Category: Funk/Soul/R&B

Twiddle talks to NYSMusic about the Dirty Dozen Tour

The twelve night ‘Dirty Dozen’ co-headlining run with Twiddle and Kung Fu kicked off last night in Buffalo at Iron Works, and continues tonight in Syracuse at the Westcott Theater. Along with the Buffalo and Syracuse dates, there is a stop at Albany’s Upstate Concert Hall, teaming up with local favorites Mister F. The tour is full of surprises, with no set times being announced, which is exactly the kind of antics fans anticipate with two powerhouse bands such as these two artists. The two bands teamed up for a sold out show in December to benefit Toys for Tots and have both been touring extensively since then.

NYSmusic sent some interview questions to the Twiddle guys, and they all chimed in with their answers below. Be sure to catch them while you can!

Jen Foster: First off, how excited are you for a no-holds-barred tour with Kung Fu?

Twiddle: We’re always extra amped for any gig with Kung Fu. They are role models for us in the scene, and have been amazing mentors/frends for Twiddle as we continue to grow.

Jen Foster: When you imagine this kind of tour, what do you hope for more than anything?

Twiddle: We don’t have any expectations. We are leaving the set times and schedule very open ended so anything can happen. We hope to do some really fun collaborative stuff with Kung Fu that everyone digs. The idea is to have as much fun as possible.

Jen Foster: What will happen when Ryan Dempsey and Todd Stoops create the ultimate keyboard spaceship?

Twiddle: It’s gonna get weird, in a really good way. Expect that dirty alien funk.

Jen Foster: The term Kungwiddle has been flying around like wildfire. Do you foresee this one of many co-billed shows and band crossovers?

Twiddle: Yes. We especially love our annual Toys for Tots show with them in CT. It always feels good to play with incredible musicians, and help kids at the same time.

Jen Foster: Twiddle just finished the “Donde Esta Norb?” tour, and now you’re headed to Costa Rica for Jungle Jam. It has already been a very successful start to the year. Are you at all surprised with the amount of success in the past year?

Twiddle: We’re always blown away by our fans. They are building an amazing community that is turning into a family. As far as success is concerned, Madison House is doing a great job of getting us on some amazing show/festival bills. Especially Red Rocks with S.C.I.

Jen Foster: Fans of both Twiddle and Kung Fu are over the moon about this upcoming tour. What kind of hijinks can we look forward to?

Twiddle: The idea of not announcing set times is to send a message for fans to get there early and stay late. Anything is possible. We have a few filthy tricks up our sleeves but where would the fun be in telling anyone?

Jen Foster: NYSMusic’s readers are very excited for the upcoming Upstate shows in Buffalo, Syracuse and Albany. Once the Spring tour is behind you, what summer music festivals are you most looking forward to playing?

Twiddle: The upstate NY markets are slowly becoming marquis/anchor cities for us. Castleton, where we met, is literally on the NY border with Vermont. We love New York. As for the summer, we are making repeat appearances at big fests like Summer Camp, Wakarusa, The Peach and Gathering of the Vibes. It is always humbling to see our name next to big time artists. However, the smaller fests like Disc Jam and the Frendly Gathering allow us to see all of our New England frends and family. The Frendly Gathering is in Vermont and we spend the whole weekend there. It is home.

Dirty Dozen Tour Dates:
4/1 – Buffalo, NY | Iron Works
4/2 – Syracuse, NY | Westcott Theater
4/3 – New York, NY | Irving Plaza
4/4 – Clifton Park, NY | Upstate Concert Hall
4/8 – State College, PA | Levels
4/9 – Pittsburgh, PA | The Rex Theatre
4/10 – Philadelphia, PA | TLA
4/11 – Baltimore, MD | Rams Head Live
4/12 – Richmond, VA | The Broadberry
4/14 – Greensboro, NC | Blind Tiger
4/15 – Charlotte, NC | The Chop House
4/16 – Atlanta, GA | Terminal West

