Nas celebrated the 20th anniversary of his famed debut LP Illmatic at the Palace Theatre in Albany on Friday October 3, 2014, the unofficial kick-off of the tour. The previous night he played at Rochester’s Main Street Armory, but it was not the full show, as the film “Time is Illmatic” was not shown at the venue. Albany got the full treatment and the crowd loved it. Fans spanning from teenagers to 50-year-olds packed the sold-out show and made their way to their seats as the lights dimmed at 9:15 p.m. and the film started.
This film not only gives the history of the album, but Nas’s family history. In the beginning of the film Nas states how “he just wanted to be something” and throughout the story, every person interviewed said how they knew Nas would rise out of the Queensbridge housing projects to do something special. Growing up in the projects was hard for Nas and his brother Jabari, especially after their mother kicked their father out of the house. His father, Olu Dara, was a jazz musician when he was younger and made sure that Nas learned the importantance of music and as a child he played with the instruments that were laying around the house, slowly sparking his venture into rap. Fannie Ann Jones, his mother, raised him and his brother afterwards and the brothers both expressed a lot of grief over her passing.
As the film went on, some in the audience got a little restless, but a vast majority quietly sat in their seats, watching and listening to the tale of how this great record came to fruition. Notable names in the hip-hop community, such as Kendrick Lamar, Erykah Badu, Pharrell, and J. Cole, all held the album in high regard and how it has always been apart of their lives since it came out in 1994.
The great Dr. Cornel West also spoke how the album not only was great for hip-hop, but also how it was great for young black men to hear a man not just rap, but also send a message and talk about his feelings. Illmatic is notable for how Nas expressed his anger against the crack epidemic and the poor neighborhoods of Queensbridge. He wasn’t just rapping to make a living, Nas was rapping to be heard. The film’s archival footage of a young Nas rapping in front of New York crowds is astonishing to watch as he takes over everyone’s attention in a matter of a few verses.
The movie ended with Nas talking about how the album was his philosophy and a way of life. Despite dropping out of school in the 8th grade, Nas was happy to state that he was still teaching himself lessons and rules about life on his own and didn’t drop out and disappear into jail or death, like many of his friends did along the way. Once the film ended, the crowd began to roar as the screen lifted up and “The Genesis” began playing. Nas slowly strode out to the stage to one of the most raucous crowds that the Palace Theatre in Albany has ever seen. Many people walked down the aisles to the stage, people were standing on chairs to take pictures, and there was even a woman on her boyfriend’s shoulders for a song. The whole scene, although chaotic, was just another part of the celebration for the album and no patron got out of hand.
Nas was all smiles for the hour or so he was on stage. Going through the entire album front to back, Nas gave everything he had into the songs. “N.Y. State of Mind,” “The World is Yours,” “One Love” and “Represent” really drove the crowd crazy. During the performance, he thanked producers and collaborators of the album as well as those who inspired him to make the record.
Only being a short drive to New York City, he continued to thank Albany for coming out and embracing the album. Nas thanked those who made the trip Upstate to Albany for the last New York show of the tour. A double shot of “Hate Me Now” and “Made You Look” closed the evening out after he finished up Illmatic.
With the whole evening over it felt like the crowd wanted more, but walking off stage with his entourage and DJ, Nas left the building and nothing but smiles could be seen on people’s faces. History had been served and embraced by Albany. It’s not every day that you get to hear a legendary album played front to back and get the history behind it. Nas’s Time is Illmatic Tour is one for the record books and is not to be missed.
Jack White has announced a headline concert on January 30 at Madison Square Garden. This will be the first time White has played the venue since 2007 with his band The White Stripes. Jack White is touring behind is latest release Lazaretto, which came out earlier this year to rave reviews from around the country. Throughout this past summer he has headlined many festivals, including Governors Ball, Bonnaroo, and Osheaga, as well as his own shows around the world.
White has also announced that this past summer’s show from Bonnaroo will be released in a deluxe package from Third Man Records as the latest in from their “Vault Package” series. Included is the entire performance, that stretched an extra 45 minutes past its scheduled end, on a 3 LP vinyl set, a DVD of the performance, a poster, 4 pictures, and a custom television usb stick. The performance was streamed live as hit happened and right away was hailed as one of the greatest performances in Bonnaroo history. White always has a knack for giving it all to an audience that gives it right back to him. If an audience isn’t to his liking though he has cut the show short on occasions, including a show at Radio City Music Hall in 2012 after about an hour.
