In support of Rattle That Lock, David Gilmour at first had only announced four U.S. dates. Ticket demands quickly prompted second dates at each of those four cities. Some exciting news has come that Gilmour has added a third NYC date. He will take to the much smaller than MSG space of Radio City Music Hall on Sunday, April 10 making it the first of his now three nights in NYC. Tickets go on sale Thursday Dec. 3 at 10 am on Ticketmaster. Special presale times are listed on Ticketmaster.
The renowned guitarist behind Pink Floyd announced a new solo album last week, Rattle That Lock, and a four North America tour dates which went on sale the next day. The extraordinary response to that ticket sale brought about second chances for people to partake in the limited opportunity.
Rattle That Lock is Gilmour’s first solo album since his 2006 release On An Island. Along with the announcement came a preview of the album with the title track hitting the internet.
The song deviates slightly from elements used on his previous solo album and the final two Pink Floyd releases, The Division Bell and The Endless River, where he was the driving creative force. It calls back a bit to his older solo works, which brings speculation about what we might — or might not — hear when the album debuts on Sept. 18.
Gilmour’s first four tour dates garnered a lot of hype, with tickets for the Madison Square Garden show becoming slim pickings soon after they went on sale. High hopes became grounded as Gilmour announced four more dates to make each of his stops a two-night affair.
He will now play Madison Square Garden on April 11 and 12, 2016. Tickets for the just-announced April 12 show go on sale in less than a week, starting at 10 a.m. on July 27. As with last week’s ticket sales, every ticket buyer for the newly announced shows will receive a copy of Rattle That Lock.
Due to phenomenal demand David Gilmour has added four extra North American dates. In support of new album ‘Rattle That Lock’, these will be David Gilmour’s first North American concerts in more than a decade. Tickets go on sale on Monday 27 July and ticket buyers will be among the first to receive the new album, as every ticket purchased online will include a ‘Rattle That Lock’ CD.
David Gilmour Tour Dates:
3/24/16 – Hollywood Bowl – Los Angeles, CA
3/25/16 – Hollywood Bowl – Los Angeles, CA (new)
3/31/16 – Air Canada Centre – Toronto, ON
4/01/16 – Air Canada Centre – Toronto, ON (new)
4/04/16 – United Center – Chicago, IL (new)
4/08/16 – United Center – Chicago, IL
4/11/16 – Madison Square Garden – New York, NY
4/12/16 – Madison Square Garden – New York, NY (new)
Gilmour is touring several European cities this September and October including five shows at the Royal Albert Hall. Unfortunately, these European stops are all sold out.
While Gilmour only released a one-song teaser, he has shared the track list for Rattle That Lock:
1. 5 A.M. (Gilmour)
2. Rattle That Lock (Gilmour/Samson/Boumendil)
3. Faces Of Stone (Gilmour)
4. A Boat Lies Waiting (Gilmour/Samson)
5. Dancing Right In Front Of Me (Gilmour)
6. In Any Tongue (Gilmour/Samson)
7. Beauty (Gilmour)
8. The Girl In The Yellow Dress (Gilmour/Samson)
9. Today (Gilmour/Samson)
10. And Then… (Gilmour)
“Weird Al” Yankovic’s “The Mandatory World Tour” will be making a mandatory stop at The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY July 30. If that’s not mandatory enough, there will be a plethora of Mandatory Fun to go along with his Port Chester visit.
Weird Al’s performances, aside from being musically fulfilling, are robust with humor for every quirk accentuated by his superb showmanship on stage. Not to mention the costumes he dons throughout his shows to round out the experience.
Al’s shows are ones to never be missed, particularly on this tour as he has some new witty and hilarious Grammy-winning material under his belt with his 14th studio album, Mandatory Fun. Check out Michael Hallisey’s review of the album on NYS Music here.
The Mandatory World Tour hits The Capitol Theatre Thursday July 30 with doors at 7pm and show at 8pm, without a bad seat in the house (unless you get put in the time-out chair for not having fun). Tickets for the all-ages show are available online at The Cap.
Recent Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Rush has been at it for 41 years now since their 1974 self-titled release. Well, 41+ years including their earlier years playing local bars, high school dances, and their first 45 with A/B side singles in 1973. Their recent shows at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ and at Madison Square Garden in NYC as part of the R40 40th anniversary tour made a statement about the band who has persevered and grown a profound loyal fan base through the years while never flying close the mainstream limelight.
