NYS Music 20​15

Category: Show Reviews

  • Lee Terrace and Steep Stepped it Up for Farewell Show

    Progressive rock groups Steep and Lee Terrace may not be familiar names to many, but they left a hearty impression on the calm and collected crowd Friday August 28 at the Westcott Theater.

    Steep was up first, with guitarist Dylan Lundgren front and center sporting a lime green guitar and infectious smile, full of pep as he intermittently bopped his head in beat with the music. After their first song concluded, Jack Jarvis, drumsticks in hand, offered the sparse crowd a small witticism, “One fish in a tank says to the other, ‘How do you drive this thing?’” Those not clustered around the makeshift beer keg tables in deep conversation happily chuckled in response.

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    Steep declared their next track, “Brain Fuel,” a dance tune, but the night was too young and most attendees weren’t loose enough to get their feet moving quite yet. “Brain Fuel’s” dynamic ebb and flow faded between genres, beginning as a moderate tempo rock jam before mellowing out into a jazzy breakdown where Elliot Jarvis’ metallic bass parts slyly hinted at the Seinfeld theme song, before the song intensified toward fast-paced rock.

    As Steep finished their set, the crowd had filled in considerably, largely composed of a more mature demographic, the type that stand solidly in place and mindfully contemplate the instrumentation rather than dance like wild banshees near the front. A crew of four grey-haired audience members had camped out in matching green lawn chairs, just a half a shade off from Lundgren’s guitar hue. A few young rogue dancers did have a mind for letting loose and flailing freely to the music, and luckily for them the entire front half of the room was open for them to flit and bounce at will. The rest of the crowd clung to shadows, observing with keen eyes.

    Fellow Futurama fans may have glimpsed the Zoidberg figurine resting pensively atop the amp next to the drum kit as members of Lee Terrace took the stage. Exposing a small glimmer of their inner nerdiness, the potent jam that quickly blossomed from the group of five musicians heightened their “cool factor” as obviously talented musicians and science fiction sitcom aficionados.

    Playing a mix of originals and covers, a rendition of MGMT’s “Electric Feel,” sung by bassist Michael Sloan, appealed to younger attendees. Front man Kevin Metzger entertained the crowd with an anecdotal explanation detailing the origin of the title “Goldie’s Song,” and publicly exposing the time his father took the family cat to the vet and couldn’t recall it’s name. Bringing vocalist Nina Pelligra on stage to cover Led Zeppelin’s “The Song Remains the Same” created an exhilarating rendition worthy of a rambunctious round of applause at the end. Saxophonist August Cook and trumpeter Nick Coggiola and percussion accompanist Jon Kane enhanced a string of Michael Jackson covers including “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough,” “Billie Jean” and “Thriller,” which energized the room before Lee Terrace polished off their set with a crisp performance of their title track, “Deep Blue.” And for the encore? How about Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs.” Yeah, it was a great night.

  • Shadows Fall Kicks Off Special Reunion Tour At Upstate Concert Hall

    On Friday August 21st, Shadows Fall kicked off their special three date tour at Upstate Concert Hall. Just one year prior to this run, Shadows Fall announced they would be going on a hiatus from touring. With busy schedules and other commitments it didn’t seem like the members of Shadows Fall would be able to play any shows for a long time. Well, the planets aligned and everyone was available to do a special mini tour.

    Shadows Fall

    Fans got to the venue early and eagerly waited to see Brian, Jason, Paul, Jon and Matt all take the stage together again. Starting around 10:30pm, Shadows Fall showed no signs that they ever stopped playing together. Fans could easily tell that this group of guys just click together naturally. Although most of the band is still very active in the music world, they definitely don’t have the time to play their Shadows Fall songs on a weekly basis. That being said, the band was spot on from the opening note of the night.

    Shadows Fall
    Brian Fair (left) and Jonathan Donais (right) of Shadows Fall

    As promised, Shadows Fall played a set filled with songs deep from their catalog. The band hit six different albums including Threads Of Life, Fire From The Sky, Retribution, Of One Blood, The War Within and The Art Of Balance. The energy didn’t stop at all throughout the 18-song set the band ripped through. That energy from the band poured right into the crowd, fueling the circle pits that were going all night. With no barrier between the crowd and the stage, fans were able to hop onto the stage and stage-dive into the crowd. The night ended with “The Light That Blinds” which only left the crowd wanting more. Afterwards, fans stuck around to thank the band for coming back to do this show. Each member of the band took time to hang out, take pictures and sign autographs for everyone.

    Shadows Fall
    Singer Brian Fair Of Shadows Fall

    After their show at Upstate Concert Hall, Shadows Fall played a show in Providence, RI and then ended the tour in Lowell, MA. The shows were definitely a special treat to fans who thought they had seen the last of the band. First-timers who got to see a show on this tour got to find out first hand what they had missed for the last 15-years or so.

