Category: Special

  • Dan Johnson and The Expert Sidemen Announce Kickstarter for Second Album, ‘Bound for Abiquiu’

    Dan Johnson, an Albany native now living in Vermont, has launched a Kickstarter for his second album, Bound for Abiquiu, alongside his Expert Sidemen.

    dan johnson expert sidemenAlready halfway to the their $1000 goal, the album refers to a location in Northern New Mexico, where Dan has “Spent quite a bit of time up that way, and it’s a special and a spiritual place. The title song is about kind of laying down an old life and settling down, going within, returning, letting go, moving past and the process of transformation and how great forces kind of help us with our changes”

    Support Dan’s Kickstarter and see him at the album release party on May 23rd at Valentine’s, with Driftwood and The Grassroots Rebels, feat. members of Jerkwater Ruckus.

  • Mickey Hart, Approaching 70, Keeping the Spirit Alive with Evolving Group

    When Hurricane Sandy devastated the east coast last year, drummer Mickey Hart sat around watching the news, saddened but inspired by the resiliency shown.

    “It was heart-wrenching,” Hart, one of the four living members of the Grateful Dead, said in a recent phone interview. “I saw Bon Jovi on NBC News and all of a sudden the song just popped into my head.”

    The song he is referring to is titled “JerseyShore,” and is available for free download at mickeyhart.net. Hart said he wanted to give back to the people affected by asking for donations from those who download the song. You can download it for free, but the site encourages you to donate whatever amount you can. Hart is giving 100 percent of the proceeds to the Sandy Relief Fund.

    mickey hartHart said that he and his group, the Mickey Hart Band, collaborated to come up with the song. He gave credit to bassist DaveSchools, also of Widespread Panic, in helping the song develop.

    “It was my idea for the song, but the entire band contributed,” Hart said. “It just popped out, but everyone in the band lent a voice to it. … To me, music is many things, and one of those is that it helps to heal, to sing about what hurts and to illuminate pain. It’s like medicine and it boosts confidence.”

    Hart’s band has been going strong for three years now, with an ever-changing cast of musicians. For a guy who is about to hit his 70th birthday, Hart said he is as inspired as ever to write new music – he disclosed that a new album should be released by the end of the summer – while keeping the Grateful Dead spirit alive by putting a new take on old classics. The album does not have a title yet, but Hart said that he and long-time Dead lyricist Robert Hunter have collaborated on it, and that Hunter is rejuvenated.

    “Hunter is writing at the top of his game,” Mickey Hart said. “He’s still chock-full of ideas for great songs, and we’re gonna play those songs on this tour.”

    Hart joined the Grateful Dead in 1967, right around the time Hunter moved into the famed house at 710 Ashbury St. in San Francisco. Hart said his relationship with Hunter is just as strong as it was 46 years ago.

    “There’s no one like him,” Hart said. “He has an egoless style.”

    The band recently wrapped up the first leg of the Worlds Within Tour and announced a second leg, which focuses mainly on the northeast. The tour starts May 8 in Charlotte, N.C., and concludes May 24 at the Dark Star Jubilee in Ohio. In between are stops in Virginia, New York City, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Washington, D.C., Delaware, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Boston and Burlington, Vt.

    On May 22, Hart brings his band, which comprises vocalist Crystal Monee Hall, keyboardist Joe Bagale, guitarist Gawain Matthews, percussionist Sikiru Adepoju, with whom Hart won a Grammy in their Planet Drum project in the 1990s, drummer Greg Schutte and multi-instrumentalist Jonah Sharp to the Westcott Theater in Syracuse. The following night, the band will perform at the WaterStreetMusic Hall in Rochester.

    Schools will not be involved with this tour, as he has previous commitments. Schools said he is prepping for Widespread Panic’s upcoming summer tour. Schools joined the band in late 2011, and has toured with band ever since.

    “He’s got a day job, man,” Mickey Hart said. “But I can say that ‘BassMountain’ is still a big part of the band. He and I have a great dynamic in working together.”

    Filling in for Schools on the Worlds Within Tour is Adam Theis, who will also play trombone, according to Hart.

    On Jan. 6, 2012, the band performed at the Westcott, throwing down some amazingly brilliant and completely different takes on the Dead’s repertoire. Hall’s voice adds a layer of depth the Dead didn’t have vocally. Prior to joining Hart’s team, Hall was a part of the Tony Award-winning musical RENT.