Though the Saturday show in Newark saw a windy deluge going to and from the arena, Monday’s sunny evening drew like moths a sea of people clad in Rush shirts to the sidewalks at 34th and 7th. A typical scene before a concert perhaps, though something was different in the air about this crowd. It was something more genuine than simply a visitation to nostalgia for long-time fans while anticipation welled in younger fans queuing up with tickets in hand.
Rush’s pair of New York area shows – June 27 at the Prudential Center and June 29 at Madison Square Garden – was a special treat on the R40 40th anniversary tour for many, making it easy to catch the band twice in the span of a weekend. It was an even greater special treat for these two shows, which brought an unexpected surprise in the first set.
R40 was all about a few key things which set this tour apart from some of the band’s recent tours – the set list, the fans, and at parting a feeling of mystery about what is next for Rush. It should also be called out that Rush devised a deft plot for the show – yes, plot – which keys in with the set list to bring things full circle.
Rush’s show format has been consistent for a while as they have not had an opening act in years: two full sets and an encore consisting of a mix-and-match of songs from various albums favoring the latest album. That did not change this time around but cue the first clever device – the set list. It started with their most recent works from Clockwork Angels (2012) and progressed backward through their releases without skipping back-and-forth in time. Rush has so far employed a rotation of set lists on this tour and not played from one list repeatedly, which made attending both NJ and NYC shows in a span of three days special.
Anyone familiar with Rush’s live act knows they have a boisterous sense of humor, from their intro videos and projections to the stage setup (when Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson began using direct inputs, they’d put other props in place of their amps, such as clothes dryers and chicken rotisseries). A newcomer to a live Rush performance may have been perplexed by what was happening in the backdrop but seasoned fans quickly caught on to the ensuing cavalcade of guys in Rush jumpsuits milling about to rearrange the stage in bits and pieces. Remember the plot we mentioned earlier? As the show went on the setup devolved in tandem with the timeline of the songs, starting with the steampunk props to the dryers, a wall of amps, a stack of amps and finally, in line with the band’s earliest shows, one amp each for Geddy and Alex propped on a chair. Neil Peart’s kit setup followed this progression too, at least as much as it practically could with his modern rotating platform kit appearing in the first set and a fixed double-kick kit reminiscent of the 2112 era taking center stage in the second set. Pay close attention as the insignia on the kick drum head in the first set is Peart’s subtle nod to the great jazz drummer Buddy Rich.
As Rush is not touring in support of any new music it felt like there was a synergy between the fans and the band – the loyal fan base making their presence known in gratitude for the years of music and the band feeding back to them a stellar performance, showing their gratitude for the support as well. While the aesthetics of the show certainly brought memories of listing to “2112” while procrastinating on some high school English assignment front and center for many long-time fans, it was the genuine loyalty that runs both ways that kept the energy high. Although, it seemed as though it took a few songs for the audience to really warmed up to that sustained energy perhaps due to less familiarity with their newer material.
Rush is well-known for their prowess as a trio for the sound they produce which they lived up to at these shows. Now in their early 60’s, the band members might be feeling a need to take it easy but Neil’s drumming was consistent as ever, Alex’s guitar lines executed with precision, and Geddy’s crunchy bass sound did its job. Geddy’s vocal performance seemed better this time than in a few of the recent tours, being able to cleanly hit the sustained high notes first evidenced early on during “Headlong Flight.” The band even did well emulating their stage mannerisms and recreating their sound from the beginning years while playing their earliest songs in the encore, namely by Geddy’s enthusiastic introductions his fellow band mates and the songs and minimal guitar effects. There were only a few infrequent blemishes on notes throughout the two nights which did not tarnish the performances.
My first Rush concert was at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) on the R30 tour in 2004 as I was getting ready for my senior year of high school in Upstate NY. In all the Rush shows I have experienced on each of their tours in the eleven years since that first show there has never been as large of a crowd of kids (high school and younger) at a Rush concert than there was at the Prudential Center and MSG. It possibly is a side-effect of life-long fans bringing their kids to the show but it was incredible to see 9 out of 10 of them excited about the show – before, during, and after. As one long-time Rush fan Debra Ross points out, Rush is the ideal band for a younger music fan to get wrapped around.