    Setlist from Setlist.fm – The Power Of I And I, What Drives The Weak, Destroyer of Senses, Weight Of The World, Still I Rise, Redemption, A Fire In Babylon, A Public Execution, Crushing Belial, The First Noble Truth, Stepping Outside The Circle, King Of Nothing, Inspiration On Demand, Thoughts Without Words, Of One Blood, The Light That Blinds

    To keep up to date with Shadows Fall and it’s members, be sure to like and follow their Facebook Page.

  • Show Number One: Chicago and Earth, Wind & Fire at SPAC, August 29

    After years of radio play and later, jam band covers from the extensive catalog of both bands, I was finally able to see Chicago and Earth, Wind & Fire. Performing together and separately at Saratoga Performing Arts Center on Saturday, August 29.

    chicago earth wind fireI am still surprised that I hadn’t seen either of them in the past, but a co-bill for the two bands that presented the bands in a ‘Don’t worry, you won’t miss a moment’ manner was as ideal as you can get for a late summer show at SPAC. The audience filled nearly every inch of the SPAC lawn with chairs for an incredible night of ’70s and ’80s funk and soul. Here’s my take on my first time seeing Chicago and Earth, Wind & Fire.

    • Both bands came out at the start of the night together singing “Got to Get You Out of My Mind” by The Beatles.
    • Incredibly, and despite having 20+ musicians on stage, you can hear the sound clear as day. Great mix.
    • Bassist Verdine White from Earth, Wind & Fire asked “Is there a Chicago/Earth, Wind & Fire dance party in the house?” and it was too cheesy to not laugh.
    • Heavy ’70s soul groove with these two bands on the stage. You figure they had to share bills together back in the Nixon/Ford/Carter years.
    • The stage is symmetrical with pianos, drums and horns spread out evenly – not a bad angle in the house.
    • When Robert Lamm said “We had no idea we would be around this long,” I nodded my head in agreement. It’s even more surprisingly the band has toured every single year since they first formed.
    • “Boogie Wonderland” – people were dancing or sitting – they couldn’t figure out what to do. Regardless, Earth, Wind & Fire was the set to dance to.
    • After a few tunes, and knowing they had to be saving “Shining Star” and “September” for the encore, I realized I do not know much Earth, Wind & Fire and need to go through the full catalog soon.
    • A solid mix of live footage and photos from the past were seen on the video screen throughout the set.
    • The SPAC lawn was not that bad. Phish fans, myself included, complain about the sound on the lawn. Definitely not an issue tonight. I regretted not bringing earplugs.
    • Band intros went on for a while, then they introduced the three original members of the band, Philip Bailey, Maurice White and Ralph Johnson.
    • I know these songs, but not the titles, the result of years of casual radio play.
    • Maurice can hit some HIGH notes!
    • “Let’s Groove” was a perfect closer
    • After a short set break, I realized I hadn’t been to SPAC with both my parents, ever. Last time I was here with my mom, I saw Huey Lewis and the News in 1989.
    • “I’m so happy that you love me.” Sometimes, the song titles just write themselves.
    • I’d estimate that half of this crowd had Chicago and/or Earth, Wind & Fire songs as their wedding reception music.
    • Hell, half of this crowd had to make out/get laid to any of these songs. This is baby-making music for Boomers.
    • “You’re the Inspiration” is such a dad rock song, if dad is serenading mom.
    • Chicago covers “I’m a Man” by Spencer Davis Group. One of my favorite all time rock songs and it has had a second life this whole time. This is awesome. If I wasn’t a Chicago fan before.
    • The drums section in “I’m a Man” was unexpected and impressive. This provided a perfect counterbalance to the overly mellow “Inspiration.”
    • I have my mom’s copy of Chicago Transit Authority and she’s not getting it back.
    • “Street Player” is a damn fine and energetic disco era song. Someone start covering this, please.
    • Some of these songs do sound the same when played in succession. “Hard to Say I’m Sorry” is the spring from which all others grow.
    • People are snuggling. This is cute.
    • “Saturday Night in the Park,” was pretty spot on for being in Saratoga Spa State Park on a Saturday night. It’s like they were waiting all week to sing it here.
    • Random pockets of dancing popped up throughout the crowd intermittently for Chicago, a band best enjoyed from a seat.
    • No matter the song, someone in the crowd knew it and sang along. We all sang along at some point.
    • “September” and “Sing a Song” started the final songs of the night, getting everyone back up again.
    • “Does Anybody Really Know What Time it is?” was sweet and preceded “Shining Star”, leaving enough time for…
    • “25 or 6 to 4” – I have loved this song since first listen when I was maybe 12 or so. It might be the first time I ever heard it played live, outside of a high school holiday concert in 2005. Beyond that, only teases from jam bands. Hearing this live was a treat.
    • I need to get Chicago and Earth, Wind & Fire back into my life – two fantastic bands crossed off the list.

