NYS Music 20​16

Author: Pete Mason

  • We Keep it Rollin – Night Two of Phish at MSG, December 29, 2016

    Phish is halfway through their 4 shows at Madison Square Garden and we’re looking at one of the best holiday runs in recent memory. Starting off each of the last two nights with an acapella number (“Sweet Adeline” on the December 29, 2016, “The Star Spangled Banner” on the 28th), bust outs galore (“Lonesome Cowboy Bill,” “Kung,” “Secret Smile”) and powerhouse jams that are sending us into 2017 with a head full of steam.

    Phish December 29 2016The 29th featured an intense “Peaches en Regalia” post-“Adeline” that dropped into a strong “Mike’s Song,” and while many were itching for the elusive second jam in “Mike’s,” the vibe was interrupted by “Secret Smile,” the first since 2013. “Smile” cast a lull before “Weekapaug Groove” and “Roses are Free” provided a needed jolt of energy, “Theme from the Bottom” > “Split Open and Melt” was a fantastic pairing to cap a well rounded set.

    Phish December 29 2016Opening the second set with “Down with Disease,” Phish launched into an expansive jam with an awkward shift into a blissful “What’s the Use?,” followed by “Fuego” which grew into a “Meatstick” that was well jammed. “20 Years Later” gave up its jam for “Kung” which slowly drifted into “Makisupa Policeman” with a “vaping” keyword from Fishman. A perfectly placed “Harry Hood” ended the set with incredible bliss and joy throughout the audience, especially this guy and ended with a “Julius” encore that literally had the venue bouncing with joy.

    Two down, two to go.

    Phish, December 29, 2016, Madison Square Garden, NY, NY

    SET 1: Sweet Adeline, Peaches en Regalia > Mike’s Song > Secret Smile > Weekapaug Groove, Roses Are Free, Poor Heart, 46 Days, Brian and Robert, Beauty of a Broken Heart, Theme From the Bottom > Split Open and Melt

    SET 2: Down with Disease[1] -> What’s the Use? > Fuego > Meatstick, Twenty Years Later -> Kung -> Twenty Years Later > Makisupa Policeman, Harry Hood

    ENCORE: Julius

    [1] Unfinished.
    Setlist courtesy of Phish.net

  • Del McCoury and David Grisman Celebrate 50 Years of Del & Dawg at EMPAC

    A standing ovation welcomed Del McCoury and David Grisman to the stage shortly after 8pm on December 10. The duo best known as Del & Dawg began their 50th anniversary show on the same RPI campus with “Feast Here Tonight,” a tune by the Monroe Brothers that nodded to Bill Monroe’s connection to both Grisman and McCoury and the genre of which they are elder statesmen. Using only one microphone, the crisp sound made it seem as though you were standing next to them. Even the applause sounded remarkable.

    Del McCoury and David GrismanThe Capital Region of New York is fortunate to have some of the best sounding venues in the country, where the audience and artist can mutually appreciate immaculate acoustics. The Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center (EMPAC) on the campus of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy joins The Egg, Troy Music Hall and Picotte Recital Hall as premiere venues with impeccable sound which aids in bringing an exceptional variety of music to the Capital Region.

    The pair took turns introducing the other. Grisman said it was “Great to be back in Troy with this young man,” while McCoury presented his counterpart as “The founder of Dawg music.” The reflection of their instruments bounced off the walls of the spacious room as they swayed and stepped back and forth to the microphone. “East Virginia Blues,” a humorous song of longing sung by both the Carter Family and Stanley Brothers felt like stepping into 1940s Appalachia. “Toy Heart,” a Bill Monroe original, elicited banter from Del and David who gave a free history lesson on the original Blue Grass Boys who first performed in 1946. A former Blue Grass boy himself, Del started out playing banjo, but Monroe got him to switch to acoustic and start singing, much to our delight 50 years later.

    Some banjo humor preceded the instrumental “G-Run Blues,” followed Ralph Stanley’s “Man of Constant Sorrow,” as did “Tennessee Waltz,” considered by Grisman to be “a piece of musical substance” and also the state song of Tennessee that preceded the current title holder, “Rocky Top,” somewhat to Grisman’s dismay. To end the first set, the two performed “The Country Boy Rock n Roll,” a song that was seen at the time as a push back to Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis.

    Del and Dawg returned to the stage, discussing the circumstances of their first show in 1966. A 4-piece needed a guitar player, and Del McCoury drove up to play with Grisman, the late Winny Winston on banjo and his brother Jerry McCoury on bass. Jerry then joined the pair on stage, followed by Chris Warner on banjo, collectively referring to themselves as The Bluegrass Survivors. “I Wonder Where You Are Tonight,” a Hank Snow song dating to the 1940s, began the set, followed by Del singing lead on “Dark Hollow,” one of the most familiar tunes of the night. Jerry McCoury sang lead on “Send me Your Address From Heaven,” with a voice akin to Del’s, pun intended.

    Prior to “We can’t be Darlins Anymore,” Grisman pointed out the duality of bluegrass music, describing lyrics as focusing on “them tragic things of life – unrequited love, death, incarceration, suicide” and the melodies as “very uplifting, the antidote to the lyrics.” Grisman’s summation of bluegrass: “If you don’t listen to the words, it’s very uplifting.”