April 2, 2015
Interview: Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, Performing at Brooklyn Bowl April 1

Pigeons Playing Ping Pong are bringing their own unique brand of funk to Brooklyn Bowl on April 1, and who knows what type of antics these birds are going to break out on April Fools Day. Based out of Baltimore, MD, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong have been hard at work on the road, following the 2014 release of their aptly named sophomore album Psychology. Greg Ormont (vocals, rhythm guitar), Jeremy Schon (guitar, vocals), Ben Carrey (bass, vocals), and Alex Petropulos (drumagic, electro-swag) came up with the name of their band from a BF Skinner video shown in a college psychology class. Pigeons Playing Ping Pong will be supported by Shwizz and Aqueous, and Ormont took time out of his busy electro-funk tour schedule for an interview with NYS Music.

Graig Adler: How long have you been on tour? When does it end? How many dates? When’s the last time you’ve been “home”?

Greg Ormont: We just finished a 27-day tour and returned home this Sunday. Brooklyn Bowl is only one of two shows this week before we take off the weekend after a super busy March.

GA: What has been your favorite venue so far? Which venue are you most excited to play?

GO: Brooklyn Bowl is definitely up there. We also love playing the 9:30 Club in D.C., the Fox Theater in Boulder, CO, among many others. I’m most excited for festival season. I’m also interested in seeing New
Mountain in Asheville, NC for the first time; I’ve only heard great things so far.

GA: Who is the best/worst driver in the band?

GO: That’s a touchy subject… let’s just say we’re all terrible drivers.

GA: What do you listen to while driving from city to city?

GO: On my last drive, I put on some Mitch Hedberg standup, followed by full albums of Sly and the Family Stone, Snarky Puppy, Deaf Scene, MGMT and Steely Dan.

GA: What’s your daily schedule like? How much time do you spend driving? Practicing? Writing new music?

GO: That depends on where we’re coming from and where we’re headed, but generally we wake up, grab local food and hit the road for 3-7 hours to soundcheck, where we’ll load in, soundcheck, grab dinner, rest up and rage a show. Sometimes we practice during soundcheck if timing and situation permits, and sometimes we practice in a friend of a friend’s house on our off days on the road, like we did in Lawrence, KS this
past Tuesday.

GA: If you could play in any venue/city in the country what would it be?

GO: Red Rocks, Madison Square Garden, does JamCruise count as “the country?” If yes, then also: the moon.

GA: We all know things happen on a long tour like this, what’s the worst thing that’s happened so far?

GO: Last Monday, we were supposed to play in Lawrence, KS with Consider the Source, but their trailer’s wheel fell off or something and they couldn’t make it. So we just played two sets without them, turned out
okay for us. If it’s not our van troubles, it’s another band’s trailer troubles…

We actually had a really smooth tour this month. Perhaps the worst thing to happen was visiting New Orleans on our day off… We all fell in love with the city and did not want to leave, ended up staying a little too long and had to drive 27 hours straight to Colorado to make it to our sound check on time. But we made it! With no time to spare.

GA: What band currently touring do you compare yourselves to or draw the most inspiration from?

GO: I’m not one for comparisons… we do our own thing. We see so much live music though, so I guess we combine elements of all the acts we see… that said, I personally draw a lot of inspiration from Phish and Lotus, as well as Soulive, Snarky Puppy, the New Mastersounds, the Talking Heads and many more. But I have huge ideas, and haven’t seen them performed by anyone else yet. Les Claypool gets kind of close to what I’m thinking, but in his own way…

GA: Have you had the chance to collaborate with any other artists/bands while on tour? Who was your favorite?

GO: We had the great Tom Hamilton (American Babies, JRAD, Brother’s Past) sit in on guitar during our late night set at AURA Music Festival and we had the phenomenal Joey Porter (Juno What, The Motet) crush the
keys in Denver and Boulder, CO. Both guys are tremendous musicians and awesome people, and they both sat in perfectly. Joey was particularly funky and meshed effortlessly in our musical pocket; it was like he had played with us 100 times. I’d love to have either gentleman come do it again if we’re in the same room.