At every show this summer he has not only covered his solo catalog, but also tackled songs from his other bands The White Stripes, The Dead Weather, and The Raconteurs. His backing band is tremendous and they go into each show without a set list so the show can be produced on the fly. Although White has admitted that certain songs will be performed at each show, he has said there is no plan on stage. Be prepared to be wowed by White and his band this January. Tickets will be going on a pre-sale tomorrow at 10AM for Vault members, followed by a another pre-sale Thursday at 10AM for venue and Chase and Amex cardholders. Finally the public on-sale will be Friday October 10 at noon.
Nas has been at the top of the rap world since he debuted 20 years ago and will be celebrating the anniversary with the Illmatic tour for his landmark first LP Illmatic. The Illmatic tour has a little extra punch to it due to the fact that not only will Nas be playing the album front to back, but he will also be showing his brand new documentary “Nas: Time is Illmatic.” The film follows the trajectory of the album from when it was being recorded all the way up to today. The influence that the album had on the rap genre is undeniable, and to be able to see it right before hearing the man play the legendary album is a once-in-a-lifetime event.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESkmaXnw8ow
Nas, including Illmatic, has released eight platinum and multi-platinum albums throughout his career and has played all over the world. Born in Brooklyn, NY, Nas eventually moved to Queens with his family at a young age and soon became interested in hip hop and the growing community surrounding it. Illmatic was a fan favorite from the moment it was released, earning high praise from the hip hop community. Not only did he rap about problems in everyday life, but he also rapped about the hope for a better one. These two shows are the only ones anywhere in New York.
This film, which premiers at the Tribeca Film Festival on Oct. 1, means a lot to him. Nas has said, “I want to thank Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal, and the Tribeca Film family for all of the love & support they’ve given Time Is Illmatic. It is an honor to be in partnership with them, and I feel there is a cultural kinship bonded by the city of New York.” The film unfortunately won’t be shown on the tour’s opening night at Main Street Armory in Rochester on Oct. 2, but it will be shown the following evening, Oct. 3, at Albany’s Palace Theatre. Tickets are still available for both nights, $40 for Rochester and up to $70 for Albany, so don’t sleep on your chance to see these special shows from easily one of the best rappers out there today.
Bear Creek Music & Arts Festival is taking place from November 13th to the 16th and has a lot to offer for Northeast music lovers with many of the artists on the bill hailing from the area. Taking place at the beautiful Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park, festival goers can enjoy music on three outdoor stages and one indoor stage including the famed Amphitheater Stage, set in the midst of towering pine and oak trees decorated with Spanish moss. The park also offers guest comforts including a general store, full-service restaurant, showers and water stations. Also of note is the tradition that many of the bands, performing at Bear Creek Music & Arts, perform on two separate dates during the weekend and several talented instrumentalists act as artists-at-large, creating memorable surprise sit-ins and inspired performances.
Headliners for the festival include Umphrey’s McGee, Lettuce, Dumpstaphunk, Soulive and the recently added Chris Robinson’s Soulive Revue, which will see Chris Robinson join up with Soulive and The Shady Horns for a special one time only performance that will include surprise guest sit-ins. Due to this recent addition the promoters are extending the tier-two ticket price until Wednesday, October 1st at midnight. Fans can also purchase a Bear Creek and Suwannee Hulaween Combo Ticket that includes a three-day, Friday through Sunday Bear Creek ticket and a three-day, Friday through Sunday, Suwannee Hulaween ticket. Primitive camping and all taxes and fees are included in the combo ticket price.
Some other acts of note for fans looking to travel down from the Northeast are The New Mastersounds, Tauk, Turkuaz, The Main Squeeze, Sister Sparrow & the Dirty Birds, and The Nth Power. Artists-at-large throughout the weekend include George Porter Jr., Oteil Burbridge, Jennifer Hartswick, and Roosevelt Collier. A full lineup can be seen below.
The festival has every type of music one could want at a festival boasting acts ranging from funk and rock to soul and jazz. With fall ending and winter slowly coming on, the cold air will make you want to run south, and what better reason can there be than to attend a great music festival. Get your tickets now and make plans to get down to The Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park.