    Before that show, Hart talked about his plans for taking light waves captured from outer space by scientists from Lawrence Berkeley Labs in California and turning them into sound bytes. From there, Hart used those sounds as either inspiration, or built a song or rhythm around them.

    To Dead fans, this may bring up the “Drums>Space” segment that happened at almost every show, but Hart cautioned otherwise, saying: “This is not space like (the Dead) used to do; we’re not interpreting what space is. This is us using the source material, the sounds of space, to play with our sound. This band can do that.”

    The conversation then turned toward the obvious: Will the living members of the Dead ever tour again? Was 2009’s tour the last?

    “I can’t answer that,” Hart said. “I look forward to any reunion of any kind, but it has to feel good.”

    Hart concluded the conversation by connecting the fans and the band.

    “These shows are gonna throb,” he said. “Fans will experience it with us. We need the audience, and they need us. Each night will be three hours of powerful music, and I consider it a privilege that I continue to do this. I might not be able to do some of the things I was capable of in my 20s, but I can say I am focused. I’m almost 70 and I don’t see myself retiring.”

    For more information on the tour, please visit mickeyhart.net for shows and ticketing information.

  • Mister F and Fikus Electrified Red Square on May 4th

    The boys of Timbre Coup always bring a large crowd whenever they play Albany venues, and building off that following has led to a great reception for Mister F, the new project/collaboration of Ben Pickering, Andrew Chamberlaine and Matt Pickering of Timbre Coup and Scott Hannay of Capital Zen. They brought Fikus to Albany on May 4 at Red Square.

    It was a pleasant surprise to see that a band as collaborative in nature took on a new life outside of both respective bands. All members brought such a high level of talent and energy that it would be seriously difficult to go wrong with this mash up. Although there certainly exist hints of both Timbre Coup and Capital Zen, it was a completely different show and a completely different experience. This is clearly not just a side project for any of the boys, but instead an opportunity to try something outside of what we are all so accustomed to in Albany.

    Scott Hannay on the keys brought an electro feel to the organics of the bass and guitar. It is a perfect mix of organic and synthetic, man and machine. One of the highlights of the night was when Matt abruptly yelled into his microphone “Well, obviously we have a rapist in Lincoln Park,” in which the band responded which a hilarious rendition of Antoin Dobson’s “Hide Ya Kids, Hide Ya Wife.” I was truly unaware that you could actually turn such a ridiculous YouTube sensation into a well composed song. As always, Matt did not cease to impress on the drums with his fast paced beats; the rest of the band followed in step to create phenomenal jams.

    Although some of their past work has been faster paced with ripping guitar solos, it seemed they all shared the stage in an equilibrium within each jam. The experience was absolutely different than any band on the scene. There is certainly no single genre that Mister F would fall under, as they clearly have made it an art of incorporating all talents and reaches of music to compose hardwired songs that will keep you dancing from start to end. Each individual is so passionate about the music they create that each song reaches new highs and lows in every measure. You can catch Mister F at Upstate Spring Revival May 10-11, Strawberry Jam May 19th, Disc Jam June 14th, and The Big Up Music festival August 8-10th.

    Setlist: Deal Breaker, 11, Everything You Say, Bed Intruder> Vocoder, Busters Revenge, Hedgehog> J> Hedgehog, Canned Heat, Jump the Shark . Download the show from Archive.org

    Fikus, a Bergen County, New Jersey based band headlined the night, and although they were named after an obscure Phish song, their show rivaled Mister F’s set. For a nonstop 90 minutes, Fikus played a tremendous selection of songs, ranging across the prog-rock and electronic spectrum. The quintet produced incredible dance numbers, such as “Latin” that had a  distinct Latin-flair to it, before getting spacey in a Brian Eno-style of ambient jamming, before returning into a Moog-heavy shred fest, grinding through the jam and coming out the other side with an audience ecstatic at this distinct sound emanating from the confines of Red Square.

