The members of Phish returned to Madison Square Garden for an unprecedented 15th time in 2017 on Friday, December 29, 2017, and while the first set showcased a few stumbles along the way, the band showed it’s still pushing brand new boundaries heading into its 35th year.
With biting winds and the repetitiveness of yet another MSG jaunt, fans filled the sideways, bars and restaurants of midtown Manhattan, pre-show prepping for an unpredictably wild night. Off the bat, the band slid into the slinky intro of “Cavern,” typically a set closer. While Trey Anastasio mixed up a few lyrics, he set the tone for the evening. A lengthened “Blaze On” followed that fell into jazzy ambiance before bassist Mike Gordon leaped into his song, “555.”
“I Always Wanted It This Way,” keyboardist Page McConnell’s tune, stretched out from 1980s-like quirkiness into a vast yet quite dark jam. “Martian Monster” and “Heavy Things” saw the band have a little fun, notably the interplay between Anastasio and McConnell in the latter. “Destiny Unbound,” somewhat of a rarity, injected a breath of life into the crowd. Stretching to nearly nine minutes, this version of “Destiny” is longer than all in recent memory, but it was clear the band hadn’t practiced it much prior.
“Ocelot” slowly turned into a jam that featured Anastasio’s slinky fretwork, built up to a peak rife with tension. A little bit of his old school bravado from the mid-1990s was on display, dancing runs of notes up and down with little abandoned. While some fans are growing a bit weary of The Garden, Phish doesn’t appear to be among them. Launching into the set closing “Walls Of The Cave,” Phish was set to send us all to the restrooms and beer lines with a little extra pep in our steps. Anastasio had a little trouble with the intro, but he was pushed by excellent drum work by Jon Fishman, who was quietly the most important piece of the band in the set. With his extra effort rubbing off on Anastasio, Phish set “WotC” into orbit with a frenetic finish, capped off by incredible lighting from Chris Kuroda, who has incorporated seemingly every house light in the building with his rig to make for quite a stunning visual component.
The tone was immediately set when the first strums of “Sand” echoed through the sold out Garden. Anastasio quickly made use of his new toys on his completely redesigned guitar rig. Designed by Custom Audio Electronics, the set features new cabinets and a wide array of new options for Anastasio to incorporate.
With the “Chalk Dust Torture” that followed, the band unleashed a jam that quickly became the highlight of the night. After the typical song portion, Anastasio bullied his way into a quiet jam that really felt forced and out of place. It seemed as if they simply decided they’re going to launch a completely separate segment, which really should be titled “Chalk Dust Torture->Jam” on the official setlist. That was quickly forgotten, as the quiet melodies bled into an Allman Brothers-sounding jam. Gordon and McConnell continued forcing Anastasio to enter new territories before dissolving into what can only be described as a siren-sounding jam.
The execution of the segue into “Ghost” was as smooth as it gets. Almost contrary to the jam before it, this “Ghost” was led in force by the rhythm section. Gordon and Fishman landed on a smooth groove, to which McConnell responded with wavy synth runs to give the jam a dreamy finish.
“Backwards Down The Number Line” may not be everyone’s favorite song, but no one can argue that it’s about as fun of a Phish song as there is. The previous 41 minutes was Phish showing us that nothing gets stale with this band. The following eight minutes was them telling the crowd how it’s as important to the show as the band is. When Anastasio sang the closing “you decide what it contains” lyric, the people on the Chase Bridge went into pure bliss. A very quick “Simple” gave way to the drums of “Split Open And Melt.” This “Melt” was the perfect cap to a show that took a left at every right hand turn. The middle segment was eerie, haunting and quite strange. It was a dissolution into some ambient work by McConnell and Gordon, before Anastasio brought the song — and set — to a close. It was the most improv heavy “Melt” since the SPAC, 2013 version.
