PhanArt will host an art show for the first time in New York City penned “Skyscraper is Grand” on Saturday, January 2, 2016 from 12-7 p.m. at Hotel Penn, directly across the street from Madison Square Garden.
Produced by Pete Mason, founder of PhanArt, owner and Publisher of NYS Music and author of PhanArt: TheArtoftheFansofPhish, PhanArt exhibitions have been held in Atlantic City, Chicago, Las Vegas, Miami and Philadelphia since 2013 and represent a continued effort to promote and exhibit original and unique concert art, posters, pins, apparel, stickers and much more from a wide variety of artists.
The eclectic artists featured at this event show the broad scope of Phish related art and capture the inspiration of the band in their art. Phish’s creative fan base makes amazing art inspired by the band, their music and the locales they play. This event also gives fans the opportunity to meet a generation of artists they might otherwise know casually, form a bond with and develop a greater appreciation for the broader art scene in the Phish community.
In keeping with the great tradition and success of past art shows, “Skyscraper is Grand” will offer freeentry to all patrons and tubes available for purchase. Special edition works only available at the show can be viewed on PhanArt.net and acquired exclusively at the PhanArt show. The initial artist lineup is expected to be announced in early December.
One Direction will officially release their fifth studio album Made In The A.M. on November 13 via Columbia Records. At this point most people have an opinion of One Direction. Critics will brush them off as a band lacking chemistry, a band that was put together by Simon Cowell in desperation to save ratings for The X Factor in 2010, some even say the band has minimal talent musically and the vocal talent they do have is shadowed by auto tune or filters. Some say they’re just a band that merely functions the way the record label wants them to.
Then there’s the other side of the spectrum; the fans that spent days posting videos of their crying testimonies to get Zayn Malik to reconsider his decision to quit the band seven months ago (Malik allegedly left the group because of their rigorous touring schedule). The numbers don’t lie either. To date, One Direction has sold over 65 million records and performed live for over 7.5 million fans. When the band released their first single off the album in July, it jumped to #1 on 90 different iTunes charts and shattered streaming records globally. Very few pop artists can say they’ve done more with less (I’m sure T. Swift and Bieber are up there). Call them what you will but One Direction is the biggest pop band in the world right now and after being together for more than five years they’re not showing any signs of slowing down.
The most recent single “Perfect” was released on October 16 to a positive response from the fans. The messages in this song are inspired by young love and feature an upbeat undertone. Currently, One Direction are playing arenas throughout the U.K. and Ireland for their ‘On The Road Again Tour.’ The band also recently headlined the Apple Music Festival at London’s famous Roadhouse venue. 2015 saw the band overcome their toughest challenge yet when one of their founding members retired, but the steady trajectory of their success is growing exponentially like some recusant virus. Despite allegations of the band disbanding (which aren’t true), One Direction will take an extended hiatus from touring in 2016. The new album is available for pre-order now.
With an absolutely mind blowing Day 1 under their belt, Phish carried the momentum in stride and coasted gracefully into what was the single best day of Magnaball on Saturday. Delivering four sets, including one unannounced “secret set,” which included almost an hour of free-form jazz infused improv laced with a touch of funk that lasted well into the morning, Phish came out and laid down a more than memorable first set which included a diverse blend of both classic and revamped numbers.
As Phish took the stage for their first set of the second day of the festival the weather and the crowd could not have been better. It seemed as if the majority of the crowd was fairly responsible on Friday night and opted out of late night partying into the sunrise in order to be full force for the marathon day that was Saturday; however, this likely wasn’t the case for everyone. Nonetheless, from where the NYS Music crew was planted, the crowd was in full swing and the energy was at an all time high for the day set.
Walking out on the stage, Phish opened up with “Divided Sky,” the crowd was instantaneously locked into a dancing groove as the range of this song truly captivated the masses. One of the most beautiful live music experiences a fan can have is when they get so lost in their own dance moves – that when they do finally take a peek out of the corner of their eye, they’re embedded in a sea of dancing people locked into a developing wave of unison. That feeling of not being alone is invaluable and that energy is absolutely unparalleled. Take yourself back to some of the highest moments of your life; a sexual encounter, walking across the stage after graduating, landing that big job after a good interview, making a crowded room of people laugh at the same time, etc… None of it can be compared to that feeling of simply belonging as an individual in a crowd of thousands of people all enjoying the same music together.
