NYS Music 20​15

Tag: Anders Osborne

  • The Apple Jam Welcomed New Venue, National Acts

    The Apple Jam festival is in its sixth year, though its first at a new venue set on the beautiful grounds of Camp Moses in Russell, MA.

    The Apple Jam festival was last held two years ago.  The organizers took a year hiatus to reorganize and plan for a larger festival.  The last event was on a much smaller scale, with many of the artists performing being friends and family of the organizers. This years Apple Jam exploded, with a new, spacious venue and the inclusion of performers who play on a much bigger stage, some nationally known. In other words, Apple Jam just stepped up its game and took the festival to a whole new level.

    Photo Credit: Jacqueline M. Sidor
    Photo Credit: Jacqueline M. Sidor

    Apple Jam is family friendly, with many of the events encouraging interaction by all ages.  A kids tent was set up, offering arts and crafts, face painting and a scavenger hunt. An art wall was available inviting attendees to paint and show off their creative flair.  A paved basketball court was taken advantage of by many attendees, while several others enjoyed playing, and being part of, the human sized foosball game.  Later on in the day, the court was turned into a large work of art with chalk drawings splashed over the black top.  With so many activities available for festival goers, the fun kept going all weekend.

    The weather held out on Friday, with the threat of rain in the air.  The festival eased into the music and featured many Massachusetts’ home-grown acts on the bill, such as Dead Collective, California Widows and Opel.  Blue grass wound its way onto the bill with the first performance of the festival by Cricket Tell the Weather.  Holy Ghost Tent Revival and Spirit Family Reunion brought Friday’s opening night to a close, as crowds continued to stream their way in throughout the evening.

    Saturday not only had a beautiful day in store, but a jam-packed schedule full of high-energy performances as well.  The morning started off with some feel good bluegrass Americana jams by Livestock.  Sugar Blood Jinx followed with their bluesy southern charm of a sound that featured growling vocals commanding your attention and begging you to put on your dancing shoes. Otis Grove, a band that’s been starting to make waves around the New England festival circuit, gave an energy-packed performance and continued to turn up the heat on stage.  Groovy jams and feel good vibes were thrown out as The Sun Parade took the stage.  Lucid had a Dave Matthews Band meets Rusted Root with horns tone as they cranked out their intense set. With the double stage setup, the audience didn’t have to wait long between bands as the gorgeous day continued to rotate acts without missing a beat.

    The Mutherload, another band from the local Massachusetts area, provided a solid rock and roll groove.  Gary Phelps, the man behind the entire Apple Jam organization, cranked out a crunchy guitar sound as his band jammed out to the delight of the crowd. A festival and crowd favorite, Primate Fiasco, did not disappoint as they blew everyone away with their funky Dixie sound.  Known for cranking out the grooves down in the field area, this time, they took their funkiness on stage where everyone could hear them throughout the venue. The concert field began to get packed as the sun started to go down and the jams turned up the vibes.

    Photo credit: Jacqueline M. Sidor
    Photo credit: Jacqueline M. Sidor

    Fresh off tour, a throwback vintage band, with a hint of the 10,o00 Maniacs sound, took to the stage as The Blind Spots belted out the tunes with powerful female vocals.  The evening wrapped up with Parsonsfield, a get on your feet and dance jam band that filled the air with mandolin and banjos.

    The first big headliner of the three-day run took the stage after the sun went down.  Amy Helm and the Handsome Strangers wowed the audience. With Helm’s smokey and sultry blues tone, the set was off to a steamy start. Sprinklings of the steel guitar added depth and it was nonstop dancing during their set.  Helm, the daughter of the famous Levon Helm, of The Band fame, is currently on tour promoting her debut album.  Her set did not disappoint.  Apple Jam was also the debut appearance for Ryan Scott, the guitarist with the Handsome Strangers. He was noticeably having a blast during the performance as his excitement shined through.  Here’s a clip from their set:

    The final performance of the evening was Anders Osborne.  Everyone was waiting for him to take the stage.  Wow.  His energy was addictive.  Osborne’s raw performance was no holds barred.  The soulful, bluesy guitar work tapped into his New Orleans roots and he did not hold back as they eased into their set.  The attendees were thrilled to be able to catch him perform at the newly expanded festival, and felt it a true honor to have him be a part of the bill this year. Osborne performed for a solid two hours as he kept the party going to a concert field full of dancing fans. As the last notes dropped, cheers could be heard throughout the venue, to include campers that were set up in the forest area behind the stage.  It was an incredible end to a fantastic day at Apple Jam.

    Photo credit: Jacqueline M. Sidor
    Photo credit: Jacqueline M. Sidor

    Sunday’s performances were more relaxed and cooled down as bluegrass filled the air at the Stone Temple stage, located near the lake on the edge of the venue.  Acoustic Brew, The Rambling Kind, and a second performance by Cricket Tell the Weather closed out the festival.  Overall, if you haven’t been to Apple Jam, put this on your must see festival list next year.  With beautiful, spacious grounds and plenty of activities for all ages, this is one not to be missed.  The music is nonstop and attendees will walk away on Sunday refreshed and recharged with a pair of worn out dancing shoes as a souvenir of the amazing experience.

  • Michael Arnone Brings NOLA to NJ Crawfish Fest for a 26th Time

    This weekend New Jersey will put on its party beads and partake in some New Orleans themed eats while dancing to some of the southern music capitol’s greatest sounds. Michael Arnone alongside his Crawfish Krewe has been putting on the Crawfish Fest in New Jersey for a soon-to-be 26 years. Sussex County’s fairgrounds span 130 acres and will play host to four stages of funk, RnB, brass, rock and zydeco music.