“You want me to start it like that” is the first sounds one hears on the great new album Juice by Medeski, Scofield, Martin, and Wood. All four members shine throughout the fourth album of this great collaboration. John Medeski, Billy Martin, and Chris Wood induce jaw dropping reactions when they play as a trio, and when you had a legend like John Scofield to the mix, the jaws can only get lower to the floor. After that initial start of “Sham Time”, the foursome meander through some latin-jazz that will get you moving in your seat right away. In an interview with Relix, John Scofield gives a track by track breakdown of the record and it is wonderful to get some insight to how they worked through the album. Each member brought a few songs to the group and let the other three tackle it to their liking. All 10 tracks leave you wanting more as one goes by and the next one starts.
“North London” is driven by a call and response between Scofield’s guitar and Medeski’s organ trading off sections of the tune. The ease that the four of them feel when in a room together to experiment and push one another is beautiful. Scofield takes the riff from “Louie Louie” and turns it just slightly to the left as Martin’s drums start up to make “Juicy Lucy” the Latin-Jazz cousin of the famous riff. “I Know You” sees quiet spaces enter the music as no one member dominates the song and the blank area of the song become a fifth member of the group. “Light My Fire” and “Sunshine of Your Love” are two of the most famous songs to come out of the 60’s and one is completely turned on its head by MSMW on the record. “Light My Fire” is similar in beat and the guitar does what would have been the vocals to the song, while “Sunshine of Your Love” becomes a reggae filled jazz piece that barely resembles anything we know of the song. Both are beautiful in their owns ways and its great to see these talented musicians tackle such legendary songs.
The last song is a cover of “The Times They are A-Changin’” and it sees the band be the quietest they are on the whole album. They take one of Bob Dylan’s most famous songs and make it a moody jazz song that you can rally behind. The band truly shines again when it isn’t stuffing notes upon notes into the song and lets each member stretch out their parts to fill the voids left by the other members, with Wood’s bass driving the beat in the middle of the entire mix. The only downfall of this album is that it ends and you don’t know when the next time Scofield will join MMW in the studio. If only MSMW was a permanent group, every year to two years a new album of delectable jazz would be in your ears from these four great musicians. Catch them on tour this winter at Philadelphia’s Union Transfer on December 5th, Boston’s House of Blues on December 7th, and New York City’s Terminal 5 on December 11.
Key Tracks: Sham Time, Juicy Lucy, The Time’s They are A-Changin’
Adding another instrument to a band is always a hard choice, but when it works out so well, the band and its’ fans embrace it forever. On his new album Swift, Marco Benevento has done just this, except the instrument he added is his own voice. Not one known for singing, Benevento sprinkled his voice all over Swift and it works great. Opening track “At The Show” has been played live for about a year and it is finally nice to hear the studio version. His voice adds character to a song that was already a great one from the wizard of the keyboards. Benevento explains. “I’m surprised it took me this long to sing, but growing older, getting into music by The Band and James Booker and the Grateful Dead, the singing door has opened. It’s a new instrument.”
Andy Borger and Dave Dreiwitz, on drums and bass respectively, are not hidden by the new instrument on the scene either. They are an integral part of what makes Marco’s music so special. Borger’s drums are heavy throughout the record, constantly driving each song forward while Dreiwitz’s bass dances right along with Benevento’s keys and lyrics, keeping them honest. “Eye to Eye” is a slowed down hazy dream that you get lost in immediately and feels longer than the four minutes that it is listed as. For fans of jamming, “Coyote Hearing” is a blissful jam, creeping closer to craziness the longer the track goes. This song is sure to thrive in a live setting with the beautiful work on the keys from Benevento, the thumping bass from Dreiwitz, and Borger’s impeccable drum work.
On “The Saint” an evil bass line pushes everyone else to go down the path of full on rock and roll and should be another one that thrives in the live setting. Album closer “Free Us All” is one that will be one of the tracks you find yourself listening to and clapping along with it. The song is sure to get stuck in your head. The vocals shine on this one with Marco belting out “Why don’t you free us all?”, over and over. Swift is new territory for the band and it should come as no surprise that these great musicians thrive on it. The band is going to be touring the country behind the album and make a stop in New York early in the tour with album release parties in New York City on Sept. 16 and 17, and a stop at Kingston’s BSP on Sept. 26. Grab the album before going the show though so you can learn the words and sing along with Marco; I’m sure he’d love it.