  • Funky Jam Benefit Party Presents Mixture of Talent to an Intimate Crowd

    Funky Jam at the Westcott Theater Friday August 14 saw the Syracuse music locale transform into a collaborative art space of opportunity for local crafters and musicians.

    Painter Yegor Mikushkin planned the benefit show to raise money for supplies to execute a mural on the outer rear brick wall of the theater. The dark inner walls of the theater were brought to life with an array of Mikushkin’s vivid paintings, which were scattered throughout the 700-person venue. The tall canvases stood sentry, attesting to the skill and aesthetic the painter will be bringing to the mural, while also daring attendees to splurge and take home a Mikushkin original. Other crafters also sold their wares, including screen printed t-shirts, paper lamps and art books.

    Photo courtesy of Jonathan Pankau
    Photo courtesy of Jonathan Pankau

    To give the audience a taste of Mikushkin’s work style, he live painted a canvas on stage with help from fellow painter and musician Sara Potocsny, while local musicians serenaded the unfavorably sparse crowd composed primarily of friends and family. The stage supported various acts of artistic expression including performances by musicians Phil Grajko, of Grayak, Morning Sun and the Essentials and Root SHOCK, Jessica Brown of Root SHOCK, Christopher Woods of Root SHOCK and The Sauce, drummers Tyler Dattmore and Adam Ast, guitarist Chris Chiesa, violist Sara Potocsny, DJ Leonard Adams, Jamie Knittel of The New Daze, and freestyle vocals of Eric Dwyre. An on stage devil stick demonstration by local artist Breeze tied into the tangle of performers who came out to support Mikushkin’s cause.

    Photo courtesy of Jonathan Pankau
    Photo courtesy of Jonathan Pankau

    Even in a room replete with talent, some of the musical collaborations were disjointed. Musicians who have played together before, including Grajko, Brown and Woods, were able to deliver a more cohesive and satisfying performance. Grajko, performing several songs he has recorded with different bands, relied on Tyler Dattmore’s percussion skills on the cajon to backup a stripped down version of Grayak’s “Have a Beautiful Now,” which traditionally incorporates a more diverse accompaniment including elegant fiddle and upright bass parts.  Mid-song, Grajko and Dattmore transitioned to a rendition of Morning Sun and the Essential’s uplifting number, “Love Agenda” before seamlessly returning back to “Have a Beautiful Now.”

    Photo courtesy of Jonathan Pankau
    Photo courtesy of Jonathan Pankau

    As the song title, “Have a Beautiful Now” suggests, audience members and performers alike, all whom have personal ties to Mikushkin, relished in the splendor of the evening, soaking up the joy of filling the Westcott Theater with love and beauty, even in lieu of a small turnout.

  • Van Halen Kicks Off Second Leg Of Tour At Darien Lake

    When news broke Sunday, August 23, that Van Halen had canceled their show at Hershey Park in Hershey, PA, fans must have been thinking to themselves “not again.” The official kick off to the second leg of Van Halen’s massive North American tour had been canceled due to singer, David Lee Roth, having the flu. With doctors orders canceling the show at Hershey Park, fans took to social media to express their concerns about the rest of the upcoming shows.

    To the delight of everyone who was planning on going to any of the shows afterwards, Van Halen said the tour would be going on as planned and no other shows would be canceled. With that great news from the band, fans at Darien Lake prepared to welcome Van Halen for their new official start to the second half of their tour.

    van halenOn Tuesday August 25, fans lined up early in front of the gates at Darien Lake Performing Arts Center with much excitement. While some fans waited in line on the chilly August day, others took to the park to help ease the excitement. Throughout the park, families could be seen wearing their favorite Van Halen memorabilia such as shirts and shoes. Concert goers inside the theme park seemed to cover many generations. Walking through the theme park, there were young children ready to see guitar icon, Eddie Van Halen, take the stage for what would probably be their first time. Teenagers were all around the park in their own groups sporting their classic VH shirts. Most of all, the parents who grew up listening to classic Van Halen albums such as Van Halen, Van Halen II, 1984, etc. were ready to see Van Halen for what would probably be their last time at Darien Lake.