    Dawg humor was on display with “I’m my own Grandpa,” as was Del’s ‘High and Lonesome sound’ on “The Prisoner’s Song,” followed by a somber and beautiful “White Dove.” Del gave thanks to the crowd, saying “We enjoyed having a reunion,” and wrapping up the night with Jimmy Martin’s “Hit Parade of Love” and an encore of “Lonesome Road.”

    The history of the music performed this evening exceeded the 50 years the two have performed together. Music dating back to the 1920’s provided a century of bluegrass from which to cull a celebratory performance for this pair of musicians whose influence and knowledge runs deep through the veins of bluegrass music.

    Setlist:

    Set 1: Feast Here Tonight, Shackles & Chains, East Virginia Blues, G-Run Blues, Toy Heart, Man of Constant Sorrow, Tennessee Waltz, Snow Dove, Del & Dawg, Country Boy Rock n Roll

    Set 2: I Wonder Where You are Tonight, Send Me Your Address From Heaven, Dark Hollow, Shenandoah Breakdown, We Can’t be Darlins Anymore, He’s His Own Grandpa, The Prisoner’s Song, Fanny Hill, Walk the Dog, The White Dove, Hit Parade of Love

    Encore: Lonesome Road

    Special thanks to Guthrie/Bell Productions for bringing an historic show to EMPAC, and Del and David, and their wives Jean and Tracy for chatting with fans at the merch table after the show.

  • Interview: Del and Dawg Return to RPI to Celebrate 50 Years of Music

    David Grisman, the Dawg of Del & Dawg

    The roots of bluegrass travel from Appalachia through Kentucky in the 1940s, but the origin of one of the most famous duos in bluegrass history is found in New York. On Saturday, December 10, Del McCoury and David Grisman, better known as Del and Dawg will reunite to celebrate 50 years of music. They’ll do so on the campus of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, just as they did that first time back in 1966. Del and David will be joined on this very special evening at EMPAC by Jerry McCoury and Chris Warner.

    Mandolinist David ‘Dawg’ Grisman, a nickname coined by Jerry Garcia, has combined bluegrass and jazz throughout a career of acoustic prowess. Grisman studied English at NYU and lived in Greenwich Village where the folk scene proliferated in the early 1960s. David learned to play mandolin in a style befitting the father of bluegrass music, Bill Monroe. One of Monroe’s Bluegrass Boys, McCoury switched from banjo to guitar, making the pairing with Grisman have a deeper connection in the music.

    Grisman spoke to NYS Music from his Northern California home, discussing the origins of Del and Dawg, bluegrass today and the influence of Jerry Garcia on his mandolin playing.

    Pete Mason: The performance at RPI on December 10th is the 50th anniversary of your first show with Del. How does it feel to bring your history together full circle? Any memories of that show?

    David Grisman: It feels just great to have maintained such a fruitful musical and personal relationship for this long. I still remember the excitement and energy of that first gig together, which was captured on tape and released in part on my album, Early Dawg. I was offered the princely sum of $200 to put a bluegrass band together and was able to obtain the services of Del and his bass-playing brother Jerry, with whom I played in Red Allen’s band. My good friend and banjo whiz, the late Winnie Winston, completed that first ensemble. Later that year (1966) at the 2nd Bluegrass Festival in Fincastle, Virginia, Del asked me to play a set with him. That band included Chris Warner on banjo. Del and I have invited Jerry McCoury and Chris Warner to join us for the second half of this show for a special Bluegrass 50th year reunion set. We’re calling the band The Bluegrass Survivors! We’ll also be playing the next night at the Birchmere in Alexandria, Va.

    PM: How was bluegrass received in the mid-1960s in New York?

    DG: Bluegrass was always exciting for New York audiences, then and now. Of course, now there’s a wider audience. But it always was very special for me, particularly when people like Ralph Rinzler, Mike Seeger, John Cohen and Israel G. Young started promoting concerts with bands like Bill Monroe and his Bluegrass Boys and the Stanley Brothers.

    PM: What are some of the highlights of the last 50 years of playing music with Del?

    DG: Playing with Del is always special, but one highlight was the tour we did in 1989 as the David Grisman Bluegrass Experience where Del and his band (featuring his sons Ronnie and Rob and two fiddle players) joined me for a two-week tour to promote my LP, Home is Where the Heart Is. Another high point was producing the Mandolin Extravaganza project with Ronnie McCoury, which featured eight bluegrass mandolin masters in various combinations, all backed by Del’s masterful rhythm guitar.

    PM: What is the first instance where you knew there was a musical chemistry between you?

    DG: I reckon it was the first note we ever played — long ago.

    Del and DawgPM: How did playing with Jerry Garcia influence your mandolin playing?

    DG: Playing with Jerry opened me up to exploring a lot of possibilities that existed within our many common musical sensibilities. We had both drunk from the same musical well for many years and playing together later in our careers was a great musical and personal experience for me.

    PM: You have seen 50 years of bluegrass music, from the beginning of the familiar genre. How have you observed its evolution?