For the encore, that bravado of Anastasio resurfaced. “Julius” may have been about the only predictable part of the show, but it gave Anastasio one more chance to show he’s most exciting and innovative guitarist in rock and roll today. The rocking finish was coupled with Kuroda lighting the Garden in some of the most impressive ways of his career, and that’s saying something.
Tonight Phish goes for No. 16 at the Garden. If the first two nights are foreshadowing tonight, we are in for another gem.
To make it 20 years in any industry is quite a feat, especially when there were absolutely no expectations at the beginning. And the members of Dark Star Orchestra will tell you that making it that far as a cover band is even more satisfying and special.
On Saturday night at the Palace Theater in Albany, Dark Star brought a raucous show to a sold out and chock full of energy crowd on the 20th anniversary of their first show, which was performed at a bar called Martyrs’ in Chicago. There were people outside who were unable to get in the door due to the sell out. One concert goer, on his way through security, looked over and yelled, “This is reminiscent of when the Dead used to play the Knick!” He was referring to the Knickerbocker Arena, now called the Times Union Center.
From the get go, Dark Star displayed the type of energy that an eager new band 20 years younger might. Guitarist Rob Eaton stepped to his microphone for “The Music Never Stopped,” clearly a nod to their longevity. The Grateful Dead’s most commercially successful song, “Tough of Grey,” came next. When the band members, in unison with the crowd, sang the last lines of “We will get by / We will survive,” the balcony in the theater was visibly swaying. It was as thrilling a start to any Dark Star show in memory.
“Box of Rain,” one of Phil Lesh’s compositions, wound down before the Jerry Garcia ballad “So Many Roads,” sung by guitarist Jeff Mattson, brought a bit of poignancy to the evening. “Cassidy” was played perfectly and featured some very spirited body language from Eaton, who was moving around his area of the stage more than usual.
The highlight of the set was, easily, “Terrapin Station,” a song typically reserved by both Dark Star and the Dead for the second set. Keyboardist Rob Barraco and drummers Rob Koritz and Dino English seemed to have a more powerful presence during this song as Dark Star executed the composition flawlessly.
The set could have ended there and the crowd would have been happy, and that’s when the first notes to “Weather Report Suite” hit. The song fizzled into “Let it Grow,” and during the pair of songs, Eaton switched from electric to acoustic and back to electric without missing a beat. To close out a lengthy set, Dark Star Orchestra played the classic sequence of “China Cat Sunflower“->”I Know You Rider.” The bridge between the two songs took the form of pure celebration and the band showed it with gigantic smiles on their faces.
The second stanza wasted not even a second picking up, with a fast and raging “Scarlet Begonias” jamming its way into “Ruben and Cherise” in a pretty stunning twist of events. When the crowd realized that Dark Star had thrown a curve ball, it responded with a roar and a total dance party ensued. Mattson, like he would do the rest of the set, dazzled with his vocals and ripping runs up and down the fret board. “Fire on the Mountain” closed out the segment with a singalong amidst a trio of jams.
“Eyes of the World” morphed into the “Drums/Space” portion of the evening before Mattson returned to the mic for a soaring and emotional “Morning Dew.” Without taking a breath, the band started into the fan favorite “St. Stephen,” but what came next was the best part of the show, as “Stephen” gave way to the familiar riff of “The Eleven.” That seemed to take the crowd by surprise again, and the band responded by putting extra ‘umph’ into the psychedelic journey about William Tell. “Turn on Your Love Light” closed out one of the most well received Dark Star shows in memory.
Koritz then took center stage and thanked a list of people who have helped Dark Star Orchestra on their way to this night, and then toasted with the crowd, before getting the band together with their backs to the crowd and inviting everyone to take a selfie with them to celebrate 20 special years. Approaching the midnight curfew, the band then launched into “One More Saturday Night” to give the frenzied crowd one last breakdown for which to dance.