We also had a fantastic sit-in on a Sunday show in Frisco, CO by a young traveler named Gina Sobel, who showed up with her flute and threw down some high-quality jazz-funk riffs over two of our songs. Nothing says, “Never miss a Sunday show” quite like a surprise guest flutist… and she killed it! I believe there are some clips of her sit-in on YouTube, as well as Joey Porter’s and Tom Hamilton’s performances with us this month.

GA: Who writes your setlists? How do you decide what you’re going to play night in and night out?

GO: Our guitarist Jeremy Schon pens most of our set lists, and then we discuss it as a group and make any changes we see fit, prior to the set. Jeremy keeps a running document of every set we’ve ever played, so he can see what we played at our most recent shows in the area to keep the next show different and interesting for that crowd. Once we’re on stage, however, anything goes. We often cut songs on the fly, or insert new ideas based off the mood, and generally go with the flow.

GA: As festival season approaches, which festival are you most excited about?

GO: Domefest!! We throw our own festival every year and I’m always most excited for it. It’s the ultimate gathering of our fanbase, The Flock, and we invite all of our favorite band-friends to play and enjoy the
weekend. We love watching Flockers meet each other for the first time, especially when they’re from different parts of the country. We’ve seen best friends meet and new romantic relationships form at Domefest, which is an amazing symptom of live music; we love bringing people together. This year, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong is playing three nights, along with performances by Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band, The Heavy Pets, The Mantras, BIG Something and many more amazing rising acts on May 28-30 at Trip’s Farm in Terra Alta, WV. Domefest is where fans discover their new favorite band, and bands find their new die-hard supporters; it’s a beautiful, absolutely raging weekend.

I’m similarly excited for All Good, which was my first major festival attended. Playing for that crowd on that stage will be a dream come true for most of us. I’m also super pumped for a few major festivals that we haven’t announced yet… as well as Summer Camp, which I’m told is too fun.

Tickets are still available and can be purchased here.

March 31, 2015
Hearing Aide: Groovestick’s Self-Titled Debut Album

One of the Capital District’s loudest kept secrets is the powerhouse funk group known as Groovestick, who recently released their debut album, Groovestick. Lead by bassist Dan Gerken with Justin Henricks on guitar, Kevin Urvalek on drums, Dan Klug on percussion and Hammond organ star Chris Carballeira, these 5 musicians from Way Down, Timbre Coup and Dirty Paris create solid harmonies and high energy progressive funk that force you to groove. The eight track album reaching a little over half an hour is more than enough to convince you to see them live and get down to the funk. The album is available for streaming and a digital copy for $5 via bandcamp.com and was recorded at Telefunken Studios in Hartford, CT.

Groovestick is a quick listen to get the pre-party started for any night of the week. Henricks chillingly shreds classic rock chords as Carballeira adds vintage funky soul on the ivories. The album hits start with the jazzy quick tempo rock of “Horde”, a surge of rock to get the blood racing. “No Time for That” is a modern mo-town with a disco flair and strongly executed catchy lyrics from Dan Gerken and company. “Electric Shoes” is one of their fiercest songs, showcasing stand out solo work as well as mountainous peaks of melody, challenging the listener to break loose. Klug and Urvalek intertwine their controlled rhythm mania throughout the album for a nonstop tight groove. Groovestick is a boogie machine with rebellious soul, making this album of theirs a great soundtrack for the spring ahead.

Key Tracks: Not Time for That, Electric Shoes, Shark Bait

Check out Groovestick when they come to The Hollow in Albany with Lucid on April 3, The Monopole in Plattsburgh on April 24 and The Rustic Barn in Troy on April 25.