    DG: Well to be perfectly honest, I wasn’t there at the beginning which Del & I both agree occurred when Earl Scruggs joined Bill Monroe’s band in 1946 (which already included Lester Flatt and Chubby Wise). I didn’t discover bluegrass music until 1960, but fortunately the original architects of the music were still in their prime and playing. I did get to play with many of them, including Bill Monroe, Earl Scruggs, Ralph Stanley, Red Smiley, Mac Wiseman and Red Allen, who gave me my first “hard-core” bluegrass job. I’m currently working on a project with one of my heroes, the great mandolin master, Jesse McReynolds. Bluegrass has of course “evolved”, taking on many influences that Bill Monroe probably wouldn’t have approved of. In a way it’s become diluted and in my opinion, commercialized by the music business, as have many other genres. I still like the more traditional bands like Del’s. Having said that, I think there are many young musicians who are playing incredible music these days, from Chris Thile and the Punch Brothers to Sierra Hull. I just wouldn’t call it bluegrass. That’s why I called my own music Dawg because I don’t feel it is bluegrass as defined by the creators of that genre.

    PM: What is it like to have not only a stage relationship with Del, but to also have sons Monroe Grisman and Ronnie McCoury born a month apart?

    DG: Our children are a great source of inspiration. Monroe Grisman is a wonderful musician and singer, but was always in the rock world. He now plays in a very popular band in Marin County, California — Petty Theft. My daughter Gillian (head of production for George Lucas’ Edutopia project) is also musical and even played a gig with John Sebastian’s jug band on washboard bass! My son Samson is a great bass player who currently plays with Lee Ann Womack and the Bryan Sutton Band, as well as my own Bluegrass Experience. My stepson, John R., has been developing into a fine mandolinist and my wife Tracy has subbed for Sam on bass and also plays guitar and fiddle. Of course Del’s sons Ronnie and Rob are fantastic award winning bluegrass musicians and will certainly carry on the McCoury legacy. I know that Del and I are both proud dads and we’ve talked about doing a father & son project someday.

    Tickets for Saturday’s Del and Dawg show are available through EMPAC.

    Watch Del and Dawg from Oriental Theater in Denver below.

  • Video Premiere: Space Carnival “Moon Boots”

    An exclusive to NYS Music, Space Carnival has released the video for “Moon Boots.” Filmed by Front Row Dave at Damn Sam’s Harvest Festival in Laurens, NY on October 8, 2016 and edited by Shane O’Sullivan, the song debuted as a single off the group’s recent debut album Drawn in By the Sun.

  • Photo Gallery: Mike Gordon Returns to The Egg

    Halfway through the second set of his November 26 performance at The Egg, Mike Gordon paused to remark, “I think this is the best sounding venue on the Eastern seaboard,” which led to thunderous applause from the sold out crowd. Gordon spoke of his affinity for The Egg in a recent interview with NYS Music, something residents of the Capital Region have known for many years.

    mike gordon eggThe two-set show opened with “Waking up Dead,” followed by “Jumping,” which featured strong interplay between Gordon’s bass, John Kimock’s drums and Craig Myers’ percussion, which broke down into a bluesy duel with Mike and guitarist Scott Murawski working up and down their instruments. A stand out jam was built by Kimock’s drums during the set closing “Traveled Too Far.”

    A six-song second set featured “Just a Rose” by Max Creek, a high energy number that added a spark to the crowd. A dark “Yarmouth Road” segued smoothly into “Let’s Go,” which brought out the interactive instrument REEL into the crowd, which fans touched to add to the jam (Mike got in a few touches too). Robert Walter’s nasty keyboard work was on full display during “Take it as it Comes,”  while “Tiny Little World” closed the set with “My Sharona” teases mixed in.

    Gettin weird with the audience during ‘Let’s Go!’ #mikegordon #nysmusic #518love #albanydoesntsuck

    A video posted by NYS Music (@nystatemusic) on


    An encore of “Sugar Shack” had Mike invite fans to dance on the front of the stage, perhaps to the dismay of security but with absolute joy from the looks of fans dancing and smiling to close out the night.

    Set 1: Waking Up Dead, Jumping, Morphing Again, Don’t Chin The Dog > Let Her Go > Traveled Too Far

    Set 2: Here Today, Just a Rose, Yarmouth Road > Let’s Go, Take It As It Comes, Tiny Little World

    Encore: Sugar Shack

    Download Scott Bernstein’s recording of the show

  • Jam for Tots Benefit Shows Kick off November 25 in Tannersville

    Jam for Tots returns to the Capital Region of New York for the 10th year in a row, with a series of performances that bring the live music community together in supporting children in need this holiday season.

    jam for totsHosted by Luke Weiler of Positive Mental Trip, the event started as a way to help make less fortunate children happy and doing so through music for a positive cause. Working with The Marines Corps, who run Toys for Tots, the events grew from one in 2007 to nine in 2013, while keeping a focus on the Northeast as an area of need.

    “Our goal for 2016 is to make as many children happy on Christmas Day and make sure that every person that comes to Jam for Tots leaves happy and glad that they took the time to come,” said Weiler. “We go to great lengths every year to make sure people have a blast at Jam for Tots with raffles, giveaways, great bands and all around good vibes. When a town and a good promoter get behind these events, there is really nothing that can stop them from being successful. This year all four shows are in places that love Jam for Tots and are all about it so they are all gonna rock.”

    The four Jam for Tots events kick off on Friday, November 25 in Tannersville at The Spinning Room. Bring a toy for a child as your cover charge for the shows.