After the band pushed through their classic staple “Divided Sky” they slammed into “Moma Dance” which whiplashed the crowd into another wave of dancing madness. Mike, Page and Trey each took their turn to step into the spotlight and lead the rest of the band through their own respected numbers as Phish went on to play “Mound”, “Army of One” and “Scabbard.” as well as the stellar “Sample in a Jar” and “Tube” before the band hit a cool down song with “Halfway to the Moon.” Page poured out an abundance of emotion and took his time to work through the core of the song with precision.
As the band was feeling the energy, “Camel Walk” surfaced and a flowing wave of dancing emanated through the crowd; the good people were feeling this song and had the moves to prove it. The new Mike song, “How Many People Are You?” one of many new songs Phish has in their arsenal when they hit the road for their 2015 Summer Tour, made an appearance again after being debuted earlier this summer. The new songs were well received by the fan base as well as the next studio album is sure to be as well.
The sweet and tender cover of “When the Circus Comes” put the entire weekend into retrospect. The place, the people, the crew, the music and the community as a whole were part of this traveling circus and the circus was the place to be. The band stepped in and out of their solos beautifully and even the composed parts of this version spoke volumes.
Closing their set with “Undermind” > “Run Like an Antelope” was full of raw energy simply foreshadowing what was yet to unfold throughout the rest of the day. This was just a small piece of the pie as a whole, but what was witnessed on the first day of Saturday was some top notch Phish and they set the stage for the brilliance of music that was planted firmly on the horizon. As the nightfall came the music only got better. When the lights are turning ‘round, the wheels were rolling on the ground.
How does one describe Saturday’s second set without gushing over the energetic jams? Phish came out for this first night set swinging. The set moved from rocking energy to extended inspired jamming. The audience was on their feet throughout the set, often kept on their toes, not knowing what to expect next.
A powerful “Wolfman’s Brother” kicked off this energetic set. It was followed quickly by the one-two punch of a short, but sweet, “Halley’s Comet” straight into a “46 Days” that starts out raging and morphs into a slower and darker than usual jam. As the jam picked back up, Anastasio patiently incorporated the opening chords of “Backwards Down the Number Line,” bringing about an incredibly smooth transition. The band gave this traditionally standard tune a bit more energy than usual, keeping up with the energy of the earlier songs.
The set was capped by a perfectly combined “Tweezer” and “Prince Caspian.” The “Tweezer,” which seems to have a little more pep than most, goes into an intricate jam, out of which comes a near-perfect segue into “Prince Caspian.” There is little one can say about this “Caspian” other than “WOW!” What is usually a breather song for the set was anything but that this time around. It starts off with far more power than anyone expected and morphs into a nearly 17 minute excursion that almost returns to “Tweezer” before the band keeps the improvisation moving.
The entire set is must-hear Phish, an example of some of the finest playing the band has performed in their current era and one of the best sets of the tour. The “Tweezer” > “Prince Caspian” segment alone is some of the best Phish ever played, with “Caspian” being one of the all time versions of the song.
By the time Saturday night’s set started, mild weariness from a lack of sleep may have set in due to the immense overall fun of Magnaball. That quickly dissipated, thanks to a killer opening section of “Meatstick” > “Blaze On” -> “Possum” > “Cities” > “Light” > “555.” Fresh off that amazing second set closing “Tweezer” > “Prince Caspian,” which, admittedly got the crowd wildly worked up, Phish came out blazing for an incredibly diverse set that featured 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 song choices.
“Meatstick” got the juices flowing with a short and fun solo from Trey. Up next, however, is the jam of the entire festival. And that’s an incredibly tough statement to make amidst a weekend packed with some of the best Phish jamming since — wait for it — 2004.
“Blaze On” has risen quickly up the ranks as the best new song the band has debuted since 2009. It’s almost like Trey is saying, “Hey guys, check it out. Look where we are now, compared to where we were years ago.” The chorus ends with, “You’ve got one life, blaze on,” which seems like an omen to the past, present and future, telling us that these first 32 years were only the beginning.
After some polite psychedelic rambling, the band kicked it into high gear around the 10-minute mark for a major key jam, paced initially by Page’s clavinet, before Trey ramped in with a somewhat haunting lick that takes the jam into a completely different direction. The final two minutes of “Blaze On” are so reminiscent of the Superball “Golden Age,” it’s actually a bit eerie. At times, it even dove into sounding like it was riddled with anxiety, which came right after a calm and uplifting segment. Either way, this jam is a total keeper.
