out before or after our sets.

    Johnny: So, considering this interview is for NYS Music, I’d be remised if I didn’t touch on Upstate New York and its festivals and JImkata’s plans going forward. Also, if you could, discuss my home festival, Grassroots, in Trumansburg, NY and  how Jimkata has taken off there also. It seems like every year, you guys are jumping up to a bigger stage and a better timeslot.

    Evan: Yeah, yeah. We are very grateful for that. All of us are. It’s been great for me because I grew up a couple hours from there (Oneonta) and I used to go to Grassroots when I was 16 and I was like “Holy Shit, ya know, this would be sick to play at sometimes”, and then, well, we were. So it was a huge thrill to get that slot after midnight on a Friday and thinking about back when I was 16 and wondering if I was 16 and watching this, what would I be thinking about these guys? So, it’s pretty cool.

    Johnny: So the way your guys’ sound has morphed from album to album,  I’ve drawn some other comparisons besides just Umphreys McGee; the way your sound is headed with added synthesizers and e-drums, but how would you describe Jimkata’s evolution of sound?

    Evan: First of all, after seeing first-hand what and how Umphrey’s does what they do, I don’t think we would ever be as virtuosic doing what they do. Their skills are out of the park. But, I think, with this latest album, what we’re going for, is we’re simply trying to create songs that hit home for people. That hit home for people in two ways: 1) We’re trying to drop a beat that’s infectious and 2) bust out a melody and chorus that people can bring home with them in their daily lives. I mean that’s one thing I’ve always loved about watching jambands because of they’re playing, skills, and live improvisation but that’s one thing you miss by not putting out an album, the “Wow! Holy Shit!” Factor of a song where you wanna listen and relisten to the melody or chorus was our focus.

    Johnny: If you can, for readers who may not be all that familiar with Jimkata or reading about you for the first time, drop on us some chronological album history and how your sound has morphed from album to album up to your very latest release.

    Evan:  So our first album has some of our earliest songs and is way more guitar oriented and some has killer early rippage. And then, “Burn My Money” was after that and that is when we began to gain some of our earliest fans and has some of our songs that we had been working on for years and years and so we had a ton of available possible songs to choose from to put on that album and that had some of our core songs that we still play today and you can start to hear to some of those synths and e-drums begin to make some appearances and it really was the album where we began to hone a lot of our songwriting. And Next was “Ghosts & Killers” and that came after we had come into some analog synthesizers that we had been playing around with and That was recorded with very little being done to it afterwards post-production. Like with “Burn My Money” we did a lot in the studio to that album but with “Ghosts and Killers”, it was almost like it was simpler arrangements but more complicated instrumentation.

    Johnny: So, take “Ghosts and Killers” and that simpler approach to album making to this latest album Die Digital, I just listened to the other day, it’s obvious there’s a clear delineation now between your album creating philosophies from previous to this latest JImkata album. Is that fair to say?

    Evan:  Our songwriting process has morphed a little bit. The recording process was different also. We recorded w/ a different engineer, a different space and the song writing process, we all started writing music on a laptop to start. So, like If I had an idea, to start the process, I would immediately open the laptop and start putting something down. So, it was like instead of me walking up to see the band and saying I have this great idea for a song and they’re like, “What is it?” and I can’t describe it…I am able to say, “well, here ya go. Here’s an idea for a song,” and simply pull out my laptop and immediately give them an audio sample of where we can go with something. We are all were writing on our own and we were touring more too so it was actually an natural adaptation because it meant we had less practice time.  This album, there’s a couple songs that are straight up Packy (drums) which is a first for all of our records. There’s a couple songs from Aaron as always.

    Johnny: So with the help of technology, you are able to get a better picture of what a song could end up becoming?

    Evan: Exactly. And I think our song-writing skills have gotten a lot better also. You know, for example, when to add something or to cut something from a tune.  Knowing when to keep things simple is the key. Knowing when to keep things simple when you have a lot of different elements happening…that is key; and we had quite a few of these actually from this latest album. We had a million things going on in this album and we seemed better at knowing when and where to cut something.

    Another thing that was noticeable from this album is us as a band really embracing our electronica and hip-hop influences we’ve had. We’re children of the 90’s…ya know? We’ve listened to tons of 90’s hip-hop and electronica music and that’s been huge for us. BUT, we also all love our rock-n-roll. And not just classic rock and jambands but again, being a child of the 90’s, our grunge rock music…Nirvana, Weezer and Smashing Pumpkins and all of that stuff…. and I think finally, all of those influences, all of those factors are finally beginning to come together to form the sound we have on this album.

    Johnny: It’s ironic you mentioned you guys were ‘Children of the 90’s’ because a lot of the sounds coming off this new album is almost from the 80’s. The combination of the electro and synth-sounds just brings me back to when new-wave was really popular.

    Evan: Yeah, it’s funny. I thought “Ghosts & Killers” came out sounding like the 80’s too. So, I guess, you’re right, it’d be fair to say we’re products of our generation, whether it be the 90’s or the 80’s. Music on the radio, commercials on t.v., movie soundtracks, c.d.’s, etc…whatever it was, it apparently influenced us and how we’re making music.

    Johnny: So, there’s a track on your new album “Die Digital” called “Night Shade.” I fell in love with this track and the more I listened to the new album again and again in preparation to speak with you, I found myself going back again and again to this track “Night Shade” with its very infectious rhythm.

    Evan: So, the song is sort about ‘working through hard times and everything turning out all right in the end.’…and now that I’m saying that, I’m realizing I end up writing about that an awful lot. (laughs out loud). The synth hook was written and then the bass line came around and it took me a while to write some lyrics to it because I didn’t want to fuck it up. The track is so epic and fun to begin with so I wanted the hook to be fun and “We don’t give a shit” and not to be too serious.

    Johnny: So, let’s turn the attention to your upcoming tour, your travels in New York and what’s immediately ahead for Jimkata.

    Evan: We have like 10 straight weeks of touring. We’re going, pretty much everywhere but all the way to the west coast. We’re going out to Colorado again, the south. We’re hitting the Midwest and up to Minnesota so we’re basically hitting up everywhere. Finding a gig is not that hard anymore and we’re super thankful for all the work our new agent has put in to get us into some bigger festivals.

    Johnny: So, the new album Die Digital is about to be released. Tell readers how they can listen to this new Jimkata album.

    Evan: It comes out September 18th. A lot of people who donated are going to get a copy in advance. We’re going to have it on our website and I-tunes. I also think we’re going to have it streaming so I know it’s going to be around. We’re just about to head into album promotion mode now as a band.

    Catch Jimkata when they come through Upstate New York over the next three months.

    Thurs. 9/20 – Albany, NY – Red Square
    Fri. 9/21 – Ithaca, NY – The Haunt, with Manhattan Project
    Sat. 9/22 – Rochester, NY – Lovapalooza, with Lovin Cup
    Tues. 9/25 – Buffalo, NY – The Tralf, with Papadosio
    Fri. 10/26 – Jamestown, NY – MoJo’s
    Weds. 10/31 – Syracuse, NY – The Westcott Theater
    Thurs. 11/1 – Burlington, VT – Nectar’s
    Sat. 11/3 – New York, NY – Sullivan Hall

  • Hearing Aide: Phish Chicago ’94 Box set

    Hearing Aide: Phish Chicago ’94 Box set

    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’.

    Phish Chicago '94The 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

  • A weekend of Phish at SPAC, July 6-8

    A weekend of Phish at SPAC, July 6-8

    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.

    phish spac 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.

    Photos by Andy Hill for NYS Music

    [slideshow]