    The show started out just prior to 7:30 with the Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band. Most of the crowd seemed to be well aware of who Kenny Wayne Shepherd was. This blues guitar icon certainly came to impress and show off his guitar skills. Teaching himself guitar from the early age of 7, Kenny Wayne Shepherd could definitely give Eddie a run for his money. Backing up Kenny, was an all-star lineup of musicians who have played with some of the best in the world. Vocals duties for the band were handled by Noah Hunt, who had an outstanding voice to say the least. Bass player Tony Franklin was introduced to the crowd as a guy who had played with a band called, The Firm. For those who aren’t aware, The Firm consisted of Paul Rodgers of Bad Company and Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin. If that wasn’t enough, the drummer for the Kenny Wayne Shepherd band, Chris Layton, played with Stevie Ray Vaughan. Finishing off the lineup was keyboard player Riley Osborun, who had played alongside Willie Nelson. Together, these guys put on an incredible opening show. The set was ended with a stellar cover of Jimi Hendrix’s “Voodoo Child,” that left the crowd standing on their feet cheering.

    Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band
    Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band

    After Kenny Wayne Shepherd exited the stage, every seat that was once empty inside had a new face standing in front of it. By this time of the night, everyone knew they were finally going to see Van Halen and there would be no cancellations. Alex Van Halen kicked off the show standing up at his drum kit welcoming fans, while his brother Eddie and Eddie’s son Wolfgang started the night off with “Light Up The Sky” from Van Halen II. Within seconds later, singer David Lee Roth came out on stage with all smiles.

    Playing 23 songs from 7 different albums, Van Halen surely had enough to please everyone. From the new material, all the way back to the very beginning, Van Halen made sure to hit the songs everyone was there to hear. Fans got to hear classics such as “Runnin’ With The Devil,” “Everybody Wants Some,” “Dance The Night Away” and more. Alex Van Halen handled the drum kit better than any other 62-year-old probably could. Eddie’s son Wolfgang, who now handles bass duties, was simply amazing. Some people may think that Wolfgang doesn’t deserve to be in Van Halen just because of his dad, but he certainly proved it at Darien Lake. To go along with his excellent playing, Wolfgang handles the harmony backup vocals with ease. There’s no denying that Wolf, who’s only 24-years-old, has incredible amounts of musical talent. For those who don’t know Wolfgang is also the bass player for Mark Tremonti’s solo band when he’s not busy playing alongside dad.

    David Lee Roth

    Throughout the show, Eddie Van Halen showed why he’s considered one of the greatest guitar players of all time. Watching Eddie play songs from as far back as 1978 with no trouble at all left people mesmerized. Most of the time as bands age, the live show lacks what it once had. Guitar players get sloppy over time and improvise parts of songs they can’t play live anymore. This wasn’t the case for EVH. Eddie cruised through the entire setlist making it look easy. When it was time for Eddie to take the stage for his solo, he chose to toss in some licks from other Van Halen songs before playing “Eruption”. Most guitar solos can get boring quickly, but Eddie Van Halen is one guitar player that will never bore a crowd.

    David Lee Roth, who was battling the flu, showed no signs of being ill on Tuesday night. DLR who’s been back with Van Halen since 2007 now, put on an unforgettable performance. While smiling all night and having fun on stage, David made sure the crowd was having just as much fun as him. There aren’t many performers who are as comfortable as Roth is on stage. For instance, not many performers can forget lyrics to a song like Roth can and still go with the flow. Many times throughout the set, David Lee Roth would admit he forgot a line and just laugh it off while giving Eddie and Wolf a head nod who would bail him out. Typically a crowd would be disappointed with such a vocal performance, but the overall show makes up for the mistakes. Many reviews online talk about how DLR lacks the vocal ability now, just like many other singers from his era. It’s true that Roth struggles at times, but Eddie and Wolfgang save the day. Together, the 3 of them take care of business and put on one hell of a performance no one could ever forget.

    Van HalenAs expected, Van Halen ended the night with “Panama” and “Jump” leaving the crowd feeling like they just went back in time. Luckily for fans at Darien Lake, they didn’t have the same fate fans at Hershey Park had on Sunday. Van Halen continues their tour of North America throughout the month of September and has its final stop at the Hollywood Bowl, in Hollywood, California on Friday, October 2nd. Fans interested in catching Van Halen again before the tour ends can find all the dates and ticket information here.

    Setlist: Light Up The Sky, Runnin’ With The Devil, Romeo Delight, Everybody Wants Some, Drop Dead Legs, Feel Your Love Tonight, Somebody Get Me A Doctor, She’s The Woman, Chinatown, I’ll Wait, Drum Solo, Little Guitars, Dance The Night Away, Beautiful Girls, Women In Love, Hot For Teacher, In A Simple Rhyme (Growth), Dirty Movies, Ice Cream Man, Unchained, Ain’t Talkin About Love, Guitar Solo, You Really Got Me, Panama, Jump

    van halen
    Eddie And Wolfgang Van Halen

  • Darius Rucker Brings Southern Style to Metropolitan Buffalo

    Not many bands are worth fighting the traffic to get to the Darien Lake Performing Arts Center. But Friday night was worth the battle when Darius Rucker performed to a nearly sold out crowd.