    November 25, The Spinning Room, Tannersville, NY

    Bands include Positive Mental Trip (band), The Vicious Knishes, and In Good Company. Doors 8:30pm, Music goes from 9pm-1 am. Event link

    December 2, The Stewart House, Athens, NY

    Bands include Positive Mental Trip (band), For the Grateful and DUBB Agents. Doors 6:15pm, Music from 7-10pm. Event link

    December 10, Putnam Den, Saratoga Springs, NY

    Bands include Dr. Jah and the Love Prophets, Positive Mental Trip (band), The North and South Dakotas, Too Much Too Fast, and Dustin Sawyer. Doors at 7pm with live music until 2am. Event link

    December 17, Aaron’s Irish Pub, Gloversville, NY

    Bands are Too Much Too Fast, Positive Mental Trip -Band, Our Secret Love Society, Noise Between Stations and Memory of Me. Doors at 6pm with live music from 7pm – 2am. Event link

  • Nestling in at The Egg: An Interview with Mike Gordon

    Mike Gordon has returned to the road, with a Fall Tour stretching from the Midwest to the east coast. Having just wrapped up Phish’s Fall Tour in Las Vegas with a performance of David Bowie’s The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, NYS Music talked to Mike about his favorite moment from the instant classic set, the goals of improvisation, and what he loves about The Egg so much.

    mike gordon interviewMike Gordon will be in Pittsburgh on Tuesday November 22 at Stage AE, Town Ballroom in Buffalo on Wednesday November 23, Higher Ground in Burlington on Friday November 25 and The Egg in Albany on Saturday, November 26.

    Pete Mason: This is your third show at The Egg in Albany. Your show from 2011 was even released as a live show. What is the appeal of the venue to you?

    Mike Gordon: The acoustics are pretty incredible, I don’t know what it is about eggs, part of how they built it I guess. I had been in the past to see Jerry Douglas. I remember liking the weird shape and it sounds good. The first time, you could hear a pin drop, and when it got loud it was a good kind of loud. And it’s nice how it’s just nestled there in Albany. I love that word. Nestling.

    PM: Is there a moment you hope to reach in improvisation? A certain goal in mind?

    MG: Not so specifically as a specific goal. There are different kinds of goals in there, set personally or with bandmates, different feelings. I’ve had different unique experiences, some are high energy, some are about a lot of sweat. All moments have to be unique, not just rehashing to feel special. There are kinda high energy ones, some more dreamy – in that department, what I used to say, is that my goal in music is to bridge the gap between being awake and asleep – there really is, in the middle of a jam that feels like it’s playing itself, this kind of opening in my soul or somewhere in my mind that accesses a neural network or feelings that I can usually only sort of traverse in night dreams. That’s why I’ll remember certain night dreams, the feeling, the location, the people, some aspect of it. That’s the biggest goal.

    Being 100% in the moment is the true catharsis of what people have or are overcoming problems. In an experience it doesn’t mean you can’t keep track. When it’s not happening and it’s sort of a road trip to another song, then I forget how deep these experiences can be. Then I’m reminded, and I don’t need to be anywhere else in the world and I can be in a cozy living room or somewhere else.

    I’ve been in a philosophical mode – my answers are veering this way for interviews lately. There are so many other feelings and metaphors. A complicated answer and definitely something I think about a lot.

    PM: Why do you feel that is?

    MG: Switching projects, my album, my daughter – so much going on at once. That allows for some cross referencing and applying one inspiration to another to go back and forth to blend all the experiences together and have it come out either way.

    mike gordon interviewPM: What compels you to have improvisation as such a large aspect of your music?

    MG: I have one band that jams a lot, maybe not enough for fans who want every song jammed out. But enough that St. Vincent made fun of it (the jamming). I think I have that (with Phish), so (with Mike Gordon Band) I can rock and work with catchy hooks in fun ways, or ask “How can we experiment with new sounds?,” but what happens for me, even if it’s not what I’ve been writing about in my journals compared to 30 years ago, these little peak experiences remind me that there is a deeper well to be tapped into than what the surface level of what music can provide. There is something that if you believe in it and allow it to go deep into your soul, it’s deeper than one can remember. Anything they try to read and watch later isn’t going to be the same, when the experience becomes irreplaceable. For me, I just keep getting reminded of total spontaneity and what you can plan for, but there is some planning that is necessary and good. Sometimes I think about how my favorite Radiohead show was really deep and dreamy and all the songs were 3 minutes long. If something feels really good, I don’t want it to end, I want to bask in it. Like when you get a new video game, you want to keep playing it.  I don’t want things to end at 3 minutes, but if it does that’s OK.

    With Phish and my experience being in bands with long jams, in the middle of that long jam, something may come up that has nothing to do with the song. Melodies, chord progressions, not as often lyrics, but sometimes lyrics. Made up stuff comes together, almost as a new song, even with its little emotions, flashbacks, dreams, chords, melodies, a whole new little song. So cool to be able to get to that. But wait a minute, this little new song that came out of the jam, taken on its own, could just be a song on the radio – pop, old blues – that isn’t filled with all this cosmic stuff and it’s not a dream song. Maybe there is another route to get there. Maybe there is a different way to get there, by writing songs, that don’t have improv to be enjoyed.