March 28, 2015
Bowlive VI, Night 8 – Wyllys and Soulive with Marco Benevento “At The Show”

The final night of the Bowlive run is akin to the last day of your wedding week. Seeing the same faces you have seen all week, reminiscing over all the great times you had, and looking forward to one final party to cap it all off. On this the eighth night, Soulive could’ve chosen any band in NYC to open the show. Instead they tapped Royal Potato favorite Wyllys to get the crowd warmed up ahead of Marco Benevento and Soulive. Wyllys still opts for the old school method of spinning rock, funk, and soul tunes on vinyl in addition to using the electronic devices at his disposal. If one thing was learned throughout this run it was the importance of the opener to not only set the stage for Soulive but to warm the crowd up. On this Saturday night in Brooklyn, the crowd was ready to have the best night of their lives.

Soulive took the stage for their final engagement with just the three members of the band. Eric Krasno (guitar), Alan Evans (drums), and Neal Evans (keys) hit the ground running with “Rudy’s Way” off of the 2002 album Turn It Out, then took it back even further with the 2001 tune “One In Seven” off of Doin’ Something. Only two songs into the night and The Shady Horns consisting of Benny Bloom (trumpet) and Ryan Zoidis (sax) joined in on the action on “Spark”, a tune penned as a tribute to American jazz blues guitarist Melvin Sparks. The next two songs “Backwards Jack” and “PJ’s” both came off of the 2009 release Up Here. The final guest of Bowlive 6, Marco Benevento, joined in the fun to occupy his empty piano at center stage and close out the first set with a psychedelic rendition of the appropriately named “Up Right.” He jammed away on his piano, giving the crowd a slight foreshadowing of how electric the remainder of the night would be. In between sets a montage was played on the screens at Brooklyn Bowl recapping the previous seven nights, the same you would find at a wedding, recapping all the good times spent together.

The second set began with the ensemble on stage joined by Maurice “Mo Betta” Brown (trumpet, Tedeschi Trucks Band) for the second time of the run for a heart filled rendition of George Benson’s “Soulful Strut.” As Marco delved into “Limbs of a Pine” off his 2012 Tigerface, it became apparent that no man was smiling wider then Benevento, his electric personality and smile energizing the audience and band in what would be their seventeenth and final set of Bowlive 6. Up next was “At The Show,” which featured Benevento leaving his bench and keys to prance around the stage like a exuberant child on Christmas morning, only making a pit stop to share a dance with his ivory tickling brother, Neal. Marco returned to his piano to close out the second set with the jammed out psych jazz “The In Crowd.”

For the final encore Soulive, The Shady Horns, and Marco Benevento went an interesting route and chose an instrumental version of Led Zeppelin’s “The Ocean,” the same tune they closed out the previous Saturday night with, with Jennifer Hartswick on vocals. After the encore, Pete Shapiro came out on stage and gifted the band “61” necklaces to honor the 61 shows Soulive has played at Brooklyn Bowl to date. The evening was brought to an end with Wyllys continuing to keep the crowd grooving into the late hours of the night with his unique mash-ups and fan favorite tunes.

March 26, 2015
Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad Electrifies Syracuse

Rolling around the northeast on their Spring Steady Tour, Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad burned one down this past saturday with the help from the High Hopes Band and Danielle Ponder & the Tomorrow People at the Westcott Theater in Syracuse, NY. High Hopes hit the stage at 8 p.m. sharp, not wasting a moment of the audience’s time. Ready as ever, they kicked off the first set with originals from their newly released album Forever Love. HHB serenaded the crowd for the their full hour with silky smooth lyrical stories accompanied by cavernous bass lines and rich drum rhythms. Luscious guitar melodies and keyboards were nothing short of ear pleasing for the 70’s era reggae lovers in the theater.

The second performance was delightfully owned by Danielle Ponder and the Tomorrow People. These Rochester, NY funksters brought with them to Syracuse a style of their own, blending Soul, Funk, R&B, and Hip Hop. The group practically tore down the roof with covers of “Killing Me Softly” by the Fugees and “Cherish the Day” by Sade, along with a mix of their own original music. Danielle belted out every lyric and syllable with precision and affection as a passionate singer should, which may have come easy being backed up by a modestly qualified band.