    Jams were stretched out from a prog-rock base that grew and developed into even deeper cuts, ala “Jim Jones”, as Fikus’ own plane of progressive jamming melded into “Nightwalker”. The audience were headbanging as the band cranked out fully synced rock that, bringing them into a wholly new section of improve with a distinct 80’s flair. “Cool Refrigerator” turned the tempo down as Pete Kozak sang acapella as Jon Schmarak provided a piano interlude, before the full band joined in for yet another slamming number that swayed the dancefloor, populated with a solid crowd of late-night revelers intent on bringing Cinco de Mayo in with cheers for mas y mas.  The swinging encore “Tempest” elevated the crowd past 2 a.m., building the anticipation for another return to Upstate New York later this summer, if not sooner.

    Tequila shots were requested and enjoyed during the night, making this twin-bill of fantastic improv-heavy bands a perfect highlight for the warm nights ahead this summer.

    Setlist: Somethin’ Stanky > Latin, Jim Jones > Nightwalker > Dingo , Cool Refrigerator

    Encore: Tempest in a Teapot
  • Interview: Brian “Head” Welch & JR Bareis of LOVE AND DEATH

    The lights dim down at the Upstate Concert Hall, only things really lit are the banners that represent the upcoming band.

    Three band members step onto the stage; a young man with long blonde hair and his eyes were decorated with zig-zag eyeliner, held a guitar, indicating his role in the band. The bassist wore whiteout contact lenses and a long sleeved striped shirt. The drummer, sat behind his kit in dark clothing, hair in front of his face, a bit difficult to see. Finally, the man we all knew from the band we all love, made his presence known when he stepped onto the stage with his arms crossed in front of him. Suddenly, a different kind of metal started to play from the speakers. Throughout the speedy setlist with the cover of Korn‘s “Blind”, a sea of bobbing bodies took over the venue mixed with head banging and fist pumping. The music was incredible and fresh, but the big question was: who is this band? Ladies and Gents, introducing the band combined with Korn and Pantera (“Korntera“, if you will), Love and Death, featuring Brian “Head” Welch from Korn as their lead singer.

    Upstate Metal’s Kate Drexel had the incredible opportunity to interview Brian and the band’s lead guitarist, JR Bareis, in one of the cozy backstage rooms with black leather couches. Among the many topics, the history behind Brian’s nickname came to light. “I was named it when I was a kid, my head grew before my body hit puberty and so they made fun of me.”

    After sharing a few laughs, the topic changed to Love and Death and how Brian recruited the members through YouTube auditions. “To save time, ’cause I didn’t want to fly people out because everybody lived in different states, so I was like, ‘I’m not gonna fly no one out, I don’t got that cash nowadays’ and I can tell if they’re a good fit, like just listening to them and watching them play and just feeling their vibe.” However, JR felt very differently about the auditions, having to do it locked up in his room and rock out like he was on the stage “It’s awkward…it’s weird and I didn’t move around as much when I first joined but after playing a lot…I went from playing worship music to like this band so it was a big change.”

    When asked about his biggest influences, Head gave off quite the list from AC/DC to Pantera. JR told Head that he was his biggest influence in both a joking yet serious manner, changing the subject to the release of the first Korn record in 1994, JR not born yet whilst Drexel was two years of age at the time, and mentioned that he was in college. After sharing a few more laughs, the influences topic returned, Head spoke of another big influence, Rage Against the Machine. “We took that passion and took it to a more darker, trippier place, but they are a huge influence. I’m surprised more people didn’t connect that… we all love that type of music and we did it right with his album, so we’re happy.” Head revealed that all of their songs come from JR (who he referred to as Gary) to which he responded that it comes to him randomly and all of the songs written were used on the album. “I think, back in Korn and stuff, I think God inspires all gifts for all different kinds and I think they all, like in Korn in back in the day, like corn came from Him, they got cloudy from all the drugs and stuff, and the drinking so we couldn’t write good stuff, anymore, like towards the last couple of years that I was there, so now I just believe that it all comes back from God, too because He’s the giver of all gifts,” explained Head. Drexel then told Welch that she currently attends a Catholic college where they have a bit of a conversation of the school’s environment.

    When asked about how the band became part of the In This Moment tour, Welch mentioned that it had something to do with the band’s management and was unsure on how they got to be part of this incredible opportunity. As for their downtime, “Sleep….I don’t have a lot of downtime lately, which is pretty cool because I’ve had a lot of downtime before but it just seems like…but I like to read and just get filled up spiritually in my catholic school…I read a lot of catholic books, that’s my high.”