    PM: “Let’s Go”, which was left off Big Boat, was performed by your band this summer at Catskill Chill, and twice this year by Phish. Will the catchy tune have a home in both band’s repertoires?

    MG: I think so, yeah. Scott and I have been doing a lot of writing over the last couple years and I don’t think I’ve said this before, but it came out of a jam my band was doing, some sort of outro, and I just started singing that chant and saved it, and I loved that chant. My friend Fonzworth Bently (From G’s to Gents) was at my band’s L.A. show, and he loved the show a lot and offered some feedback, “I wish you could address the crowd more, say some stuff,” which is interesting since I’m from a world where we don’t talk to the crowd. I wondered “What would I say?” and my friend replied “What about ‘Let’s go?’” When we played House of Blues Boston, we were Googling this medley as a joke of all the songs that have ‘Let’s Go’ (The Cars, Richie Valens) so we went into a writing session, liking the chant, and working off a list of songwriting ideas, this demo we made had a hip hop groove, it sounded sort of fresh, a fresh style for me, mixing synth guitar and drum machine with live percussion. Trey said he kinda lit up when he heard it – we don’t have a chant, aside from “Fuego.” Big Boat was so open ended where I bring songs that are open ended and have more room to build. Trey put it back on the list in the studio, mid-recording, and Bob Ezrin suggested we try it with only drums, all singing, with no other instruments, all after one take. We added in some toy synth sounds and went through an evolution that didn’t sound right.

    mike gordon interviewPM: Were there any lessons from Big Boat that you have applied to your own band?

    MG: There are always lessons. In terms of Big Boat, there were a wide variety of songs on there, which stemmed from the lesson with Bob about being more heartfelt and direct about some songs. When Trey first brought “Miss You,” he played his demo for us, just him strumming and singing and it was authentic, he did miss someone. The chord voicing thing, it sounded unique, like Trey. I appreciated the directness. Bob sat us down and talked about taking the cleverness away and keeping emotion, which he’s done with Pink Floyd and U2. When someone challenges you, I like to look at both ends of spectrum. We want to try that out a bit more. I take it as a grain of salt when I realize I don’t know what my songs are about, and that is intentional. Like “Come Together,” where Lennon admitted it was filled in with gibberish, but it sounds so good. Sometimes directness doesn’t work for me, especially if it feels too plain and other times it does. That’s one thing to think about from that experience. Maybe the way the themes were tied together, there were certain nudgings in certain directions. I liked those directions and discussions, and liked to directly go to YouTube and bring up some influences as old as they might be, and learn some grooves from legendary artists and not be afraid. I really like Page’s song ‘I Always Wanted it This Way’ – he spent over 10 years on it. I’ve been really getting into “Petrichor,” being so long and having 22 sections, it is really fun to digest. There’s a collection of little things.

    PM: What was your personal highlight from the Ziggy Stardust Halloween set?

    MG: I liked it all. Maybe it was highlight of rehearsal for “It Ain’t Easy” and Trey got to sing while I played one note. At the show I think it was different, really all of it together, just a feeling of how comfortable I was doing it. As we always do getting into the mind of another artist, I really like being in that world but feeling like myself, but I liked singing “Starman” because it was the first song everyone knew that was a hit. Having everyone singing along felt amazing.

    PM: What books, movies and music have you been enjoying this year?

    MG: It’s actually a book Phil Lesh lent me – I have to get this back to him – “In Perfect Timing” by Peter Caddy, about the formation of a community in Ireland where the term ‘New Age’ came from where they use spiritual guidance: “I can do it” and “I can climb the biggest mountain.” I’m slowly getting my way through it. I love the weirdness and empowerment feeling.

    I keep missing movies I want to see. Grand Budapest Hotel stuck as a landmark for me where I was like ‘Yeah, I seriously like that one.’

    I’ve been checking out producers and such, my bandmates provided these albums they’ve been listening to and mine hasn’t gone out yet. Warpaint, Can, my daughter is now only spinning Megan Trainor. She had gone into World Pop 40 on Spotify, and now she has been listening to it as a guilty pleasure that she comes up with. So sonic to indie to pop to indie pop to kraut rock.

    PM: In listening to Megan Trainor, had you noticed any similarity between “All About that Bass” and “Contact?”

    MG: All about that bass… I hadn’t thought of that. I like the lyrics, some of her songs go straight back to 1950’s with a modern twist, but some is exactly out of there.

  • High Energy Soul Singer Sharon Jones Dies at 60

    Soul Singer Sharon Jones, known for her powerful voice and kinetic stage presence, passed away on Friday at age 60, after a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. She was surrounded by members of the Dap-Kings and loved ones, according to her publicist.

    sharon jones Cancer did not slow down Ms. Jones, who was first diagnosed in 2013 and continued recording or touring while undergoing chemotherapy. A documentary on her life, MISS SHARON JONES! was released this summer to great acclaim.

    Sharon Jones found success in her 40s, after being rebuffed by major labels who considered her, “too short, too fat, too black and too old,” as recounted in “I’m Still Here,” released this summer. The song details her life as she moved from the segregated south to New York City and persistence in achieving her goals. While performing with a wedding band Good n Plenty, she met producer/songwriter Gabriel Roth and joined funk label Daptone Records in Brooklyn, led the Dap-Kings on stage and gave high energy performances for audiences since 2002. The group won a 2015 Grammy for Best R&B Album for Give the People What They Want and recorded six albums on the Daptone label.