Key Tracks: At The Show, Coyote Hearing, The Saint, Free Us All
Boston Calling ended the summer on a high note at City Hall Plaza. Each day of the festival had its own vibe and the crowds seemed to love every second of it. Friday was the day for rock stars to be rock stars, Saturday saw front men and women possessed by endless amounts of energy, and Sunday was for the bands as a whole ensemble to shine. Although a storm knocked out some performers, Boston Calling did a bang up job once again at City Hall Plaza.
Photo by Bryan Lasky
Although hot and humid, Friday’s portion of Boston Calling was a great success. With people streaming into City Hall Plaza to check out the food and liquor vendors, giant connect four games, merchandise, and a free make your own pennants station; the three bands who graced the Jet Blue Stage tore through their sets ferociously. Starting the weekend off, and happy to do it, was Future Islands. The four piece band played a non-stop 45 minute set full of easy to dance to bass lines and a tinge of pop-rock via their synth player. Neutral Milk Hotel took to the stage next and put on a show to remember. Filling the stage with horns, accordions, electric bagpipes, violins, guitars, drums, saws, and banjos; Jeff Mangum and his crew tore into a non-stop hour-long set that went from a wild rock show to an intimate acoustic, depending on the song. The crowd was Mangum’s from the moment he stepped out and dove right into “I Will Bury You in Time”. The band came out and “Holland, 1945” was next and everyone, but especially multi-instrumentalist Julian Koster, was bouncing around stage all night. As per their request, very few cameras were in the air throughout the show making their set a must see event, as you won’t be able to go back and look at bad footage off of your screen. During “In the Aeroplane Over the Sea” the crowds’ voices could be heard right in time with Mangum’s, as he had asked them to be right before the song began. After a beautiful solo acoustic “Two-Headed Boy Pt. Two” from Mangum, he said thanks and good night and strode off the stage to a rapturous applause.
The National closed down night one of the festival with a fantastic show from beginning to end that included both mellow and hard-hitting songs as well as a fantastic light show. Matt Berninger’s deep voice echoed throughout the plaza as fans swayed to the tunes. Aaron and Bryce Dessner’s back and forth guitar playing continuously pushed the band forward during the set. Of note, Aaron helps curate Boston Calling and made sure to thank everyone for coming out for this great weekend of music. “Ada” got the first big reaction from the crowd, with “Sea of Love” coming soon after it to keep the crowd going. The band seems in top form when Berninger shows as much emotion as he can while singing or screaming the lyrics at times. The stream of rockers at the end of the set was tremendous, starting with “Graceless” and ending with “Terrible Love” with Berninger singing while walking through the crowd. The band then closed the day down with a quiet acoustic “Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks.”
Day two saw the crowd slowly stroll in as the afternoon continued on. S. Carey‘s mellow rock was a good festival starter for the day. Mostly known for being the drummer from Bon Iver, he played a set of music that was perfect for a hot sunny Saturday. Sky Ferreira was up next and had some problems with equipment and restarted a few songs throughout her set. Even with this trouble, she and the band soldiered onward playing songs “24 Hours”, “Ain’t Your Right” and “Boys” to an ecstatic crowd. Bleachers stepped up to the stage next and took over the entire crowd on the plaza. Jack Antonoff was jumping all over the stage and giving the crowd everything he had from the moment the music started. His endless energy seeped throughout the set and to the rest of the band. “Reckless Love”, “Shadow” and set closer “I Wanna Get Better” were absolute barn burners and set the level that every other band playing needed to match for the rest of the day.
Photo by Bryan Lasky
The Hold Steady were next and kept the energy up for their entire set. Frontman Craig Finn egged the crowd on for everything they could give back to the band as soon as his feet stepped on the stage. The dueling guitar work of Tad Kubler and Steve Selvidge was jaw dropping, as was the connectivity of drummer Bobby Drake and bassist Galen Polivka. Opening with a great “Constructive Summer” right into “Hot Soft Light” and “I Hope This Whole Thing Didn’t Frighten You” was one of the best opening three songs of the weekend. After their set ended and people started heading over to what was to be Volcano Choir’s set at 6:05PM, an announcement was made that a storm was passing through Boston and the festival was being put on hold until it passed. Some fans left City Hall Plaza, while others went up to the VIP area. The staff did a great job of giving everyone enough time to head for safety before the storm actually hit – they should all be commended since once the storm came through lightning, thunder, hard rain, and dangerous winds swept across the concert grounds. Once the storm passed the damage to the concert site was assessed, including broken banners and live electrical wires, and the entire plaza was evacuated. Twitter was the news source that finally let us know at 8:30PM that it was ok to come back in and we wouldn’t be seeing Volcano Choir or Girl Talk, but Lorde and Childish Gambino would both be playing.