    Love and Death is scheduled to play at this year’s Rock on the Range. Be sure to catch them on tour and check out their record, Between Here and Lost, because this is one you will not want to miss out on.

  • Phish ‘Ventura’ Box Set on Sale June 18

    Another tasty morsel for all you phunky people, Phish Ventura Box Set in stores and online June 18, 2013. The 6-CD set includes complete concerts, including soundcheck samplings, of Phish’s performances at the Ventura County Fairgrounds in Ventura, CA on both 7/30/97 & 7/20/98.

    phish venturaThe Ventura box set captures the feel of two magical nights of Phish – recorded by Paul Languedoc to multitrack tape, mixed by Jon Altschiller and mastered by Fred Kevorkian. Jams from the soundchecks were included at the end of both shows for a glimpse behind the scenes. This collection is a summer soundtrack that just gets better with every listen.

    Phish Archivist, Kevin Shapiro gives us a look into what it was like for the band –

    7/30/97 – “The site of the Ventura County Fairgrounds shows was a general admission dirt racetrack between the Pacific Coast Highway and Surfers Point Park; with palm trees and mountains behind the stage and a view of the Pacific Ocean from the bleachers. July 30, 1997 was Phish’s first Ventura stop since Trey learned to surf nearby in 1993… Ventura ‘97 featured a number of must-hear performances including a bass-driven, syncopated Wolfman’s Brother > Chalk Dust Torture, a deep and spacey Stash and a gnarly Character Zero in set I. Peak improvisation of the highest order defined set II with a Free > David Bowie > Cities > David Bowie combination that dominated the show’s second half with some of the summer’s biggest jams.”

    7/20/98 – “Ventura ’98 was characterized by some new songs, some bustouts and some wicked jams played with a democratic group-mind that conjured a stellar Bathtub Gin opener, a new arrangement of Water In The Sky, the swinging funk of The Moma Dance and a hairy Split Open And Melt set I closer. Set II exploded with a crucial bass-and-drums-fueled Drowned > Makisupa Policeman pairing that utilized Page’s synth stylings to seamlessly blend rock and reggae.”

    For your listening enjoyment and for sharing via download, stream or broadcast, a sample track from the release can be downloaded HERE  –  “BATHTUB GIN 7/29/98″

    Ventura Box Set Setlist:

    1. NICU
    2. Wolfman’s Brother
    3. Chalk Dust Torture
    4. Water In The Sky
    5. Stash
    6. Weigh
    7. Piper
    8. Cars Trucks Buses
    9. Character Zero
    Disc 2
    1. Punch You In The Eye
    2. Free
    3. David Bowie
    4. Cities
    5. David Bowie
    Disc 3
    1. Bouncing Around The Room
    2. Uncle Pen
    3. Prince Caspian
    4. Fire
    5. My Soul
    6. Ventura ’97 Soundcheck Jam
    Disc 4
    1. Bathtub Gin
    2. Dirt
    3. Poor Heart
    4. Lawn Boy
    5. My Sweet One
    6. Birds Of A Feather
    7. Theme From The Bottom
    8. Water In The Sky
    9. The Moma Dance
    10. Split Open And Melt
    Disc 5
    1. Drowned
    2. Makisupa Policeman
    3. Maze
    4. Sea And Sand
    5. Prince Caspian
    6. Harry HoodDisc 6
    1. Sexual Healing
    2. Hold Your Head Up
    3. Halley’s Comet
    4. Ventura ’98 Soundcheck Jam

    Phans who pre-order the release from Phish Dry Goods will also receive a bonus disc complied from the band’s only other concert in Ventura in 1993 (3/21/93 Ventura Theatre).
    BuenaVentura Bonus CD Setlist:
    From Set I:
    1. Maze
    2. Sparkle
    3. Divided Sky
    4. Split Open and Melt
    5. Lawn Boy
    From Set II:
    6. Tweezer
    7. Llama
    8. My sweet one >
    9. Big ball jam
    10. Cavern
  • Review: TRAPT, 3 PILL MORNING, and ACIDIC

    Monday night, Acidic,3 Pill Morning and Trapt rocked the small local venue of Brighton Music Hall, where Kate Drexel was able to catch the show and do interviews with 3 Pill Morning’s lead vocalist, Jeff Stebbins, and Trapt’s Chris Taylor Brown.