Set 1: The Music Never Stopped, Touch of Grey, Box of Rain, So Many Roads, Cassidy, Terrapin Station, Weather Report Suite>Let it Grow, China Cat Sunflower->I Know You Rider
Set 2: Scarlet Begonias->Ruben and Cherise>Fire on the Mountain, Eyes of the World, Drums/Space, Morning Dew, St. Stephen->The Eleven, Turn on Your Love Light
Encore: Band addresses crowd and takes a celebratory selfie, One More Saturday Night
It was a chilly night at Martyr’s in Chicago on November 11, 1997, when a group of like-minded musicians got together to spin their takes on a band beloved by an intrinsic fan base — one that is both fun loving and importunate at the same time.
No one involved that night could have predicted what was blooming, as the original members of The Grateful Dead tribute group Dark Star Orchestra got together to have some fun and jam out.
On Saturday night, at the Palace Theater in Albany, a band that has seen 24 different members come through its turnstiles will ring in a very special 20th anniversary of playing Grateful Dead music. Whether they’re recreating a setlist from 1973, or piecing together their own show, Dark Star Orchestra has displayed some very impressive staying power. They are a touring force, filling theaters across the country and headlining festivals during the summer while performing more than 2,700 shows in their history.
But the piece that holds it all together is what built the Grateful Dead community in the first place: the fans. For a group that had almost no expectations, Dark Star has exceeded in keeping together something that took 30 years to build.
“We had no idea this band would take over our life,” said Rob Koritz, who fills the role of Mickey Hart in Dark Star. “It’s so fantastic. Anyone who plays music for a living, they want some sort of security and longevity. I think we are doing the music justice.”
None of the members from that Chicago night remain in the band, but the ethos plays on. The Grateful Dead had to simply endure many times of their existence, whether is was a death in the band, or a health scare, or anything in between. In 1966, they were playing the Acid Tests, and in 1995 they were selling out massive football stadiums. Dark Star Orchestra has trucked on in a way that preserves what Jerry Garcia and company made into a lifestyle.
But make no mistake, Dark Star isn’t a knock off in any way. To embody the spirit of a group the way that Dark Star has is an impressive feat.
“We are Deadheads too,” Koritz said. “We recognize that. Our hope is that we do the music justice. We are going to do what we have been doing for all these years this weekend. We work hard for this music and all we hope is that the fans receive it the same way.”
In an era where there is no shortage of Grateful Dead tribute music, Dark Star Orchestra has persevered. They stick to a simple script, one that brings a simple and pure form to those who weren’t around when the Grateful Dead were alive and well.
Koritz, though, doesn’t view what Dark Star is doing as starting a trend in the scene. It doesn’t take much to go out and see a Grateful Dead band, he says, and he understands that any competition is natural, if not warranted.
“We weren’t pioneers,” Koritz said. “Every town has a Grateful Dead cover band. You can see it any night of the week. In reality, we did it on a national level where there’s no dearth of Dead bands. Greensky Bluegrass does Dead stuff, and that’s incredible. It’s a testament to the music. Every band has its twists. It’s kind of like comparing this to the originals. No one is better than another, and everyone adds a unique take.”
Albany, and more specifically the Palace Theater, is a special venue for the band which has been making their November show an annual tradition, sometimes happening on Thanksgiving weekend. Koritz said the band adores the theater and the magic that it brings, especially because of the crowd it draws.
“We love the Palace,” he said. “The fans in Albany are just so great and honestly, it’s why we keep choosing to come back. The energy. It’s one of the bigger rooms we fill up. When the Palace gets rocking, you can see the balcony swaying and it gives the band an extra boost.”
Show is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m., and while Koritz didn’t divulge too much, he did lead on that this special show isn’t lost on the band.
“We have a few special things in store, for sure,” he added. “We’re going to stand out a bit.”
Back in March, Holly Bowling performed an unplugged show at the Whisper Dome in Schenectady, as the venue’s incredible acoustics and intimate setting allowed her to ditch amplification and play the piano alone, and it was enough for the room.