Photo by Bryan Lasky
Once the crowds were in, Lorde came out to a rabid audience and played her album Pure Heroine in full, but not in the album’s order. Her set time was cut to 50 minutes due to the delay, but she used every second of the set to wow the crowd. With a stunning light show, she tore through “Tennis Court” as the crowd screamed every lyric back at her. Lorde was very taken aback by the crowd’s out pour of love during the set and told them as much during a short speech in the middle of the set. The back to back of “Royals” and “Team” sent the crowd into an absolute frenzy all over the plaza. Ending with a beautiful take on “A World Alone,” she left the stage have conquered Boston’s City Hall Plaza. Childish Gambino, aka Donald Glover, came on stage within 30 seconds of Lorde ending her set since he only had an hour to play and he had the crowd jumping and dancing in front of him for the full portion of his set. Focusing on songs from Because the Internet, Gambino was a non-stop ball of energy and his band stayed right there with him during the whole set. Nothing but smiling faces could be seen as people left the plaza despite the weather trying to ruin a great Saturday in Boston.
As fans entered City Hall Plaza on day three, tired faces could be seen, but the music would pick everyone right back up. Local act Gentlemen Hall started the day off with a mix of rap, rock, and pop. The band played with all of their heart for 40 minutes to win every member of the crowd over, and by the end of the set, anyone who was standing in front of the stage was rocking along with the band. Eight piece band San Fermin came on like wild-fire next and sent the ever-growing crowd into a frenzy. Allen Tate’s baritone voice mixed beautifully with Charlene Kaye’s soaring vocals. John Brandon’s trumpet playing saw him jump around the stage as well as into the audience. The whole band gelled together wonderfully to create a non-stop force for their short time on stage together. New song “Parasite” was a big hit with the crowd and could be a breakout song for the group throughout the country soon.
Photo by Bryan Lasky
White Denim raised the bar for how bands needed to perform the rest of the day with their set. A clear influence of theirs that could be heard during the entire set was The Grateful Dead. From jamming a few songs past their normal structures to the bluegrass-rock hybrid that some songs had, the band clearly was borrowing some lessons from one of the best American bands of the last 50 years. The band played a near flawless set for the people of Boston, and they responded with nothing but cheers and applause. The War on Drugs soon followed and played a mellow laid back set of rock that could have been plucked from the mid to late 70’s. Adam Granduciel’s vocal style is very similar to Paul Simon’s and if you close your eyes you could almost imagine the legend being on stage singing. His guitar work though was anything but as he furiously played the instrument at times, but it never seemed to continue for very long. Boston’s own Lake Street Dive mixed country and rock together with wonderful harmonies from all four members and had the crowd in the palm of their hand during their time on stage. Rachel Price’s voice alone would have been good enough to listen to, but when mixed with Mike Calabrese, Bridget Kearney, and Mike Olson’s, it just turns into magic. 21 Pilots then leaped and ran all over the main stage. Their show is a spectacle to be seen. From crowd surfing drums, to smoke machines, to both members jumping and doing flips all over the stage, 21 Pilots won the weekend for being the most entertaining band at the festival. The music is a mix of rap, rock, and pop definitely wasn’t the most technical music of the weekend, but the show was exciting at least.
Photo by Bryan Lasky
The 1975 and Spoon were the next two acts to play the festival and both played good sets, but neither was overly exciting. Both bands played fairly straight forward rock and were both good to listen to in anticipation for the headliners. The Replacements set could be described only as being punk music from the heart. The band which is on a reunion tour with two original members, Paul Westerberg andTommy Stinson, played to an audience that sang along to every song they played whether Westerberg remembered all the lyrics or not. All was forgiven though as the band was having a blast on stage and all the positive energy seeped through the crowd. In a little over an hour the band played 22 songs and declared victory at City Hall Plaza. The crowd wanted more, but it was not meant to be. Closing with “White and Lazy” and getting a quick encore of “Alex Chilton” all the faces leaving from the show had nothing to show for it but smiles. Nas and The Roots had the honor of closing the festival, but it was really two separate sets. Nas came out first with his dj and did some songs off of Illmatic as well as some other hits before The Roots joined him about 40 minutes in for One Mic. The two bands played together for about 10 minutes and then Nas left the stage and The Roots played for another hour on their own. Both sets were tremendous, but I think most people thought it was going to be a full set of the two legends playing together, which really would have capped off the amazing weekend in Boston. There are already plans for Boston Calling in 2015 so stay tuned and make sure that you make your way down to City Hall Plaza if you’re looking for a weekend of great music in the middle of Boston.