    The mixed chatter that bounced off the brick walls of Brighton Music Hall died down as soon as the lights dimmed. The show was about to begin with Hollywood’s favorite small band, Acidic, opening with one of the tracks from their recent record, “Drive Thru”. The crowd began to warm up to this entrancing, incredible sound and vibe the band gave off. Before the second song, “The Brave”, Mike Gossard (vocals) dedicated it to the people of Boston for their strength, referring to the recent marathon bombing. Through the speedy setlist, Mike introduced the next song, a cover of The Beatles’ “Come Together” and invited Trapt’s drummer, Dylan Howard, to do guest drumming along with their drummer, Matt Whitaker. Gossard ran through the crowd while singing soulfully and jumped onto the bar, taking everyone by surprise. He made his way back to the stage to continue the setlist with the performance of “Satellite”, “Copper Man” and “Strata Red”.

    After Acidic’s killer performance, it was 3 Pill Morning’s turn to blow everyone out of the ballpark. The chatter once turned into cheers once the lights dimmed and their ears were filled with a song with electronic beats. The band members came on stage one by one dressed very formally to the theme of their latest record, Black Tie Love Affair. They began with “Revolution” and once the song ended, the electronic beat was back. Before their second song, “Nothings Real”, Stebbins introduced the band to the audience then proceeded to perform. “I Want That For You” had the whole crowd jumping, a sea of bobbing bodies. In the middle of the set, Stebbins toasted to Boston. The speedy setlist ended with their well-known single, “Loser” and “Skin.” This was one very explosive, energetic band that connected with their fans. “We’re just turning that live show into something that’s special instead of sitting at home, not doing anything or listening to the CD on Spotify. We want people to come out and have that experience with us,” said Stebbins after the show, when asked to describe their live performances. Next to hit the stage, the main event, Trapt.

    The anticipation grew immensely as the crew set up the stage for Trapt. Finally, the cue that it was time for them to make their presence known. The audience cheered drunkenly and wildly as the whole band stepped upon the stage. The lights shown upon Chris Taylor Brown’s face as he asked the crowd the question that was the title to the first song, “Who’s Going Home With You Tonight?” By the end of that song, Brown dedicated their second song, “Waiting”, to the strength of Boston causing the crowd to cheer very loudly. He gave a very powerful, spin-chilling speech before the performance of their third song, “End of My Rope”. “Bring It” had the concertgoers bouncing to the rhythm of the song. Occasionally, Brown brought out his guitar to a few of the songs. The way the lights hit the stage while Trapt was playing gave off a very intimate feel, and a sense of connection with the fans was very evident. Before each song, Brown gave incredible explanations behind those songs and performed them with great energy. The setlist ended with their latest single, “Love Hate Relationship”, “Still Frame” which had the audience jumping yet again, “Stand Up” and of course, their very famous single, “Headstrong” to which the audience sang along and bounced to. “It’s just one of those songs that’s kind of like the attitude of what we’re about, that’s not being trapped and not feeling the way we did and freeing ourselves from the confines of everything that you are automatically thrown into and it’s that attitude that we’re not gonna conform into anybody’s will and we’re always going to be headstrong,” explained Chris, when asked about the story behind the song.

    All in all, incredible, energetic vibes and just the kind of show Boston needed after what they went through. This was the night that the headstrong band met the headstrong city.

  • LITA FORD releases new video for “Mother”

    Heavy Metal’s original blond rocker, Lita Ford released a video for her single “Mother” this week.  The song comes from Lita’s latest solo effort Living Like a Runaway that was released last summer on Steamhammer/SPV.  The video was directed by Lit’as former Runaway bandmate, bassist Victory Tischler-Blue.

    Lita added this about the video and the song “Mother”: “Mother is my song to my beautiful sons.  I know they will see the truth one day.  They will always have a place in my heart, which bleeds for them through this song.”  The song is about Parent Alienation. Parental alienation is a social dynamic, generally occurring due to divorce or separation, when a child expresses unjustified hatred or unreasonably strong dislike of one parent, making access by the rejected parent difficult or impossible.  Something that is an unfortunate consequence of spending years on the road touring the country and in Lita’s case, the World.