Aside from mixing up the set lists between shows, something really pulled the heartstrings of fans when Geddy paused between songs to remarking “We’d like to deviate from the norm right now…” and broke out “Losing It” which has been played live for the first time ever during this tour, debuting in Toronto June 19 with the Prudential Center and MSG shows marking the second and third performance of the song. Even more rare, Rush brought a guest on stage, NJ local Jonathan Dinklage who played violin on tour with Rush as part of the Clockwork Angels String Ensemble in 2012/2013. Dinklage delivered a jaw-dropping performance on the song making it one of the most talked about parts of the show afterward. This was perhaps the most revered moment by many, including David C. who remarked it was a dream come true after 32 years of wishing to hear it live. Several other moments throughout the show made it special for many, including the longer songs of the second set – “2112,” “Cygnus X-1” and “Xanadu” where Geddy and Alex donned double-neck guitars. A consistent part of recent tour sets and a sort of rallying song for Rush fans, “Subdivisions,” yet again rang back at the stage with some of the loudest applause with the song’s opening notes.
While both nights were excellent for the music and sound quality, the MSG show felt like it was a notch above. The recently renovated arena felt more comfortable and cozy, perhaps a little bit less disconnected due to the oval-shaped bowl seating versus a more square setup. While NJ doesn’t have to pump their own gas, our pizza is better, you might say (and get the joke if you were at both shows). To call both of these shows a trip through nostalgia could be construed as a slight to what Rush is and represents. There is a strong resonance about the music and lyrics that keeps the shows fresh and relevant each time around especially with a growing fan base of younger folks.
So, is this it for Rush? Various articles and interviews point in the direction of this being the last major tour for the band but not the end. Hype-talk over the show grew into brooding as the Metro North train lurked out of Grand Central, almost an academic discussion over their future given Geddy’s closing remarks about hoping to see everyone down the road and the change of the projection of “R40” to “R40+” at the end of the show and some sentiment within the band about not touring anymore. That leaves one question as the R40 tour enters its second half: How do you say farewell to a band who’s music is the soundtrack to your life? Well, let’s hope to not have to think about that one just yet. Rush on!
Setlist: (differences between the Prudential Center and MSG shows noted by asterisk)
Set 1: The Anarchist, Headlong Flight, Far Cry, The Main Monkey Business, How It Is*/One Little Victory**, Animate, Roll The Bones, Between The Wheels*/Distant Early Warning**, Losing It (with Jonathan Dinklage), Subdivisions
Set 2: Tom Sawyer, The Camera Eye*/Red Barchetta**, The Spirit of Radio, Jacob’s Ladder, Cygnus X-1 Book Two: Hemispheres – Prelude, Cygnus X-1 Book One – The Voyage: Part 1, Drum Solo, Cygnus X-1 Book One – The Voyage: Part 3, Closer To The Heart, Xanadu, 2112 Overture/The Temples of Syrinx/Presentation/Grand Finale
Encore: Lakeside Park, Anthem, What You’re Doing, Working Man
*Played at the Prudential Center only
**Played at Madison Square Garden only
Great music is good; great music for a cause is even greater. Just announced, Pearl Jam, Ed Sheeran, Coldplay, and Beyoncé will play the 2015 Global Citizen Festival taking place on the Great Lawn of Central Park in the heart of Manhattan on Saturday Sept. 26.
The Global Citizen Festival is a free-ticketed event on the Great Lawn in Central Park in New York City on Saturday, September 26, 2015. The Festival is timed to coincide with the launch of the United Nations’ new Global Goals designed to fight inequality, protect our planet and end extreme poverty by 2030. The Global Citizen Festival will channel the power of hundreds of thousands of global citizens lending their voices to achieve policy and financial commitments that will shape the success of these Goals.
There was not one opportunity to let a yawn escape at the end of the work week for those at The Capitol Theatre on June 19. The evening saw (and heard) a complimentary match of sounds between neo-folk/soul newcomers Madisen Ward and the Mama Bear and the fiery duo Rodrigo y Gabriela. It was an evening of duos touring in support of new albums.