    Rucker, on tour promoting his newest CD “Southern Style,” opened his set with “Lighter Up,” Strapping on his guitar, Rucker said, “Let’s go old school,” and played “Time.” Here and there he added “Only Wanna Be With You,” “Hold My Hand” and “Let Her Cry” from his Hootie and the Blowfish days, which the audience loved.DSC_6507

    Rucker played covers of Blackstreet’s “No Diggity,” which the set could have done without. A highlight came when Rucker had the Brothers Osborne and Brett Eldredge, his opening acts, join him on stage for a rendition of “Hold My Hand.”

    Rucker ended his set with the upbeat “Homegrown Honey,” with shadows of a cornfield projected on the backdrop. For part of his encore, he performed “Wagon Wheel” and had the whole crowd sing the last verse.

    The opening act was the Thousand Horses has a country rock vibe to them. They were heating up an already warm night when they sang their rising single “Smoke” to a packed amphitheater.

    Brothers Osborne. Their music, while country, has a certain air that gives it a more modern feel thanks to the guitar playing by brother John Osborne — most definitely a talented musician — with brother TJ at the vocals.DSC_6647

    Following was Brett Eldredge, another up-and-coming country singer. Performing his “Lose My Mind,” Eldredge had the crowd on their feet and rocking out and, perhaps, making some of the women lose their minds.

    This concert brought many genres of people under one roof. That night we all came together as one and enjoyed a night filled with country rock and roll and rising stars that one day will be headlining

    [FinalTilesGallery id=’389′]

  • Phish Magnaball Day 3: Your Magna Trip is Short

    Many Magnaball attendees were foggy rather groggy Sunday morning after an epic Saturday of music, so it was good that fans had all day to recover and gather their strength for a final night of revelry with Phish.

    Sunday’s show started out with a cheer as fans recognized the opening chords to “Punch You in the Eye.” That segued into a rarity, “Buffalo Bill.” The song hasn’t been played since Ohio in June 2012 and the set continued with “A Song I Heard the Ocean Sing,” then “Limb By Limb,” which featured a jam that built to a quick payoff. The melancholy “Waiting All Night” moved into “Theme From the Bottom,” with a beautifully melodic breakdown in the middle. That transitioned into “Maze,” the only song of the night off Rift, the album released on vinyl for the first time the previous day. “Maze” built to a frightening frenzy multiple times before breaking back into the dark, sparse end section.

    phish magnaball

    The mood lightened with the lyric-heavy “The Line” while “Stash” got everyone dancing with a jam that included some great guitar/bass interplay and piano builds. “Reba”’s nonsensical recipe for disaster was super fun, as always.

    phish magnaball

    Band members then sang “I Didn’t Know,” until Trey asked the Little Beast Boy (Fishman) to come forward and play the vacuum and “suck love” at a long list of people Trey read off that the band wanted to thank, ranging from the band’s crew and staff to local officials. The set finished off with a high-energy version of “Character Zero” that left the crowd hungry for more.

    phish magnaball

    A loud appreciative roar from the crowd accompanied the opening audio segment of “Martian Monster” whose words of blasting off on a voyage of discovery undoubtedly rang so true for so many at Magnaball. An energized but fairly standard jam soon followed before the music shifted towards ambient spacey tones and, soon after, the opening bass notes of “Down with Disease.” As they’ve done regularly this summer, Phish stretched out a second set “Disease” jam into a beautiful one that started out with a slow ambient groove that slowly and surely evolved into a raging rock and roll blissed out jam.

    After reaching an apex and stagnating for a few minutes, the music shifted seamlessly into a far less common song of late, “Scents and Subtle Sounds.” Although not played with the full intro section as it was in Philadelphia two weeks prior, this newly revived 2.0 gem ushered in a new wave of beautiful improvisational rock with standout fills from Page on piano and Trey repeating some soaring and beautifully dissonant chords on guitar. The short and power packed jam was not even finished yet as the opening chords to another rarity, “What’s the Use?” started up with Fishman still singing along to a petering out “Scents and Subtle Sounds.” This along with “Dirt” that followed seemed to serve as a chance for everyone to conserve some energy for the stretch run and for some to cross some rarer songs off their lists.