    Born in Augusta, GA, her mother was forced to give birth in a storage room at a hospital in the segregated Jim Crow south. Jones relocated to Bedford-Stuyvesant in Brooklyn in 1960, attended Brooklyn College and turned her focus to music. She collaborated in her career with Lou Reed, Phish, Michael Bublé and David Byrne, among many others. Radiation and chemotherapy did not slow down Ms. Jones, “I need to dance onstage, I don’t want something that makes me bedridden. I want to live my life to the fullest.”

  • Runaway Gin to Perform First Show in NYC

    Runaway Gin – a Tribute to Phish, will perform their first show in New York City on Saturday, November 19 at The Highline Ballroom. Featuring two sets, this South Carolina based Phish tribute act will kick things off at 7pm on Saturday, warming up the crowd as they prepare for Phish at Madison Square Garden in just under 46 days. Runaway Gin is Andy Greenberg on guitar, Bobby Hogg on bass, John Fitzgerald on keys and John Pope on drums. Andy talked to NYS Music about the upcoming show, what makes them a unique band, and performing with Holly Bowling this fall.

    Pete Mason: This show marks your first in New York City. Where has the band been playing the most and what are your plans for this first show the Big Apple?

    Andy Greenberg: We are so glad to finally play in New York. Since we started in 2014 we definitely have played many many shows at the Pour House in Charleston, South Carolina in particular with our weekly Sunday Phunday residency. Beyond that we ventured into North Carolina and then Georgia and Florida as well as Chicago in the summer of 2015 and then up to Washington D.C. Just this past weekend we went to Birmingham, AL and Oxford, MS for the first time. Our only plans for the show are to get weird, have fun, and play our hearts out. I know so many from NYC and surrounding areas from Phish tour and I am ever so excited to play for many of them for the first time! Some places we play we try and keep things a little light on the jams and more “songy.” New York is not one of those places. We are assuming most everyone there is very familiar (and obsessed) with Phish’s music and we want to go ahead and dive in deep right from the get-go without worry of easing into the show.

    PM: What was it like playing a sold out show at Hard Rock Chicago after Fare Thee Well in July 2015?

    AG: It was incredible. The whole experience was completely surreal. First of all, being in Chicago with Trey playing with the Dead was beyond anything I could verbalize. To see my guitar hero play with many of his musical heroes in such an epic setting certainly had us all feeling very inspired. The crowd’s energy the whole weekend and at our show was absolutely euphoric and we couldn’t help but reflect that back to them. The fact that there were so many people there was overwhelming, in a good way, especially people that I know well and love and people from our hometown. It was a bit of an out-of-body experience up there on stage. Sometimes you just forget where you are and what you are doing and put all your brain-power into just being in the moment. I guess that’s what we always strive for, especially while jamming. That’s how I felt for that show. I walked off stage not remembering much of what just went down – My mind was too occupied with forming memories in those moments.

    PM: Among all the Phish cover bands, what makes Runaway Gin the most unique? What makes you stand out among the rest?

    AG: To be honest I’m not really familiar with the other Phish cover bands – not because I don’t want to be – there just aren’t any near us in Charleston. I went to see Phix when I was in college and I’ve seen Pink Talking Fish and become friends with them, although I guess you wouldn’t exactly call them a Phish cover band per se. I can tell you however what we are all about. We try to sound as much like Phish as possible during written sections of songs – I imagine some tributes may put more of their own spin on the written parts. We try to be in the moment and embellish some things from night to night but in a similar way that Phish would deviate from the composition. When it comes to jams we approach them in the same way that I imagine Phish does and has. We don’t learn jams or try to emulate specific versions typically (although we have once or twice) but I’m not sure if other Phish cover bands take this same approach. In terms of setlists, we create our own shows in the same way that Phish would. We don’t play a show that has already occurred like Dark Star Orchestra does. We felt that doing so would take us (and the audience) out of the present moment which I don’t think is authentic to the experience of being at a Phish show. Another thing that is unique about us is – we play all the time. Since 2014 we have played over 200 shows and I think that a big part of Phish’s sound is the chemistry they have developed from playing together so many times. It would be really tough for us to play as we do without playing as often. When we are off for even a week we can all feel the rust – when we play 3-4 nights in a row it typically gets better and better with each show. At least from my perspective.

    PM: You’ve recently played a pair of shows with Holly Bowling. How were they and did you collaborate at all during the shows?

    AG: We had so much fun sharing the stage with Holly! We did two shows with her the weekend after Dick’s in Charleston and Columbia, SC. It was my first time seeing her live so first of all I was blown away. Piano was my first instrument so I have a very deep connection with what she is doing. I used to sit and transcribe Phish on piano in the earliest stages of my “phandom” and fuse songs together after school for my own amusement. I can’t help but wonder if I had continued playing piano and not switched to guitar in my early teens if I might be doing something in the same vein that Holly is. So the shows were so much fun – really a magical vibe all around! She had the audience in the palm of her hand (you could hear a pin drop during soft sections) and even in tears. Most everyone at the shows, like me, were hearing Holly for the first time and it was such a beautiful thing to facilitate and share in. We did do some collaborating! in Charleston the first night Holly joined us spur of the moment for “Harry Hood” (we chanted “Holly” instead of “Harry”) and again during the encore “Frankenstein” on the keytar. In Columbia for what turned into our “Meat” show Holly joined us for “Also Sprach Zarathustra” and for our first set we closed with “the Squirming Coil” and we brought out Holly’s piano right as we got to the outro section and we walked off stage leaving Fitz and Holly (each on their own pianos) to close the set together with an impromptu piano segment which was stunning to behold!