Madisen Ward and the Mama Bear opened the evening, their songs welcoming latecomers into the theater. Humble in their manners on-stage (they only made a brief mention of their Bonnaroo appearance the weekend before), the mother-son duo played with a remarkable amount of wholesomeness and soul. For most of the set it felt like The Cap had turned into the back porch on a warm, sunny summer evening; the music playing the sun out for the day. A little bit of heart, plenty of soul, harmony, and shared lead guitar parts left the room happy and appreciative for their set. Rightfully so, too: as a relatively unknown band in a brand new territory they made quite an impression given their status.
For Rodrigo y Gabriela (Rodrigo Sánchez and Gabriela Quintero), The Cap may have been an unfamiliar stage but entirely a new audience, clear by the eruption of cheers as the lights dimmed and a silhouette of Rodrigo drifted to the center of the stage. Anticipation for the show seemed high since before their set while the PA ramped up in volume with canned tunes – there was no lapse as the anticipation converted to avidity.
Aside from the energy of the performance the set had a very casual feel, one of those cases where there is no barrier between the stage and audience. Rodrigo remarked between songs that they booked this 9 Dead Alive tour to play at places they haven’t been before and that they didn’t really have an agenda for the show. Yes, there was a set list taped to the stage floor but it was likely just a guide. They played to a few requests, including a medley of a few Metallica songs (which were heavy influences on the duo’s blended style), and an impromptu tease on “War Pigs” and a cover of “Creep” by Rodrigo as Gabriela made her way back on stage.
When we say there was no barrier between the stage and audience, it quite literally did not exist. It was a sort of rare sight at a venue like The Cap to see around 60 people freely invited to hang out on stage for the better half of the set (minus the encore), almost like the Band Bench that Jimmy Fallon had while he was still hosting Late Night. Rodrigo y Gabriela played just as much to the folks on stage (who of course did their best to sneak in some selfies) as to the rest of the theater.
Their skill in a dynamic range combined with an unrivaled stage chemistry had command over The Cap, engaging the audience in the music the entire time from the aggressive guitar duels to the quieter melodies Gabriela played by herself to mutterings of “shhhh” as the room fell silent. Even the metalheads, who probably first heard of Rodrigo y Gabriela from their cover of Metallica’s “Orion,” were fully behind the more intricate, melodic moments of the show.
For the majority of the people in attendance, it was their first time seeing either act live since Madisen Ward and the Mama Bear is a relatively new act and Rodrigo y Gabriela were making their first Port Chester appearance. The performances were remarkably impressionable; people praising what they heard as they strolled away along Westchester Ave.
Everybody needs to have some fun with proper dosage of Hudson Valley rock. That’s what Joe Duraes & The Skills are all about. Rooted in the lower Hudson Valley of NY (Peekskill, to be precise), JD&TS strips down the heavily wax-coated, over-produced sounds common to today’s records to the purer elements of a four-piece rock and roll band. Their focus on performing with a cohesive energy and engaging tunes has garnered attention and brought people back to more of their shows around town.
The band didn’t quite start as a band; rather a solo act of Joe Duraes with a regular residency at the Peekskill Coffee House and a few other small gigs here and there. It was early 2014 when things finally lined up and clicked to bring together a group of talented musicians to play the songs Duraes had previously written and work on new material as a band. Currently, Joe Duraes and The Skills is Joe Duraes (guitar, vocals), Rodman del Castillo (lead guitar), Steve Geller (bass/vocals), and Kevin Hupp (drums).
The band rolled out a much stronger, tighter sound with the debut of drummer Kevin Hupp at The Winery at St. George in Mohegan Lake, NY on June 13, 2015.
Let’s hear what JD&TS had to share with NYS Music.
Steve Malinski: So Joe, what prompted you to form the band and how did it come about?
Joe Duraes: There are a couple of reasons. First because I wanted to have a band to play my songs with me. I missed having that for a long time, doing the solo gigs for a while. The other reason is I released Ebb Flow in 2013 and because that album was so well produced it just didn’t make sense for me to do all that work only to go play it solo/acoustic again. It was very necessary to get a band together for that, so people can get the full effect. I put the band together January 2014. I put a few ads on Craigslist for a drummer, bass player, and a guitar player and that’s how I found them.