The Bots Albany debut at The Hollow on Sept. 10 and made sure to leave a mark on the venue. Hailing from California, brothers Anaiah and Mikaiah Lei brought all of their energy to the stage for their one hour performance. Mikaiah’s guitar playing can only be described as watching a man who is possessed by his instrument. Dancing all over the stage and completely letting go of himself throughout most songs, Mikaiah tore up the fret boards on both of the guitars he used during the show. With all of the moving he does on stage, one would think that his play would be sloppy, but it was anything but. Every song was played beautifully with ripping solos that his body and guitar produced – making The Bots Albany debut one to remember.
Over on the drums all night, Anaiah sat there moving his arms like lightning all over his kit. Putting his full body into the music as well, Anaiah set the pace for the evening and it was fast and furious. The amount of music that these two produce together is astounding. “Dinosaurs” was a great song and closer “5:17” was powerful. Both of these songs mixed a lot of punk and hard rock into them, making an interesting blend to listen to. A great cover of The Ramones “I Wanna Be Well” was played straight forward and let The Bots honor one of their major influences. The small crowd loved every second of the show wanting the band to continue, but it was not meant to be on this night. For all of you who were not at this show, do not sleep on this band the next time they are near you. The Lei brothers have a lot of talent and are just starting on their journey to bigger and better things. Seeing talented bands in smaller rooms doesn’t last forever, and The Bots should be moving on up in no time. Their debut album Pink Palms is out Oct. 14 and you should look into getting yourself a copy to hear what you missed.
Johnny Marr, known best for being a founding member of The Smiths, is about to release his second solo album Playland on Oct. 6 and is supporting the release with a nationwide tour.
Most notable for Upstate New York is the Tuesday Nov. 18 show at Upstate Concert Hall. Tickets are going to go on sale on Saturday Sept. 13 at 10AM and are only going to run you $20. This show is part of WEQX‘s 30th anniversary celebrations being the voice of independent music in the Capitol Region.
The only other Johnny Marr in New York shows will take place on November 12th at The Gramercy Theatre in New York City and Nov.15 at The Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn. Other shows in the area include Nov. 14 at The Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ and Nov. 16 at The Paradise in Boston, MA. Tickets for these shows will be going on sale Friday Sept. 12. Johnny is a tremendous guitarist and song-writer and all of these venues are a great way to see a talent such as his in such intimate venues. The first single from the album, “Easy Money” can be seen below.
Phil Lesh will continue his exclusive deal with Peter Shapiro and The Capitol Theatre with a five weekend run throughout November. Unlike his other runs though these shows are only taking place on Fridays and Saturdays starting with a Halloween show on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1. This run will see a new cast of musicians play with Phil every weekend with the only constant being one of the best drummers on the scene, Joe Russo.
The first weekend of shows will have Dan Lebowitz, Rob Barraco, John Kadlecik and special guests. The Halloween show is sure to be special as The Grateful Dead always used to treat holidays with a nod and a grin. The following weekend of Nov. 7 and 8 will see The Chris Robinson Brotherhood and Eric Krasno join in on the fun. Chris Robinson is no stranger to playing with Phil over the years and Krasno joined Phil and Russo in Central Park a year ago. The third weekend of shows has some old friends coming to the stage in Larry Campbell, John Kadlecik, Teresa Williams, and Jeff Chimenti. The penultimate weekend has Keller Williams, John Kadlecik, and Jason Crosby bringing their take on the catalog. These two middle weekends may not be the shows most fans are going to try for tickets for first, but they will certainly be some of the more interesting shows of the run.
The final weekend will have Stu Allen, Anders Osborne, Marco Benevento, and special guests to cap off the run with Lesh and Russo. These last two shows are already gaining a lot of hype and it is well deserved as the cast of musicianship that is going to be on stage is impressive, and the idea of unannounced guests coming as well lets the mind wander of who else will join. All shows will be going on sale through the venue’s website on September 12th at Noon and will likely sell out rather quickly.