By the time the first two performances were finished, the crowd was warmed up and awaiting some Giant Panda love. A few moments later, the five members of GPGDS ascended the stage with instruments in hand and propelled into their set. Opening with a new song called “Make it Better,” the squad put their faith into the commendable crowd, which yielded a boisterous cheer. Graciously, the quintet pursued a monstrous segue jam that Chris and Tony kept glued together, consisting of “Seasons Change,” “Foundation,” “Mr. Cop,” “Pockets,” and ending with “Healing.” Without taking a breath, they dove right into “Steady,” the title track of their most recent release and the crowd displayed extensive joy as they sang along with Dylan and Dan’s unified harmonies.

Giant Panda flawlessly gave the people what they wanted with more fan favorites, such as “All Night Music,” “Whatever Cost,” and “Take Your Place.” The energy in the building was immense to the point that the band did not want to take a break, playing nearly a three hour set. Sparing no expense, the guys dropped a whopping “.45” with James leading on vocals and bass. After departing the stage for a brisk water break, the ensemble returned with a two song encore consisting of “Far Away” and “OK,” coupled with a fancy dub jam molded in the middle. Before anyone could appeal, the show was closing and the band was thanking the Salt City along with everyone in attendance for sharing their evening with them.

Amidst a lengthy northeastern run, these artists held their momentum and have not wasted one ounce of energy on their fans. As GPGDS continues their Spring Steady Tour through April with three more shows in Ithaca, Albany, and Buffalo, they will also be traveling to the west coast for a few appearances this spring, including the California Roots Festival on May 22.

March 26, 2015
Bowlive 6 Night 7 – Erik Deutsch and The Jazz Outlaws, Soulive w/ George Porter Jr. “The Captain of Bowlive Pt. 2”

Night seven of Bowlive opened with local musician Erik Deutsch (keyboard) and his band The Jazz Outlaws. Deutch and company brought more of a crushing rock and roll set to Brooklyn Bowl than the classic psych jazz he is known for. Joined on stage by Scott Metzger (guitar, WOLF!) Erik Deutsch gave way to his band to carry the set and performing a mixture of original tunes and covers of The Rolling Stones “Wild Horses,” Etta James “Dearest Darling,” Bonnie Raitt’s “Too Long At The Fair,” and Waylon Jenning’s “Whistlers and Jugglers.” The set was capped off by Greg Humphrey’s (guitar) original tune “Natural Child.”

Soulive began the evening with The Shady Horns on stage for the first time of the run. The night was kicked off with “El Ron” off of Soulive’s 2002 self titled album. “Flurries” off Next followed and Eric Bloom (trumpet) and Ryan Zoidos (sax) brought some heat to to this tune as the evening was kicked into high gear right off the bat. We were lead through a soulful rendition of “Vapor” and a slow psychedelic journey through “Third Stone From The Sun” and “Lenny”, all Soulive originals. For the second night in a row George Porter Jr. dubbed ‘The Captain of Bowlive’ joined the band for the remainder of the first set where he brought us New Orleans classics “Junco Partner,” an abbreviated “Iko Iko,” and the Rebirth Brass Band original “I Feel Like Funkin It Up.” The set came to a close with Porter Jr. and The Runnin’ Pardners original “Take A Chance.”

The second set began with the same group on stage and hit the ground running with The Meters smooth jazz melody “No More Okey Dokey.” Donny Hathaway tune “Voices Inside (Everything is Everything)” followed up and kept pace with the blissful jazz to begin this set. Porter Jr. then brought us “I Need More Time” off of his 2011 project Can’t Beat The Funk. The surprise guest for this evening was none other than 12 year old guitar prodigy Brandan “Taz” Niederauer. Anyone who has witnessed his shredding guitar style knows that at his young age he can stand toe to toe with the pros. Taz led Krasno and Porter Jr. on The Meters upbeat “Fire On The Bayou” and “People Say” standing front and center on stage showing off of rock star chops and signature curly hair before leaving the stage. The Meters “Hand Clapping Song” followed and featured Krasno getting the crowd involved and clapping their hands in the air before segueing into “Funky Miracle.” The set came to a close with the Wilson Pickett hit “In The Midnight Hour,” highlighted by an Alan Evans drum solo that continually got pushed harder and faster by Porter Jr. For an encore, Taz came back out on stage and stole the show one more time for The Meters “Just Kissed My Baby,” Niederauer showed off his amazing talents as he handled his instrument with the control and professionalism of any guitarist in the scene today.