SM: What are your backgrounds in music?
JD: For me, I’m really just self-taught. I started on guitar when I was 13, kind of following the footsteps of my older cousin who at the time was 18. My lessons were really listening to the records I picked up – they were my teachers. All the bands I had listened to over the years, that was my schooling. In my 20’s I was in my first band – well I was in my first band when I was 16 but we never played any gigs – Most of the bands were goth and alternative, so I kind of went through that phase. Then I stopped for about 13 years, a break for a while. I got back into it when I started writing songs again and a few of those made it to the Ebb and Flow record. So the Skills has really been like my baby for the last three years, including the recording process (even though the band has only been around for a year or so now). I was joking recently with Steve and Rodman that they were at their one-year mark and that I had to get them something – a pin or something.
Steve Geller: I’ve been a bass player for close to 30 years now, both road musician and studio musician. The most famous gig I had was with The Monkees. I’ve worked with a lot of me heroes – Pete Best (original drummer for the beatles), Ray Manzarek of The Doors, Buckethead, Jane Wiedland from The Go Go’s, just to name a few.
Rodman del Castillo: I started with a metal band – Planet Hate back in the early 90’s. From there I did my own thing in Manhattan with My Brothers Dream, kind of a typical rock thing. Did a lot of funk-rock type things and played CBGB’s a couple times. From there I went on with Elisabeth Withers, a singer who later signed with Blue Note Records. I wound up on tour with Janice Robinson – the opening act for Tina Turner on her 2000 tour. Then I came back to NY doing a blues, Hendrix type thing in the Village.
Kevin Hupp: In the last 15 years I’ve been producing records out of my studio and Joe came along and I was taken by his sound. We got along very well and I produced and played on his debut album. Fast forward: I’d seen him live a few times and the band sounded great. But as a producer and someone who knows the songs inside-out, something just wasn’t quite gelling. Last time I saw him live I was thinking to myself about who I could turn Joe on to the drums and I thought about it for a moment. So the next day I got a text from Joe about joining the band and we talked for a while. I thought it would be a lot of fun. Joe’s got a great live sound.
SM: Can you tell us who some of your influences are?
JD: Gosh, I’m going to start with the Beatles. It depends a lot on the decade we’re talking about as I’ve been listening to music since I was five years old. Beatles, Led Zeppelin, U2, Nirvana, Peter Murphy, Bob Mould – I always play his stuff.
SG: The Beatles of course. I grew up in the 60’s. I watched the Ed Sullivan Show the night they were first on and it changed my life. I saw McCartney with the left-handed violin shaped bass and it was all over for me – “I want to learn how to do that!”
RdC: I started off digging “Frankenstein” by Edgar Winter and that was it, I was pumped. When I was 9 my cousin asked if I could play this and I was like “no”. Also Clapton, the classic Hendrix. On into the 80’s and 90’s I was getting into the metal guys, Testament, some of the older acts. I liked to listen a lot and emulate their stuff.
KH: I’d say the one person I respect a lot is Dave Grohl because he basically came from behind the drum kit with Nirvana and now he’s one of the biggest artists out there and I love his band, what he does. Great drummer, great producer. I appreciate the mindset where a drummer can come to the front of the band and produce as well. There’s been a handful of those guys over the years.
SM: Each of you have a somewhat similar story behind joining up with Joe for the band. What can you say about that?
SG: I had been on the road non-stop for about six years and I was pretty burnt out and needed to be home. But I wanted to keep playing, not in a local classic rock cover band though. So I started answered some ads, went to some auditions. Then I saw an article in a paper on Joe and later an ad which happened to be Joe’s. We played together and knew right away that this was something that was interesting and I’d want to be involved with. It was too good not to become a part of.
RdC: I was just looking around on Craigslist and saw the ad. Joe and I spoke by phone several times and things started clicking. He mailed me the record, I liked it and started learning the stuff. There was a chemistry there.
Left to Right: Kevin Hupp, Steve Geller, Joe Duraes, Rodman del Castillo
SM: Kevin, since you already mentioned how you recently joined the band, how did you first get involved with Joe’s music before the Skills even came about?