    The final leg of a magical weekend began with a “Mike’s Song” that was played to perfection with Page again shining on the clavinet and Trey unleashing a relentless attach of high octave shock waves courtesy of the Echoplex. While some held their breath for another go round of the second Mike’s jam, instead, the group launched right into “Fuego” which brought its signature brand of powerhouse rock to the second set. While the composed section was run through perfectly, it was a fairly short version with no jam as the music immediately shifted gears into “Twist.” One of the true MVPs of this summer tour, “Twist” featured some of the more improvisational moments of the second set as a quick run through of the composed section gave way to a nifty guitar and bass breakdown between Trey and Mike. A quick blues based jam with the whole band involved soon followed which escalated into yet another full on rock barrage replete with “Immigrant Song” vocal teases from Trey and Fishman. Although it may not have been as stretched out or as epic as previous summer “Twist’s,” this version served as a clear example of how effortlessly the band can shift from one musical mode to another. The customary “Weekapaug Groove” that followed was also a prime example of this as some light-hearted toying around with the song’s tempo towards the end of the jam gave way to a reemergence of “Martian Monster” and all the audio samples that come along with it. If it was the band’s intention to pack as much different music and madness as they could into a short “Mike’s Groove,” then they succeeded most admirably.

    phish magnaball

    A show and a weekend like this one could only have one fitting encore and the group’s seminal classic “You Enjoy Myself” fit that bill. This final musical sendoff gave Phish one last chance to delight the crowd with its mastery of ambient noise, blissful cohesiveness, trampolines and vocal jamming. At its completion, a majestic fireworks display went off to the right of the stage that left revelers with minds blown and mouths agape. It served as both the final page of a fantastic and memorable Magnaball and the initial call to arms for those fortunate fans ending the summer tour with the annual summer ending party in Colorado in two weeks.

    Setlist via Phish.net

    Set 1: Punch You in the Eye > Buffalo Bill, A Song I Heard the Ocean Sing > Limb By Limb, Waiting All Night > Theme From the Bottom > Maze, The Line, Stash, Reba, I Didn’t Know[1], Character Zero

    Set 2: Martian Monster > Down with Disease[2] -> Scents and Subtle Sounds[3] -> What’s the Use? > Dirt > Mike’s Song > Fuego > Twist -> Weekapaug Groove[2] -> Martian Monster

    Encore: You Enjoy Myself

    [1] Trey thanked the crew, production staff and local officials.
    [2] Unfinished.
    [3] No intro.

  • Magnaball Drive-In Jam: Phish treat fans to an audio-visual Odyssey

    Phish has surprised their fans with special, unannounced sets at many of their festivals in the past 19 years. At The Clifford Ball, a flatbed truck drove the band around while they jammed. During The Great Went, the band DJ’d under fake names in a tent for a “Disco Set.” The Lemonwheel featured an hour long ambient set late at night, while Big Cypress had slightly-announced ‘Midnight set’ where the band played for seven hours straight, stretching from the end of the last millennium into the dawn of the new one. IT had The Tower Jam, with the band performing on an air traffic control tower while acrobats danced below and Superball IX had the ‘Storage Jam,’ which sparked a new era of psychedelic jamming and broke new ground. The Drive-In Jam would join all these in the annals of Phish lore.

    Via unpluggedmusings.wordpress.com

    Magnaball’s foray into the history of Phish’s special festival sets was the Drive-In Jam and it raised the bar while putting forth a performance on par with the ‘Storage Jam,’ if not exceeded this established upper echelon of improvisation. On a 183 foot movie screen, a wide array of visual treats combined with a progressively growing ambient jam that eclipsed the Lemonwheel by a longshot and morphed into a full on jam for 50 minutes. The Drive-in Set raised the bar for surprise performances and gave fans a treat after the music on the main stage ended an hour prior.

    How can one explain what happened in those 50 minutes and the lead up to the Drive-in Jam performance? For starters, you can watch the video captured by Phun Guy and judge for yourself what transpired. Add to this a breakdown of what occurred in each ‘segment’ of the Drive-In jam and take a waltz through Phish at the top of their game, more than 30 years into their career.

    Breakdown of the Drive-In Set (times are approximate, based on Live Phish recording time.)

    0:00 – 8:10
    Gentle, airy, spooky feedback with the sound of chains and haunted house noises – a psychedelic Chilling, Thrilling Sounds of the Haunted House. Screams and chimes ala “Dance of the Sugarplum Fairies” build on the cosmic sound that develops from the first portion of the jam.

    8:10 – 10:30
    Waves and a few bass notes from Mike redirect the jam to fresh territory, an ocean-sound-scape, where some light vocals accompany the developing music.

    Phish drive-in

    10:30 – 12:30
    Trey takes a lead and Fishman is more prevalent in the mix, building towards a jam that could be a Type II jam of any song from this summer – the epic jams we experienced are found within this portion. All four are synced up now.