    Michael ArnoneThe lineup is topped with legends like Dr. John, George Porter Jr. and Kermit Ruffins, but also has newer artists like Marc Broussard, Anders Osborne, and Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds that keeps a variety of sounds churning out of this yearly melting pot. Local boys From Good Homes will play the festival for the second time since reuniting in 2009 after a 10-year hiatus and will be sure to pack some heat with their hick-pop sound. Campers will get private Friday performances from the Stooges Brass Band, The Lost Bayou Ramblers and the New Orleans suspects, while on Saturday they will enjoy late-night performances from Samantha Fish, John Papa Gros Band and The Heard.

    Aside from the mouth-watering lineup, the food at Crawfish Fest is just as important. Every meal is under $10, and spans choices of boiled crawfish, (oyster, shrimp, catfish and hot roast beef Po-Boys), crawfish bread, jambalaya, crawfish etouffee and red beans and rice. When you’re inside the gates, you’ll be busy filling your stomach with food and ears with music you may or may not have encountered before. If you’re looking for an authentic New Orleans music and food experience in the North, there’s no competition.

    Visit http://www.crawfishfest.com/ for more information

  • 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 Anders Osborne

    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).”

    Soulive Anders Osborne

    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

  • North Mississippi Osborne Experience Heats up Hudson

    nmo

    Despite a steady afternoon snowfall that carried into the evening, the room filled with fervent fans; yet, likely because of the snow, the club never became unbearably crowded, allowing listeners to dance freely. Club Helsinki provided the perfect space for the North Mississippi Osborne Experience to launch into an intimate Sunday night jamboree in support of its recent album release, Freedom & Dreams.

    Candlelit tables lined the exterior of Hudson’s Club Helsinki while mismatched, low-lit globes and chandeliers hung from the ceiling. Steady waves of tantalizing aromas floated around the space as servers weaved through the crowd, serving pot pies and pie a-la-modes. More than twenty guitars lined racks or rested in stands on March 1, waiting to be played by a rotating arrangement of outstanding musicians.

    The evening’s musical portion kicked off with North Mississippi Allstar Luther Dickinson and Anders Osborne facing each other and trading licks on electric acoustic guitars. The jam flowed into a smooth tune, “Let it Roll,” before Osborne exited the stage and Cody Dickinson and Lightnin’ Malcolm took up the drums and bass respectively. Luther Dickinson picked up the electric and put on a display with the slide. The trio played a couple folksy tunes—“Going Home on the Morning Train” and “Mean Ol’ Wind Died Down”—that raised the crowd’s energy. They shifted tempos a few times before settling down into a slow, stirring cover of Jimi Hendrix’s “Hear My Train A Comin’” featuring an ultra-clean guitar solo from Luther Dickinson.

    anders

    Then, the musicians started playing musical chairs. Cody Dickinson picked up a six-string, renowned drummer and Louisiana native Brian Blade sat in on the kit, and Luther Dickinson and Malcolm remained on the guitar and bass for an upbeat, instrumental rocker. The room was grooving and got a little rowdy when everyone on stage grabbed a percussion instrument, waded into the crowd, and encouraged a sing along of “Granny Does Your Dog Bite?”

    Luther Dickinson kept marching right off the stage and Osborne reappeared with his bassist, Carl Dufresne, for reggae-esque Osborne original “Marmelade.” While Allstars front-man Luther Dickinson exudes a calm, quiet confidence on stage, Osborne’s booming voice is rivaled by his enormous stage presence. Upon taking the stage, he stole the room’s attention and his vocals sounded superb in Club Helsinki’s open space.

    luther

    The long set concluded with everyone on stage. Luther Dickinson and Osborne mesmerized onlookers while trading off between lead and slide guitars. They rolled through old New Orleans’ folk classics as well as originals. Cody Dickinson led a fiery folk tune on the washboard before they closed out with Osborne’s “On the Road to Charlie Parker.” With all the musicians playing and the crowd singing along, the hard-rocking jam highlighted a great evening of music.

    Nearly two and a half hours after the show commenced, the world-class musicians wrapped it up to the chagrin of adoring fans. The North Mississippi Osborne Experience did their best, however, to reiterate the old adage that one should never miss a Sunday show.

  • North Mississippi Osborne Invades Helsinki Hudson

    1nmasHudson’s Club Helsinki will be treated to a blues fusion Sunday, March 1 as members of North Mississippi Allstars unite with Anders Osborne. The performance is the fifth in five days for the collaboration known as North Mississippi Osborne and the ninth of a twenty-five show U.S. tour.

    As their name suggests, the North Mississippi Allstars, composed of brothers Luther and Cody Dickinson and Chris Chew, hail from the Magnolia State. Their debut album, Shake Hands With Shorty, was nominated for the Best Contemporary Blues Album Grammy and the band has been nominated for the same award twice more. Osborne, a native of Sweden, hitchhiked across the globe making music as a teenager before finding a home in New Orleans. Osborne’s resume includes performances with Phil Lesh and Friends, Karl Denson, and Galactic.

    In support of their recently released album Freedom and Dreams, Osborne and the Allstars have joined forces to tour the nation. Their Southern blues will shake up Club Helsinki Sunday night.

    Doors are at 6 p.m. and the show is at 8 p.m. Tickets can be purchased here.