Up next was a straightforward, but always fun take on “Possum.” where the real winner was the hypnotic segue into the decades-old song written by original band member Jeff Holdsworth. This is one hell of a segue and a must-hear for every fan. “Cities” was next, and for a minute, this was going to go the way of Philly’s jam on August 11, but it ended up sounding like a bit of a reprise of the “Blaze On” jam.
“Light” was fun for nearly 16 minutes, but it doesn’t stand out among the behemoths of Magnaball. A fun segue into the Mike Gordon-penned funk song “555” seemed a bit out of place coming out of the space “Light” left behind. “Wading in the Velvet Sea” slowed things down even more, but it was well played, especially for a Phish festival.
Closing out the set was a personal favorite, “Walls of the Cave.” While this version doesn’t stand out much on the radar, it was executed perfectly, with Trey building tension throughout the jam, before bringing the song to a raucous close. A “Boogie On Reggae Woman” and “Tweezer Reprise” encore put a cap to an almost perfect Phish set, the latter bringing the crowd into a swirling frenzy.
Set 1: Divided Sky, The Moma Dance > Mound, Army of One, Scabbard > Sample in a Jar, Tube, Halfway to the Moon, Camel Walk, How Many People Are You, When the Circus Comes, Undermind > Run Like an Antelope
Set 2: Wolfman’s Brother, Halley’s Comet > 46 Days -> Backwards Down the Number Line > Tweezer > Prince Caspian*
Set 3: Meatstick > Blaze On -> Possum > Cities > Light > 555, Wading in the Velvet Sea > Walls of the Cave
Encore: Boogie On Reggae Woman > Tweezer Reprise
*Unfinished.
Notes: Caspian included a Tweezer tease and was unfinished. Cities contained a Mind Left Body Jam tease.
Ornette Coleman passed away on Thursday, June 11 in Manhattan at the age of 85 as a result of cardiac arrest.
Coleman helped shape the jazz genre with his rich, mournful tone in the late 1950s. Coleman broke away from a traditional rhythmic jazz structure and showcased his talent through powerful solos fueled by improvisation. The New York Times praises him as “one of the most powerful and contentious innovators in the history of jazz.”
The Pulitzer-Prize winning jazz saxophonist exploded on the scene with the release of his debut album, Something Else!!!!, in 1958. His unorthodox approach to the music eventually helped shape an entire genre. By 1959 Coleman released his masterpiece, The Shape of Jazz to Come, which showcased a full on avant-gard approach and opened up any predetermined structure of the music to overflow with improvisation at any given moment.
Coleman continued to influence many different genres and had a profound impact on Jerry Garcia from the Grateful Dead. According to an interview with Rolling Stone, Garcia stated:
“His playing has a real purity about it, a real beauty. I think it’s very accessible. But the setting against which it occurs is real dense. Ornette’s music is strangely simple and difficult at the same time. The notes are not difficult. But the harmonic relationships that linger behind them are really deep.”
Garcia even contributed for three tracks on Coleman’s 1989 album Virgin Beauty. Coleman leaves behind a celebrated legacy as an essential architect to such a beloved genre.
Dank (formerly Dank Sinatra) are currently touring in support of their most recent self-titled release Dank, which was released in early February 2015. Currently, the band is touring heavily through the south and spreading their new music across to a vast array of new audiences.
The new album marks a new level of maturity and musical craftsmanship as the band has dipped into new terrain featuring a plethora of new age synth space effects. Staying true to their roots, the band demonstrates plenty of intense guitar solos wrapped around their powerful lyrics. Dank are products of the south and their music is inspired with deep southern rock and roll roots. Hailing from Atlanta, Dank works well at crafting clever melodies around catchy hooks while still leaving so much to be explored.
Opening up with “Crash The Door” the band is patient letting an ambient sound build and develop before dropping into an upbeat and moving groove. The simplicity behind the music and the soft drumming makes way for the lyrics to make a solid impact. The energy is very much alive as the band powers through the last part of the song with precision. The first track on the album is a great example of the band’s fearlessness approach to trying something different. With great musical risks comes a great reward and “Crash The Door” is a great example of the band successfully breaking through to something different and unique.