    PM: What else do you have coming up this fall?

    AG: After this weekend we are going to be putting on “the Animal Carnival” on Friday, November 25 in our hometown of Charleston. This is also my birthday so it’s basically just a big costume party where everyone is going to dress up like animals and we’re going to play all Phish songs and songs they have covered that reference animals. In December, we are headed to Athens, GA to play legendary Georgia Theater on December 8 and then we play Savannah, GA and Tampa, FL that same weekend. The weekend after that we have our first two-night run in Charlotte, NC at the Rabbit Hole and then on the 30 and 31 of December we will play a two-nighter in Atlanta, GA including a 3-setter for New Years which runs until 2:45 am. This is our first time playing on New Years – I’ve been at Phish every NYE since 2011 and I had to choose between Phish at MSG or at Mayan Riviera. I chose Mexico so that left me open for New Years. We normally don’t play shows when Phish is playing but with MSG tickets being so tough and the weather up there vs. down South I figured we could throw a party nearby for all the phans in the Southeast that couldn’t get tickets or make the trip to New York. So yeah it’s a busy Fall and Winter for us and we’re gonna have some fun!

    Saturday show has doors at 6pm and the show starting promptly at 7pm. Check out more info here.

  • Phish Pay Tribute to David Bowie on Final Night of Vegas Run

    There are many reasons to venture to Las Vegas – gambling, award winning restaurants, shopping, swank hotels, and of course, the numerous live shows that decorate the Strip. But it is rare that one band would attract 16,000+ fans to travel to Las Vegas for four nights of music and revelry throughout Sin City, and that is where the allure of Phish stands above and beyond others.

    Arriving the night before the musical madness began, the air was electric with Phish fans peppering the hotels along the strip, heading to Brooklyn Bowl to check out The New Deal and The Disco Biscuits, and settling in for a very long weekend of music. There is so much that Vegas offers, so adding in a quality dinner with friends, hopping on the High Roller, partaking in the west coast only delicacy of In-n-Out Burger, renting a cabana by the lazy river at MGM or trying your luck at the tables were competing with preparing for Phish each night, for these are not shows you just show up to at 7:30 pm. Fans likely had packed schedules thanks to Phish each night and selecting what to do during the day thanks to this cornucopia of the usual Vegas offerings.

    Yet when it’s getting close to showtime and you’re ready to wander through MGM Grand towards the Garden Arena, passing top notch restaurants and shops along the way, the energy becomes palpable and that familiar buzz that you only find outside a Phish show makes an appearance. You’ll find this in any city Phish plays in, but when you have one of the greatest live bands ever performing in America’s Playground, the experience is unique with vivacity and vibes that are truly sky high.

    phish vegas bowieOctober 28th kicked things off with “Martian Monster,” and the next two nights that followed featured opening songs from the 2014 Halloween album Chilling Thrilling Sounds of the Haunted House. A surprise set two opener of “Crimes of Mind” stunned the audience, while a 25 minute “Golden Age” took the cake as the jam of the night, with “Simple>Light” not far behind. Saturday’s show featured an hour long second set segment “Mercury > Piper > Scents and Subtle Sounds > Tweezer > I Always Wanted it This Way” that had no let up and brought out one song that was left off Big Boat (Mercury) and one new Big Boat track that fans had been clamoring to hear live (I Always Wanted it This Way.) Sunday’s first set was littered with energetic jam vehicles “Ghost,” “Chalkdust Torture” and “Stash,” while the second set “Down with Disease” and “Birds of a Feather” that opened the set took fans on a 37 minute psychedelic journey deep into Type II jamming. However the “Harry Hood > Have Mercy > Harry Hood” was the big surprise of the night, dropping a rarely played song (the first in 5 years) right in the middle of one of Phish’s oldest compositions.

    phish vegas bowieThen there was Halloween. The popular rumor that was afloat for weeks beforehand, and even given some credence over the summer from those in the know was that Phish would perform David Bowie’s The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, perhaps with an orchestra. When fans arrived, they received a PHISHBILL  featuring the iconic cover of Bowie’s album, with each Phish band member’s face photoshopped onto Bowie’s over four separate bills. Fans dressed as Bowie took particular joy in seeing the cover, flipping the page open and seeing that yes, Phish was about to honor Bowie. High fives, gleeful smiles, joyful tears and utter amazement were seen in the faces of nearly all fans as they walked in with PHISHBILL in hand, prepared for music history to be made.

    Halloween started with “Carini,” throwing fans off from the expected number off Chilling Thrilling, but “Your Pet Cat” followed to keep the theme running. There was not a moment in the set where things slowed down until “Petrichor” appeared late in the set, with mixed reactions throughout the crowd akin to the mixed reactions towards its inclusion on Big Boat. But the first set was just the appetizer; the second set was the meal we had waited all day to gorge on.