KH: Joe was referred to me by Matt Turk, another artist in the Hudson Valley. Joe called me up and I listened to his songs. The cool thing is that Joe sounds like Joe, with a really identifiable voice and the things he brings to the songs. When you’re producing a record you look for things like that and things took off from there.
SM: And Joe, what’s the story behind Kevin joining the band in 2015?
JD: I met Kevin around 2012 when I hired him to produce ebb and flow and always wanted him in the band. I asked him several times but he politely declined because he wasn’t around. We’ve had a couple of drummers in the band and while they were good players they just weren’t the right fit for us. So we recently spoke to Kevin about going back to record in the studio again and I asked him like a hail-Mary pass and I asked him as a far-reaching question if he’d consider again joining the band. I didn’t expect in a million years for a reply but just 5 minutes later he said that he was actually thinking about that. So we talked, the four of us. I basically told him that he created the sound of the CD and that set the foundation for what became The Skills, we play those songs live. Every drummer we’ve had has basically been playing your parts so it just makes sense for you, as the creator of that rhythm and sound to be a part of the group.
SM: What’s the future looking like for Joe Duraes & The Skills?
JD: The future’s looking good now that Kevin is in the band. Kevin, being a world-class musician, drummer and producer for 35 years, brings with him a lot of experience and a lot of knowledge not just with playing drums but in music. You can be a drummer but if you’re not a musician you’re not a good drummer. We’re really looking forward to the door this will open for us. He has a lot of friends, and we have a lot of friends and it should bring us new opportunities to play bigger shows, bigger venues.
Joe Duraes & The Skills are online at their website, Facebook, YouTube, and ReverbNation where you can keep up with their show schedule. Check out the gallery below of some of their 2014 performances in Peekskill, at the River Street Beat Shop in Troy, NY and of Kevin Hupp’s June 2015 debut at The Winery at St. George in Mohegan Lake, NY; but more importantly check them out live.
On the eve of summer, three Capital District bands will come together to bring in the change of the seasons a benefit concert WEXT – Exit 97.7 FM. The show, with doors opening at 7 pm, will feature Accents, SubSlab, and Stockade Kids.
Accents, a folk-rock quartet to whom writing music has always been about sincerity. Featuring two husband and wife duos, the group showcases lush harmonies, soaring guitars and a unique show highlighted by the multi-instrumental abilities of the band. SubSlab is a rock quintet that writes songs with an upbeat ear tuned to stories of love and loss, redemption and hope. Influences span time and genre, creating powerful tunes with melodic hooks, thundering bass lines, harmonious guitars and rock-steady drumming. Stockade Kids present a fusion of Hip-Hop, Rock, and Jazz. With a unique duo-horn section, a heavy-grooving rhythm section, a lead singer with a powerful voice and passionate lyrics, and a rapper with a direct delivery and distinct point of view, Stockade Kids offers something for everyone, with unlimited possibilities.
Celtic Hall is located at 430 New Karner Rd., Albany, NY. Tickets $10 before June 15thonline and $15 at the door.
Upstate NY / Troy native Sean Rowe recently released a very well received full-length album, Madman in 2014 which showcased his songwriting ability. This year he tried something a little different, going for an EP of his acoustic translation and resonance of works from some well-known female artists. This six song EP from Sean Rowe, under the title Her Songs recently made its debut April 28, 2015. It features Rowe’s take on songs by Regina Spektor, Neko Case, Sade, Lucinda Williams, Feist, and Cat Power.
Rowe’s uniquely baritone voice grabs our attention from the start of the EP just as with his previous releases. It’s just as much an instrument as his guitar, driving melody and emotion into the vehicle that carries the story of each song, embodying the tradition of a singer-songwriter folk performance. For just one singer and one guitar the EP is remarkably full-bodied in sound and character.
The EP is almost equally divided into two parts, at least in terms of the nature of the arrangements. On “Ode to Divorce,” Let It Die,” and “Color and the Kids,” Rowe maintains the similar simple sound of the original recording and relays the song and its emotion through his own style without much rework of the original. The other three songs take on a new life of their own. It wouldn’t be fair to slight the originals by calling Rowe’s take on them better; rather they are fresh, wholesome, and creative parallels to the originals. “Hold On, Hold On” is given a psychedelic feel through rhythm and “By Your Side” gets stripped down and smoothed from the original’s pop-ballad feel. Perhaps the most profound song is Rowe’s rework of Lucinda Williams’ “Soldier’s Song.” Already a strongly emotional song, Rowe takes it intangible to a new level. Williams herself remarked that “this is the best cover of any of my songs that anyone has ever done.”