March 25, 2015
Upstate Funk Heads West: Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad with Euforquestra
At one time I had a friend who exclaimed before each concert she attended, that each band she heard must pass what she called “the sweat test.” That is to say, in order for her to feel satisfied with a band’s performance she should walk away with her clothes drenched in enough sweat from dancing that her attire would freeze stiff shortly after exiting a venue. This was during the early 1990s when I lived through a few rough winters in Rochester, NY. I didn’t go to shows at the time because I was attending a local seminary to get a theology degree and become a Baptist preacher.

Still, her standard for live music stuck with me through the ensuing decades as I grew into the live music scene. I was recently reminded of her on a chilly evening in Boulder, CO as the Rochester-native band, Giant Panda Guerrilla Dub Squad headlined with the Colorado-based funk band, Euforquestra. As I watched the venue full of twirling, jumping,wriggling, and flopping enthusiasts it became clear to me that both bands would easily pass the sweat test.

Euforquestra led the way with a scorching blend of brass-infused funk/Afrobeat music. Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad has gained a devoted following to their improvisational roots reggae sound in the Rocky Mountain region, and their lively finishing set was part of a winter tour devoted only to stops in Colorado.
March 25, 2015
Bowlive VI – Night 6 – Soulive with Anders Osborne and George Porter Jr. “The Captain of Bowlive Pt.1”

On the sixth night, we had confusion. Opener Curtis Harding was suddenly unavailable at the last minute, with the lone announcement of “Showtime will be changed to 8:45, full refunds will be available.” Despite the nice gesture, I don’t believe anyone was running to get their money back, with the New Orleans powerhouse combo of Anders Osbone and George Porter Jr. headlining the event.

Soulive, consisting of Eric Krasno (guitar), Alan Evans (drums), and Neal Evans (keys) took the stage at the adjusted set time to a half full Brooklyn Bowl as it appears not everyone got the memo. The opening act has a large responsibility and its not just to kill time until the headliner goes on. They are intended to insert a certain amount of energy in the crowd, and on this night when Soulive took the stage both audience and band seemed to be missing that energy. It felt as if the trio was going through the motions on the original “Dig” as well as the nightly Beatles cover we’ve come to expect “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.”

The Shady Horns then joined on stage and while the hope seemed to be they would inject a little energy into the building, they ran their way through two more Soulive originals “Fire Eater” and “The Swamp” without too much fanfare. On the last Soulive original tune of the night “Upshot” the band finally drew the crowds undivided attention with horn filled funk. The energy inside finally came to a peak as “The Captain of Bowlive” as dubbed by band leader Krasno, George Porter Jr.(bass, The Meters), took the stage and Neil Evans (keyboard) was finally able to give his left hand a break from that clavinet. When Porter Jr. is on stage his presence usurps Krasno from his traditional band leader roll and works each musician like he is conducting an orchestra. Porter Jr. got the best out of each musician on stage for the three Meters songs to close the set “Pungee,” “Keep On Marching,” and “He Bite Me (The Dragon).”