    The entire performance of The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, with six strings, three backup singers (Celisse Henderson, Jo Lampert and frequent collaborator Jennifer Hartswick) found Phish embracing the album fully and diving in deep for a performance that delivered in every way. Starting with a powerful “Five Years,” and ending with “Rock ‘n’ Roll Suicide,” Phish poured everything into each of the 11 songs. “Starman,” with Mike Gordon leading on vocals, let the children boogie throughout the arena, arms outstretched and singing along with each word. Trey put down his guitar and put forth an impressive vocal performance on “It Ain’t Easy” with Jennifer, Celisse and Jo driving home the powerful tune, while Page stepped away from his piano for “Ziggy Stardust,” Trey nailing the solo and fans air guitaring and fist pumping through one of the most memorable tracks on the album. “Suffragette City,” soundchecked on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon earlier in October, was the most rousing number of the night, pure rock ‘n’ roll from start to finish. But the finale of “Rock ‘n’ Roll Suicide,” sung by Trey sans guitar, was the most powerful number of the night, with the refrain “You’re not alone” sending waves of chills through the audience.

    phish vegas bowieThe third set brought out the heavy jams and pushed the envelope for fans dancing their way through the ninth and final set of the run. A dark “46 Days” led to “Sand,” which was followed by “Twist” that led to a drums segment with the full band surrounding Fishman’s kit and Trey on the marimba lumina. An 11-minute “2001” had hints of Bowie’s “Fame” and was the dance highlight of the night. Closing out the set was “Slave to the Traffic Light,” as good as you can get for a weekend closer, followed by an appropriate acapella encore of Bowie’s “Space Oddity,” with no follow up needed. Fans and musicians will look back at the Halloween show as a banner moment in rock ‘n’ roll history as one of the greatest live bands ever paid immense tribute to one of the greatest and most unique musicians ever.

    Twist drums jam #phish

    A video posted by pete mason (@phanart) on

    Setlists via Phish.net

    October 28, 2016
    Set 1: Martian Monster, No Men In No Man’s Land, Dogs Stole Things, Beauty of My Dreams, Destiny Unbound, Limb By Limb, Home, When the Circus Comes, Steam > The Wedge, Cavern, Walls of the Cave
    Set 2: Crimes of the Mind, Golden Age > Simple > Light > Twenty Years Later > Blaze On, The Squirming Coil
    Encore: Bouncing Around the Room, Bold As Love

    October 29, 2016
    Set 1: The Birds, Kill Devil Falls, 555, Roggae, Gumbo, Lawn Boy, Wilson, Maze, Wingsuit, More
    Set 2: Mercury > Piper > Scents and Subtle Sounds[1] > Tweezer > I Always Wanted It This Way[2], The Horse > Silent in the Morning > Golgi Apparatus
    Encore: Shine a Light > Tweezer Reprise
    [1] No intro.
    [2] Trey on Marimba Lumina.

    October 30, 2016
    Set 1: The Dogs, Ghost, Funky Bitch, Chalk Dust Torture, Army of One, Heavy Things, How Many People Are You, Stash, Theme From the Bottom > Suzy Greenberg
    Set 2: Down with Disease[1] -> Birds of a Feather , Fuego, Miss You, Harry Hood -> Have Mercy -> Harry Hood > A Day in the Life
    Encore: Character Zero
    [1] Unfinished

    October 31, 2016
    Set 1: Carini[1], Your Pet Cat, AC/DC Bag > Free > Possum, What’s the Use? > Wombat, Tube, Wolfman’s Brother, Ass Handed, Petrichor > Run Like an Antelope[1]
    Set 2: Five Years[2], Soul Love[3], Moonage Daydream[4], Starman[3], It Ain’t Easy[5], Lady Stardust[6], Star[5], Hang On to Yourself[5], Ziggy Stardust[7], Suffragette City[5], Rock ‘n’ Roll Suicide[4]
    Set 3: 46 Days > Sand > Twist[8], Meatstick > Also Sprach Zarathustra > Backwards Down the Number Line > Slave to the Traffic Light
    Encore: Space Oddity
    [1] Lyrics changed to reference Trey’s shirt.
    [2] Phish debut; With Sylvia D’Avanzo, Alisa Horn, Todd Low, Antoine Silverman, Alissa Smith, and Hiroko Taguchi on strings; Trey on acoustic.
    [3] Phish debut; With Sylvia D’Avanzo, Alisa Horn, Todd Low, Antoine Silverman, Alissa Smith, and Hiroko Taguchi on strings and Jennifer Hartswick, Celisse Henderson, and Jo Lampert on backing vocals; Trey on acoustic.
    [4] Phish debut; With Sylvia D’Avanzo, Alisa Horn, Todd Low, Antoine Silverman, Alissa Smith, and Hiroko Taguchi on strings and Jennifer Hartswick, Celisse Henderson, and Jo Lampert on backing vocals.
    [5] Phish debut; With Jennifer Hartswick, Celisse Henderson, and Jo Lampert on backing vocals.
    [6] Phish debut; Trey on acoustic.
    [7] Phish debut.
    [8] Trey on Marimba Lumina and Mike and Page on percussion.