    12:30 – 15:30
    Trey jumps ahead with some arcing riffs while Fish works the crash cymbals loudly. Page is the captain here – guiding the band into the grandiose trip through an ambient wormhole. Trey keeps jumping ahead at times, short leaps that propel the jam with the rhythm section building upon already fertile ground.

    15:30 – 17:30
    Mike brings the bass to the fore and now we have a change in the tone – deeper and weirder. Trey pops in with some lighter notes while Page adds in UFO sounds to freak people out. The visual display at this time was practically a trip through an episode of Cosmos, minus Neil DeGrasse Tyson’s narrating.

    Phish drive-in

    17:30 – 22:30
    And here comes Fishman! The pace picks up a bit as Mike and Fish are going double time and leaving the ambiance behind. Trey and Page follow suit and we have lift-off. This section of the jam is quite remarkable for the build and peaks throughout the ascent. This is a hyper-space jump via ludicrous speed. Fish doesn’t let up on the drums for a second and Trey gets a little nasty towards the end here.

    22:30 – 24:00
    Trey wants to get weird, so Mike gets into a new bass groove. A jam that could be found in an odd version of “Catapult” grows while Page adds in some subtle screams; the build is tremendous here. Closeup fractal imagery of the band is seen over the rest of the crazy visual effects.

    Phish drive-in

    24:00 – 27:00
    Fish returns the jam to earth’s orbit. The mild funk that develops thankfully doesn’t fizzle or fade but instead grows into a new jam, one working in deep bass from Mike and spacey Page effects. The jam collapses in a collective heap of Trey and Page.

    27:00 – 29:00
    Bells, looping and synth arise and slowly rebuild the jam. Fish pounds the drums to redirect and we’re off once again!

    29:00 – 32:00
    With a solar array lighting the screen, another Type II-esque jam develops, eliciting a portion of “Cheap Sunglasses” followed by a vocal jam from Mike and Trey. This is a freaky portion of the entire jam and fodder for future late night Freakouts by The Bunny.

    32:00 – 34:30
    Some meatballs from Mike as Trey slowly paces forward and new territory being broken in a disjointed area where they slowly reconvene.

     

    Magna late night #magnaball

    A photo posted by NYS Music (@nystatemusic) on

    34:30 – 37:00
    Trey takes over and we have all four dialed back in. A blissful jam emerges. The visuals of the band projected on the screen are more solid and animated with a touch of tripped out A-Ha.

    37:00 – 40:00
    As this jam builds it develops into a nearly composed portion that would be a treat to hear again live. Mike and Fish steer the ship while Trey leads the way and Page sets the tone for the jam – it’s hard to hear this jam and not recoil in amazement.

    40:00 – 43:20
    This just keeps getting better and better. Page is now leading the way with Trey and Fish creating interplay for a broader jam to develop that adds layers to the already existing jam – a meta jam. ‘Whoa’ vocals emerge midway through then Trey takes command.

    43:20 – 45:30
    Trey moves the jam into final section territory, a possibly composed portion of accelerated guitar work to signal a shift, which the others follow perfectly. The jam mellows a bit without flatlining; instead Page adds some synth effects to provide a base.

    45:30 – 46:30
    We come towards the close of the Drive-in Jam, all four slowly winding down the jam until it is just a series of beats and feedback played behind the screen.

     

    Drive In set #phish #magnaball A video posted by NYS Music (@nystatemusic) on

    46:30 – 49:30
    A darker section emerges, driving home the remaining jam with audio-hallucinations and growing vocals from Trey and Mike building the jam up.

    49:30 – 51:40
    Sound effects from Page are the beginning of the end for the Drive-In Set, as eerie mad scientist laboratory sounds carry over while Trey uses the Mu-tone to drip a little “Space” goodness into the final minutes. After one last build, the music ends slowly and gently.

    51:40 – 52:17
    Well deserved applause from the faithful 30,000 that stayed awake to witness this incredible musical event.

    drive-in jam

  • Phish’s Magnaball Day 2: The Circus is the Place For Phans

    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.

    phish magnaball

    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.

    phish magnaball

    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.

    We all had no idea what was about to happen next…

    Set 1 review by Stu Kelly, Set 2 review by Jim Rizzo, Set 3 review by Neil Benjamin, Jr.

    Setlist via Phish.net

    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.

    Read about the Drive-In Set here

  • Phish Magnaball Day 1 Recap: A Magna-ificent Start

    Phish returned to Watkins Glen International Raceway on Aug 21-23 for their 10th festival, Magnaball. The sold out event gathered more than 40,000 fans to the gorgeous hillsides of the Finger Lakes Region of New York for 3 days of camping, art and the musical jam stylings of the Vermont quartet.

    phish magnaball

    Creating a small city within itself, MagnaBall offered a Ferris Wheel, onsite radio station known as The Bunny, a Post Office, a huge 183-foot movie screen, a high class restaurant serving local and organic five-course meals, interactive art installations and so much more to keep fans glad, glad, glad they had arrived. Despite being sold out, tickets could still be purchased at the gates making for a slightly hectic arrival on Thursday and Friday.