This show could easily be described as a tale of two sets. Set two began with Soulive, The Shady Horns, and the second guest of the evening Anders Osborne (guitar). Anders Osborne led us through two of his original tunes “On The Road To Charlie Parker” and “Pleasin You” before The Shady Horns left the stage for a rendition of “Back Together” from Osborne’s newest project NMO All-Stars. With Porter Jr. back on stage joining Anders Osborne we were treated to two living New Orleans legend doing their own funky takes on some classic tunes. First up was the JJ Cale penned “After Midnight,” and for the first time tonight the building was shaking. What came next will one day appear on a Best of Bowlive album. Kicked off with The Shady Horns back on stage and joined by Maurice “Mo Betta” Brown (trumpet, TTB) CSNY’s Ohio led the way with a phenomenal trumpet solo by Brown with Osborne, Krasno, and Porter Jr. on vocals. A seamless segue in a mind melting mashup of Pink Floyd’s “Breathe” > Neil Young’s “Down By The River” > “Breathe” had everyone mesmorized. This mashup was highlighted by Victor Cornette’s mastery of the lighting rigs at Brooklyn Bowl to give you the full experience. The Grateful Dead’s “Bertha” followed and didn’t disappoint as Neal took it to another level on the organ as Porter Jr. egged him on with deep rhythmic basslines. To round out this phenomenal set, Questlove (drums, The Roots) commandeered the drum kit from Alan to join in on another The Meter’s original “Africa,” this was the most talent that had been on stage at one time during the Bowlive run and the crowd responded appropriately. For the night six encore Soulive and The Shady Horns were joined on stage by Brown and Porter Jr. for one more The Meters tune “Ain’t No Use” starting out with Jimi Hendrix’s “Purple Haze” being teased into the intro. George Porter Jr. returns tomorrow night to end his two night run with Soulive.

Video by Marc Millman

March 23, 2015
Bowlive VI – Day 4 – Soule Monde and Soulive with Chris Robinson
After a two-day recess, night four of Bowlive VI was underway in formidable fashion, with guest Chris Robinson. As far as the opener setting the tone for the evening, Soule Monde has been the most musically appropriate choice of the run to date. The jazz/funk duo of Russ Lawton (drums) and Ray Paczkowski (clavinet, organ) were quick to put everyone in the mood. Lawton continually pushed the pace faster as Paczkowski followed on his Hammond B-3 and laid down deep funky riffs on his clavinet. Paczkowski has you wondering where the third hepcat was keeping the groove going on his four string. They set the stage for Soulive to bring their own style of modern funk to the table.

Soule Monde

While Eric Krasno kept himself busy during the short break in the Bowlive residency, sitting in with Phil & Friends for his 75th birthday show at The Capitol Theater, fans got a much-needed hiatus from all the dancing. The fourth night started same as all the previous ones with just the three Soulive members on stage. Charging out of the gate with the classic original tune “So Live” off of their debut album, 2002’s Turn It Out. Once the mood was set, the trio went into the more soulful “Bubble” which segued wonderfully into the first of many covers for the night, The Beatles “Something.” The Extra Shady Horns on this night consisting of Zoidis (sax), Bloom (trumpet). The first guest of the evening was DJ Williams (guitar, KDTU) who joined in the fun for another old school Soulive original “Uncle Junior.” Williams and Krasno took this out for a ride and were upended by a screaming solo by Zoidis’ sax.

As the show was compressed from two sets down to one, most likely to placate the strap hangers with early morning meetings. At the end of the first hour of mostly Soulive originals, Chris Robinson finally made his way onto the Bowlive stage. He was joined by Cochema Gastelum (sax, Dap Kings) and backup singers Sasha Ortiz and Maya Sharpe. The first tune that Robinson crooned for his enthusiastic fans was Otis Redding’s “Fa Fa Fa Fa Fa Sad Song.” Only one song in and Robinson picked up his guitar to join Krasno on a medley of cover tunes. The Dr. John classic “Quitters Never Win” was up next followed by Robinson’s Bowlive coming out party as he blew the roof off the joint in a funk laden take on the Grateful Dead’s “West LA Fadeaway.”