  • Rochester International Jazz Festival iPhone and Android App Now Available

    Jazzfest  app photoSummer music festival season is right around the corner and festivals are looking for new ways to enhance our experience while at an event. One thing almost all the festivals are doing is creating an interactive app for both iPhone and Android, to assist in making your own schedule to full bio information on all the artists performing.

    One App I will be using this year is the newly released Rochester International Jazz Festival app. The app makes it easy for festival fans to get the latest news, schedule, artist information, photos, maps, venues, travel information and buy tickets. The Android app is new this year for the festival while the iPhone app has been revamped to include several new options for app users. Both apps are free, available now for download, and include a new photo booth feature where you can take photos at the festival and share.

    There are also options to: Select favorite artists, share information on Facebook and Twitter or email, create a personal festival agenda, use the search tool for easy browsing through concert files and artist profiles and festival goers can get a concert reminder alert for to shows about to start. How did we ever survive life before apps like this? I remember lots of maps and bulky event programs to sift through in my satchel, I say thank goodness for apps like this.

    How to Download

    For iPhone: download now free from iTunes.com.

    For Android  download now free from googleplay.com.

    About XRIJF
    The Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival will be held June 21-29 and features jazz musicians from all over the world. For more information and a full schedule of events please visit www.rochesterjazz.com or even better you can download the app.

  • Ashleigh Flynn Celebrates Her Latest CD | A Million Stars

    AFlynn2013Portland, Oregon-based Ashleigh Flynn is the unique female voice that Americana music has been longing for, strong and full of soul. Set for national release on May 14, 2013; to celebrate the release of her fourth studio effort, Flynn is offering a FREE download from A Million Stars: Prohibition Rose.

    This song is about Portland’s own most infamous bootlegger during prohibition, who happened to be a woman… known also for opium distribution, and shanghaiing unsuspecting patrons.” –Ashleigh Flynn

    Ashleigh Flynn awakens your soul like the new spring breeze rising from the dead of winter. Flynn is joined on this release with friends like, Todd Snider and many of Portland’s most talented musicians including, Chris Funk, Jenny Conlee-Drizos, Nate Query, John Moen, Annalisa Tornfelt, and the Stolen Sweets singers, among others.

    Flynn’s peers and fellow musicians have referred to her as “True blue Americana” and a representation of the next generation of songwriters. I find her to be what Americana music was missing, a mixture of powerful female voices like Ani Difranco  and Tara Nevins.

    For more information on Ashleigh Flynn please visit www.ashleighflynn.com
    [soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/90336208″ params=”” width=” 100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

  • DOOMSDAY DEVICE, Raw Local Hardcore Act with Promise

    dd

    A fairly young hardcore act, Doomsday Device are some fresh new faces bringing their own style to the local hardcore scene. Based in true, heavy, hardcore roots, this band is not afraid to get as absolutely heavy as possible.

    These guys bring “getting low” to a whole new level, honing a brutal, down-tempo sound consisting of chugging guitars, deep screams, and powerful rhythm. Their Facebook Band Profile only has two rough demos of songs up to get the idea of how these guys sound. Now, when I say “rough demos”, I mean really rough. There’s no professionalism or gloss to it, and is often off-time and somewhat hard to distinguish instrumental tracks.

    However, this doesn’t detract from the sound they are going for. These raw recordings contain all the power and brutality they are trying to convey, and at this stage in their band’s existence, that’s fine. They are able to demonstrate some sizable talent among all the members of the band, and the rawness of the recordings demonstrates a certain carefree attitude that allows you to enjoy the music the way they must: purely and honestly. These guys are not afraid of showing flaws, they embrace it.

    As good as a professional record sounds, they seem to respect the human element of recording music just as much, and this attitude deserves respect. I’d say that they have some growing to do both as musicians and as a band on the whole, but they show promise to do so. Their demo songs “Curse of the Walkers” and “The Turning Point” dabble in vocal effects, acoustic guitar, sound effects, and other creative “spices”. This shows that as heavy as they’re trying to be, they also welcome different ideas and are willing to experiment.

    However, one thing is certain: no matter where they decide to go from here, Doomsday Device are going to improve and broaden their musical horizons, and will always keep things as heavy as you can imagine.

    You can check out Doomsday Device here and give them a “like”:

    https://www.facebook.com/DD315