    The festival started around 8pm on Friday with a perfect yet uncommon opener of “Simple” with Page tickling the notes of “Magilla” and a howling good time as the band went into “The Dogs” from their Chilling Thrilling Sounds of the Haunted House Halloween set, a nod to us all that Phish and the fans are wild animals. A sincere surprise was the appearance of the beautiful, instrumental classic of “The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday” as it jumped into a strong “Avenu Malkenu” and back home again in “The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday,” which slowly led into “Free,” reaching great heights as Trey blared the rocking riffs to Mike’s hard hitting bass.

    phish magnaball

    Taking a moment from the music, Trey reflected on the band’s history with their festivals and how their families have since grown in the number of children the band collectively has. Showing a bit of his ’embarrassing dad’ side, Trey shared that this day was also daughter Eliza’s birthday and requested a collective “Happy Birthday,” which the crowd happily performed as he brought her onstage.

    The major bustout of the set was the short and sweet “Mock Song,” an original Mike tune that hadn’t been played since 2003 and with an appropriate lyric change of “Clifford, Super, Magnaball.” The highlight of the set that was talked about all weekend was the set closing “Bathtub Gin”. The Magna Gin was over 20 minutes long with intense, improvisational peaks of highly danceable rhythm, layers upon layers of interchangeable, bizarre melodies and a blissful, playful pace to start the festival.

    Trey brings his daughter Eliza out for a happy birthday wish. ? by Patrick Jordan.

    A photo posted by phishfromtheroad (@phishfromtheroad) on

    We were one set deep into Phish’s 3-night, eight-set Magna-opus and the gloves were already off. You weren’t getting out of there without some pain and bruises, but you were definitely getting out alive, possibly more alive than when you entered. The summer has seen the band playing at a consistently high level, not just for 3.0, and not compared to just 2.0 or 1.0.

    The band is older, the crowd is older, but the music has been reinvigorated both with new songs and new twists on old favorites that has rejuvenated all involved. A ‘Not Your Father’s’ second-set-opener of “Chalkdust Torture,” got things jumping off from the rocking shell of the song proper, and as soon as the last verse was sung we were deep into a pool of straight improvisatory gravy. That gravy would flow throughout the set, as jams became songs became jams once again, oozing together over and over into a delicious stew for over 90 minutes.

    After a dark and winding “Ghost,” Velvet Underground’s “Rock and Roll” took a journey that eventually wound around to the bopping reggae groove of “Harry Hood.” They lingered patiently for a couple of minutes before launching into the “Hood” nearly everyone saw coming, giving the band another chance to showcase one of their rejuvenated songs, with a rejiggered closing section that allowed a bit more freedom. This time it meant a nifty little “Cars Trucks Buses”-esque jam preceding the typical climactic finish.

    “Waste” provided a pleasant breather before more renewal was on display with the fresh off the wire “No Men in No Man’s Land.” The 2015-debuted tune is already taking on a fun rocking life of its own. There was nothing particularly new about “Slave to the Traffic Light,” sitting there in its classic set closing greatness but it stood tall and proud still, executing the dismount perfectly. Still got it! No surprises were in store with a “Farmhouse” and “First Tube” encore, but the stage was set, and the final energetic notes would dance along the Watkins Glen air for the remainder of the weekend.

    Magnaball was not just some mash-up of two random words, but simply the best way to describe the current state of Phish, a band sounding as fresh as ever, even after 32 years. The first third of that definition was in the books.

    Set 1 review by Susan Rice, Set 2 review by Eli Stein

    Setlist via Phish.net

    Set 1: Simple>The Dogs > The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday> Avenu Malkenu> The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday > Free, The Wedge, Mock Sock, Roggae > Rift, Bathtub Gin

    Set 2: Chalk Dust Torture* > Ghost -> Rock and Roll > Harry Hood -> Waste > No Men In No Man’s Land -> Slave to the Traffic Light
    Encore: Farmhouse, First Tube

    *Unfinished.

    Notes: Page teased Magilla in Simple. TMWSIY and Avenu Malkenu were played for the first time since July 4, 2012 (124 shows). After Free, Trey asked the crowd to sing Happy Birthday to his daughter, Eliza, who briefly joined him onstage. Mock Song was played for the first time since July 12, 2003 (320 shows), and featured a lyric change to “Clifford, Super, Magnaball.” CDT contained a What’s the Use? tease and was unfinished. Hood contained a CTB tease from Mike.