Everything was coming up blues as we heard takes on Joe Cocker’s “Space Captain” and Allen Toussaint’s “Get Out My Life Woman.” Robinson and Neil Evans led the charge with their take on the Jerry Garcia/Robert Hunter tune “Sugaree.” To close out the night, which had the crowd singing along for the last hour, Robinson channeled his best Mick Jagger impersonation for The Rolling Stones “Gimme Shelter.” His soaring vocals led the crowd in what was the most authentic sounding cover of the night. To close out a night of classic rock tunes everyone was back on stage and joined by Ross James (guitar, Terrapin Family Band) for a cover of “Lovelight” that sounded more like the original Bobby Bland version than the more widely known Grateful Dead version. Based on the audience’s reaction, Robinson might have been the standout guest so far, and everyone will have another chance to see him Wednesday as he closes out his two-night stand with Soulive.
March 19, 2015
Bowlive VI – Day 3 – Bowlive for Kids, Cabinet, Soulive w/ Sam Kininger and Jennifer Hartswick
Shortly after night two of the eight night Soulive run came to an end, day three began for one of the hardest working men in music. Eric Krasno joined by bandmates Alan Evans, and Neal Evans, took the stage joined by The Shady Horns — Ryan Zoidis (sax) and Eric Bloom (trumpet) for the annual Soulive For Kids concert. Doors opened at noon and by the 2PM show time Brooklyn Bowl was jam-packed with families, kids of all ages were eating, and bowling while parents were enjoying a bloody mary or mimosa. Krasno, looking dapper in his suit and tie, led the band in classic Soulive funk laden tracks. The seventy-five minute set was brought to a close with covers of The Beatles’ “Eleanor Rigby” and Sly & The Family Stone’s “If You Want Me To Stay” which had fans of all ages singing along.

Bluegrass outfit Cabinet, who has been gaining quite a reputation on the festival circuit, was an interesting selection to open the third evening of Bowlive. Hailing from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania – JP Biondo (mandolin), Mickey Coviello (guitar), Pappy Biondo (banjo), Dylan Skursky (bass), Todd Kopec (fiddle), Jami Novak (drums). They brought their own Appalachian Chic stylings for a night out in Brooklyn. Off their newly released album Celebration, Cabinet original “Shine Like The Sun” sounded inspired by American Beauty era Grateful Dead with Pennsylvania bluegrass influences. While for “Bottom Of The Sea” and “Poor Man’s Blues” Coviello and Skursky traded in their acoustic instruments for electric and the band took on an entirely new progressive jamgrass feel. The band returned to their acoustic instruments to close the set with the Biondo penned Susquehanna Breakdown a fast paced traditional bluegrass tune that definitely left the crowd wanting more.

For their second show of the day Soulive began the night with just the core three members on stage, for what was to be a night of classic Soulive collaborations. After just one song the band was joined on stage by original band member Sam Kininger (sax). Sam took center the stage and led the band through Soulive classics “Hurry Up and Wait” off of the 2001 album Doin’ Something and “Rudy’s Way” off of the 2002 Turn It Out. The Shady Horns then joined on stage while Kininger sat in with the horns section for the rest of the first set. Set two began with Kininger and The Shady Horns on stage for “Backwards Jack,” before finally being joined by second special guest of the evening Jennifer Hartswick (vocals, trumpet) and the first surprise guest Bob Reynolds (Snarky Puppy, sax) for a soulful rendition of Etta James “Tell Mama”.

Next to join onstage was Chris Bullock (Snarky Puppy, sax) for Soulive original “Povo” and lastly Miker Maher (Snarky Puppy, sax) joined in on “Blues for Mama,” the second set was brought to a close with the 2002 smooth jazz original “Tuesday Night Squad.” This set already seemed to be the hands down winner for best set of the run so far before Jennifer Hartswtick led the trio in a building shaking rendition of Led Zeppelin’s “The Ocean.” Eric Krasno will spend the next two days joining some of the other hardest working men in music Phil Lesh and Warren Haynes at the Capitol Theater for Lesh’s 75th birthday Phil & Friends show before returning to Brooklyn Bowl Tuesday night for the fourth night of Bowlive joined by Chris Robinson of Black Crowes fame.
March 17, 2015