It is worth noting that the composition of the EP renders a better listen through ears connected to the mind and not as the background music to your evening tasks. At just under 22 minutes it makes for the perfect break from whatever your hectic pace might be; listen from start to finish in one sitting.
Whether or not you have a ticket for one of the Grateful Dead’s Fare Thee Well shows at Soldier Field -Chicago will be the place to be 4th of July weekend. The windy city will host dozens of after shows and one very special art event. Part of the mix for the Dead Head invasion of Chicago is “PhanArt Presents: In All Good Company, Celebrating 50 Years of Grateful Art.” The one-of-a-kind free art show will take place Friday, July 3 through Sunday, July 5 2015 from 12pm-6pm daily at the Congress Plaza Hotel in Chicago, IL – only a mile from Soldier Field.
Exhibited art includes limited edition posters, clothing, pins, tye-dyes, books, photography and other unique Grateful Dead inspired art from a variety of vendors and artists. Musical performances from Chicago bands Jack Straw and Under the Willow will compliment the artists throughout the art exhibition.
The lineup of artists and exhibitors for “In All Good Company” so far includes:
John Warner Art
Phil Kutno
Richard Biffle
Rhoney Stanley
Tye-Dye by Courtenay Pollock
Uncle John’s Outfitters
Tripps Prints
Kingpin Designs Good Thoughts Printing
Not Fade Away Artwork
Michael Boyer
Dr. Wookles
Serlo Studios
Pin Me Down Dead Images by Robbi Cohn
Heady Teddy’s Outfitters
Erin Cadigan
The Shakedown Shop
Andrew Bryant
Pinsanity
Get Shit Done
Scott Harris Photo
Eden’s Rose Foundation
Grateful Girls Scarves
Zenster
A few of us from NYS Music made it to the Dear Jerry show at Merriweather Post Pavilion on May 14, mostly for the fun of attending an outdoor show early in the season and celebrate the music of the Grateful Dead. Afterward we couldn’t help but discuss the show and found we had several similar and differing thoughts. Even though we went without intending to review the show, we thought it would be a different twist to bring you some of our back-and-forth thoughts.
Set 1: The Wheel, Uncle John’s Band, Standing On The Moon, Liberty (Communion featuring Phil Lesh), Get Out My Life Woman (Allen Toussaint with Bill Kreutzmann), Shady Grove (David Grisman & Sam Bush), I’m a Roadrunner (Peter Frampton with Bill Kreutzmann), Deal (Buddy Miller), Sugaree (Jorma Kaukonen with Barry Mitterhoff), The Harder They Come (Jimmy Cliff), Attics Of My Life (Jimmy Cliff with Bob Weir and Mickey Hart *One verse, acapella), Fire On The Mountain (Jimmy Cliff with Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, and Dave Schools)
Set 2: Help On The Way> Slipknot!> Franklin’s Tower (Billy & The Kids), Scarlet Begonias> I Know You Rider (Disco Biscuits with Bill Kreutzmann & Tom Hamilton), Loser (moe. Chuck on vox), St. Stephen (O.A.R), Not Fade Away > Bertha (Los Lobos with Bob Weir), Brown Eyed Women (Trampled By Turtles), Shakedown St (YMSB), Days Between (Bob Weir), Friend of the Devil (Grace Potter with Bob Weir, and Matt Burr), Tennessee Jed (Eric Church with Bill Kreutzmann, and Mickey Hart), Morning Dew (Widespread), Touch of Grey (Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzmann & Mickey Hart), Ripple (almost all of the evening’s performers & the crowd)
Steve Malinski: Mickey and Bill were part of the last few songs too, right?
Graig Adler: Yeah. Bill was also in the house band as well as Dave Schools.
SM: I didn’t have the greatest of starts to the show — thanks to DC traffic I was delayed getting there from Alexandria and didn’t arrive until “Shady Grove.” I didn’t know who was on because I couldn’t see more than some of the crowd from the gate but knew pretty quick from the mandolin that it was Grisman. It was a good first song to hear after the hassle of getting to Merriweather. I’ve always loved the Garcia/Grisman collaborations.