Continuing with the upbeat tone of the first track, Dank pushes on with “Nobody Home” which showcases the intricacy between Jimmy Bones and Joe Gaines on guitar. “Gold Blues” is where the band’s southern chops out in a thick and gritty blues time signature. Matt Henderson really shines on the keys and wastes no time opening the music up. The album is full of highlights but one of the best compositions Dank has to offer is a number called “80’s Dude.” The music flows very well and keeps a consistent tone before it drops off at about two and half minutes in. The band breaks through with a deep exploration of a synth-based jam, which features Josh Birmingham commanding the drum kit before the vocals come back in.
It seems a commanding force is driving the band and their willingness to explore new terrain will surely translate in the live atmosphere. With gigs booked through the end of March, Dank will continue to spread their unique musical vision across the south and the southeast.
Key Tracks: “80’s Dude,” “Gold Blues,” “Crash The Door”
Check out an incredible pro-shot version of “Gold Blues” here.
Dopapod are gearing up for what appears to be their biggest year yet and the band has finalized their dates for the spring of 2015. Touring in support of their most recent release Never Odd Or Even, Dopapod will spread their music to the masses beginning in the south, moving up the mid west, crossing the border into Canada and working their way down through new england to a string of dates on the east coast.
Moving into 2015 the band has already confirmed appearances at large festivals such as Bonnaroo and Wakarusa as well as a triumphant return to AURA in Live Oak, Florida. Currently Dopapod is set to the stage in State College, Pennsylvania on February 25th before heading to upstate New York and eventually making their way through southern states en route to AURA before their spring tour kicks off in the big easy in March.
2/25 Levels – State College, PA
2/26 Tralf Music Hall – Buffalo, NY
2/27 Madison Theater – Covington, KY
2/28 Mercy Lounge – Nashville, TN
3/1 The Concourse – Knoxville, TN
3/3 The Blind Tiger – Greensboro, NC
3/4 Gottrocks – Greenville, SC
3/5&6 AURA Music Festival – Live Oak, FL
3/26 Howlin’ Wolf – New Orleans, LA
3/27 Last Concert Cafe – Houston, TX
3/28 Head For the Hills Festival – Kerrville, TX
3/31 George’s Majestic – Fayeteville, AR
4/1 The Bottleneck – Lawrence, KS
4/2 Rose Music Hall – Columbia, MO
4/3 Waiting Room – Omaha, NE
4/4 7th Street Entry – Minneapolis, MN
4/5 Mirimar Theatre – Milwaukee, MI
4/8 The Stache – Grand Rapids, MI
4/9 The Bluebird – Bloomington, IN
4/10 Park Street Saloon – Columbus, OH
4/11 Beachland Ballroom – Cleveland, OH
4/12 Lee’s Palace – Toronto, ON
4/15 Wescott Theater – Syracuse, NY
4/16 Pearl Street Ballroom – Northampton, MA
4/17-19 The Sinclair – Boston, MA
4/21 Chameleon Club – Lancaster, PA
4/22 The Southern Cafe – Charlottesville, VA
4/23 Hamilton Theatre – Washington, DC
4/24&25 Brooklyn Bowl – Brooklyn, NY
6/11-14 Bonnaroo – Manchester, TN
In wake of recent controversy surrounding the name ‘Cosby’ the band formally known as Cosby Sweater has officially changed their name to Turbo Suit as of January 2015.
Along with the name change, the band has also announced a new album titled Out There which will feature guests from Umphrey’s McGee, Trey Anastasio Band and Digital Tape Machine. Turbo Suit is gearing up to hit the road in support of their new album beginning on January 14 with dates already booked spanning through May.
Turbo Suit also released an official video explaining the name change, the new record and the band’s direction in 2015 when they were in Chicago at the Concord Music Hall supporting the Disco Biscuits.
Produced by Pete Mason, founder of PhanArt, owner and Publisher of NYS Music and author of PhanArt: The Art of the Fans of Phish, PhanArt exhibitions have been held in Atlantic City, Chicago, Las Vegas, Miami and Philadelphia since 2013 and represent a continued effort to promote and exhibit original and unique concert art, posters, pins, apparel, stickers and much more from a wide variety of artists.
The Pulitzer-Prize winning jazz saxophonist exploded on the scene with the release of his debut album, Something Else!!!!, in 1958. His unorthodox approach to the music eventually helped shape an entire genre. By 1959 Coleman released his masterpiece, The Shape of Jazz to Come, which showcased a full on avant-gard approach and opened up any predetermined structure of the music to overflow with improvisation at any given moment.