NYS Music 20​16

Tag: Scarlet Begonias

  • A Jammin’ Dark Star and an IPA, Please

    They high-stepped into the Saranac Brewery and bid us all a fond goodnight, but in the middle, Dark Star Orchestra took the near capacity crowd on a mind bending, psychedelic journey through the middle 1970s.

    dark starOne of the most fun aspects of attending a DSO is trying to figure out what Grateful Dead setlist they are recreating. Opening the show with a fast “Bertha” made it immediately feel like a 1970s show to me, but because the band has played it for their entire career, it didn’t help much in determining a year. “Me and My Uncle,” “Loser” and “Black Throated Wind” confirmed that it was a show somewhere between 1970 and 1979, which, again, doesn’t do much in helping me decide.

    It was the following, stand alone “Scarlet Begonias,” complete with a harmonious and ferocious solo by Jeff Mattson, that gave away the show either being an original Dark Star Orchestra setlist, or coming from a show prior to March 18, 1977, when the first ever “Scarlet Begonias”>”Fire on the Mountain” was performed at the Winterland Arena.

    A song mainly performed by Jerry Garcia Band, “It Must Have Been the Roses” preceded “Jack Straw,” “Tennessee Jed” and “Mexicali Blues.” “Deal” then featured fun interplay between keyboardist Rob Barraco and Mattson, and really gave the show a 1973/74 feel. Rhythm guitarist Rob Eaton was visibly impressed with how the band was performing, smiling often and seeming more animated than usual.

    “Big River” and “Brown Eyed Women” were short and succinct, before the highlight of the show, “Playin’ in the Band” kicked into another realm. During the lengthy jam, I mentioned how I was confident this was a 1974 show, when an older gentleman informed me that DSO was recreating a Dead show from May 14, 1974 in Montana.

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    “US Blues,” “El Paso” and “Row Jimmy” were executed impeccably to open the second frame. “Weather Report Suite” then bled seamlessly into “Let it Grow,” before the opening lines to the 1960s psychedelic masterpiece “Dark Star” were played. Being the band’s namesake, DSO brought us on a journey from 1967 up until 1974, with elements of the grungy, late 1960s Dead feel, up to the mid-1970s, more mild tempo style and everything in between. It was the highlight of the entire show.

    Garcia ballad “China Doll” gave the crowd a breather before “Promised Land,” “Not Fade Away” and “Goin’ Down the Road Feeling Bad” literally rocked the set to a close. If there was a single person not dancing like a maniac, I surely did not witness that, and the set concluded with the utmost energy.

    Already prepared for the “One More Saturday Night” encore, I snagged one last $5 Saranac Legacy IPA (seriously, though, where else can you get a beer that delicious at a concert these days for $5? Most Bud Lights at other places cost more than $10 …) and took my space back for one final boogie.

    DSO, almost 20 years into a pretty successful career, is showing no signs of slowing down whatsoever. In a recent interview with NYSMusic, Barraco said the band plans to cut back on the number of shows per year to focus on new family members, and put the emphasis on bigger events. A stop at the Saranac Brewery seems to be an annual thing for the band, and I can’t think of a better place to spend a summer night grooving to my favorite music ever made.

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  • Keller Williams’ KWahtro Livens Up the Westcott Theater

    On April 8, multi-instrumentalist and one-man jam band Keller Williams, hosted a night of tasteful jams and brought along a fancy new group of amazing musicians to the Westcott Theater in Syracuse. Adding Gibb Droll on acoustic guitar, Rodney Holmes on Drums, and Danton Boller on the upright bass, Keller dubbed the group The KW KWahtro (fun for quatro, meaning four). For anyone who’s seen Keller play live, whether solo or with any of his collaborations, knew the evening would be filled with danceable rhythms and charming lyrics.

    KWahtroWith no opening performers, the show kicked off shortly after 9 p.m. allowing the group time to dig in and get comfortable. As the house music faded and lights dimmed, the subtle sound of a muted acoustic guitar began to get louder and louder. Soon enough, a silhouette appeared at the back of the stage and Keller then slowly danced his way forward with the rest of the band following behind him. The audience cheered with excitement as Keller strummed his way into a funky instrumental before the rest of KWahtro joined in with a groove.

    Before the crowd knew it, the piece unfolded into the popular hip-shaking “Freaker By the Speaker,” followed with a jam that led into an upbeat version of Jerry Garcia‘s “Bird Song.” Keeping the rhythm flowing, Keller slightly changed direction and began singing “Birds of a Feather” by Phish, which rocketed the energy of the room.  Towards the end of the set, came an incredible jazzy drum solo from Rodney Holmes, known for his jazz influenced style. The ensemble re-emerged from the dark, strapped on their instruments and began into “Up From the Skies.”

    KWahtro The second set followed suit with Keller entering the stage in the same fashion. This time around, the whole band collectively began jamming into the hit song “Best Feeling,” from the album Breathe, made popular by Williams’ collaboration with The String Cheese Incident.  Included in the second half was a delightful “Scarlet Begonias” featuring a “China Cat” intro, “Victory Song,” and two new singles “Mantra” and “The Drop” from Keller’s most recent release, Vape.  KWahtro re-emerged from the shadows of the backstage and asked the boisterous crowd, “Would you like to hear a rockin’ cover or a rockin’ original?” With sincere acceptance for both options, the group graciously jammed out the original tune “High,” seguing into Joe Walsh‘s “Life’s Been Good” to end the evening.

    Overall, these four amazingly talented musicians can surely entertain any audience in any venue simply because they know how to hold a tight groove.  Judging by the response from the crowd, KWahtro is welcome in Syracuse anytime and hopefully they make their way back again in the near future.

    KWahtroSet One: Instrumental Intro > Freaker by the Speaker > Pets > Freaker > Bird Song > Birds of a Feather, Baby Mama, Ripped Six Pack > Cheaper by the Bale, Kiwi & Apricot, Hate, Greed, Love > Moving Sidewalk > Rodney Holmes Solo, Up From the Skies, Fuel for the Road

    Set Two: Best Feeling > Open-Close > The Sun & Moon’s Vagenda, China Cat Intro > Scarlet Begonias, Mantra, Apparition > Victory Song > Buena > Off Time Chorus Line > Breathe > The Drop > Breathe.

    Encore: High > Life’s Been Good