SM: There were several times I was pleased with the performances and interpretations; obviously there were some better than others and one in particular that ranked lowest. But overall I wasn’t as impressed, as my expectations were high for the show. Some groups did a couple of Dead tunes and others did just one, which was cool, no big deal. The flow of the show was a bit jagged and staggered logistically, so there was a bit of down time which for me dampened the vibes a little bit. More continuity would have made the experience better, in my opinion.
GA: Yes, it was impossible to get in a groove. But will make for one fine $29.99 DVD, lots of professional recording equipment on stage. Biggest surprise of the night was how good O.A.R. was and how good The Disco Biscuits would be if they stopped playing that crappy jamtronica.
SM: I thought Disco Biscuits had a pretty good groove going, especially with adding their own style jam in the middle. Billy and the Kids too. I think what made their sets stand out is they did more than one song and had the opportunity to loosen up and bloom a bit on the Dead tunes.
GA: Also, Bill Kreutzmann on drums and Tommy Hamilton on stage — two guys who play dead tunes for a living.
SM: O.A.R.: It was cool to hear the island vibes from the song but they had a shaky start with the opening riffs and that set the tone for me. It wasn’t bad, but not my favorite of the night. I did enjoy the one O.A.R. show I had seen before outside of that though. I really enjoyed the refreshing arrangements by Trampled by Turtles and Yonder Mountain String Band playing stripped-down Dead. YMSB’s version of “Shakedown Street” had everyone’s attention.
GA: O.A.R., I thought they sounded great. His mic wasn’t turned on to start the song.
SM: It was tough to notice that in the wash of the crowd where I was. I don’t recall seeing Phil Lesh on stage throughout the night. Was he there at all? It would’ve been awesome to see them all play together, especially since I just missed getting a Dead 50 ticket.
GA: Communion (Phil Lesh, Stu Allen, Grahame Lesh, Ross James, Alex Koford and Jason Crosby) played the first four songs.
SM: I’m sad I missed Phil. I heard people mention him in passing and I hadn’t realized he was on the bill.
GA: It seems he still doesn’t want to play with these guys. Which is concerning for Dead 50. He really only seems to play Terrapin and Shapiro events these days.
SM: I do hope Phil settles his differences or whatever is going on for Chicago. I’m sure no one — the fans or the band — want to see the farewell shows dampened by differences.
GA: Audley Freed and Buddy Miller were also in the house band.
SM: The house band was pretty solid. Unfortunately, I couldn’t see the stage well so it was tough from the projector to keep track of who was up there except for the announcements of the guest artist for a particular song.
SM: For me, the end of the show made up for what I missed at the start. It was a bit emotional and a tear-jerker. “Ripple” is one of those pretty songs to begin with. Now add a slide show with images of Jerry along with the song’s lyrics to encourage a 19,000-Dead Head sing-along. This was probably the best way to end the show, with something that rings out.
GA: I’m surprised that nobody mentioned that the house band drummer for the show was Raymond Weber, the legendary funky NOLA drummer and former member of Dumpstaphunk. He’s SOLID! There was a very funny exchange involving him in an episode of Treme that went like this: Bass player Cornell Williams asks with surprise, “I know you didn’t just tell Raymond Weber that he dropped the beat, did you?” “Yeah, I did,” Antoine replies. “Ray, when was the last fucking time you dropped the beat?” Williams asks. “Me? ’83,” Weber responds.
The renowned guitarist behind Pink Floyd announced a new solo album last week, Rattle That Lock, and a four North America tour dates which went on sale the next day. The extraordinary response to that ticket sale brought about second chances for people to partake in the limited opportunity.
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The band didn’t quite start as a band; rather a solo act of Joe Duraes with a regular residency at the Peekskill Coffee House and a few other small gigs here and there. It was early 2014 when things finally lined up and clicked to bring together a group of talented musicians to play the songs Duraes had previously written and work on new material as a band. Currently, Joe Duraes and The Skills is Joe Duraes (guitar, vocals), Rodman del Castillo (lead guitar), Steve Geller (bass/vocals), and Kevin Hupp (drums).