“If you stand on one side of the room and you whisper, a person across the room can hear it perfectly,” Bowling said in a recent phone interview with NYSMusic. “The room opens up so many cool and exciting possibilities for the music.”
Currently on tour in support of her latest musical adventure, titled Better Left Unsung, the music of the Grateful Dead reimagined for solo piano, Bowling will return to the Whisper Dome this Saturday, October 21, for a 7 p.m. show. In 2014, she hit fame within the jam band world by transcribing a 37-minute version of “Tweezer” that Phish did in 2013 in Lake Tahoe. Since taking that on the road, Bowling has blown up into not just a respected piano player, but a keyboard savant who has been performing with some of her idols.
In 2016, she and Twiddle keyboardist Ryan Dempsey linked up for a very intimate performance at Garcia’s at the Capitol Theatre, which included a very intricate and taxing version of Phish’s “Harry Hood.” It was a few hours prior to Twiddle headlining the theater for the first time. Bowling, a guest of Dempsey’s, stole the show, showcasing her incredible technical talent in the classical piano field with her love for improvisational music.
While that performance was a boost, Bowling’s latest endeavors pit the player with her icons. Recently, she has played with Phil Lesh and the Terrapin Family Band featuring Bob Weir at Lesh’s Terrapin Crossroads venue in Northern California.
“I got to play a few songs with Phil and Bob, and it was so cool to explore the songs I’ve delved into with the guys who brought them to us,” Bowling said.
While not new to Bowling, she said she has added a level of improvisation to her show. She has written a handful of her own songs she’s intertwined with her repertoire. But her breakthrough was transcribing others’ music, and she’s doing that ten-fold while adding in a layer that may seem unfit for a piano recital.
However, it’s not unfit. Playing with Lesh and Weir gave Bowling a view into the structure that she’s been wanting.
“The biggest philosophy I learned from those guys is to take risks,” she said. “You have to play without your ego being in the way. You have to listen to all that’s going on, take the risks you want and not allow a wrong note ruin anything.”
Bowling also has honed some new tricks in her live show arsenal. She will have a projection screen that will display her hands’ every movement on the keys, and will also have a light show that corresponds with her notes that translates to a light show.
“There’s two of us involved in that,” she said. “It’s evolved into a very abstract form of art. The colors mirror the music. It’s very immersive with a gradual exploring of ideas.”
Bowling said she has no new studio in the works, and is focusing on her own current solo material.
“The Phish and the Dead stuff are only a fraction of what I have going on,” she said. “My goal is to put on a different show every night by mixing up all the songs with their stuff and the things I wrote.”
I’m not even sure where to begin; my mind is spinning out of control trying to wrap itself around the news of yet another massive tragedy on American soil.
The headlines read something like “50 Dead, More Than 200 Injured in Las Vegas Mass Shooting,” and I still cannot process this. A 64-year old man from the 32nd floor of a resort hotel mowed down concertgoers attending a performance by country music superstar Jason Aldean.
Human beings who went out to smile, dance and engage with like minded people were destroyed with clicks of a trigger.
This is not OK.
In fact, as I sit here at my desk with tears streaming down my face, all I can envision is being in that field, bobbing my head in tune with the melody, only to have that moment of zen blown up and turned into a bloody mess of fear, terror and horror.
Music is a unifying force in our world. Since the dawn of time, humans have trekked all over the world to enjoy to take in one of the oldest and most pure forms of art. Its subjectivity is what makes it so unique and uncanny; whatever music you love, it’s the best, and no one can take that from you.
This guy has now taken that elation away from so many. But unfortunately, I view this act of terror as one that will ultimately lead to all sorts of arguments on gun control and all that comes along with it.
I’m not talking about any of that here. I am talking about not allowing a monster to instill fear into people, and thus making people all over question whether to attend the concert they have tickets to next Friday night. We escape the mundane when we go to a show.
We leave our problems at the office, the stress of daily life at home, when we go out and dance.
Yet, now people are growing wary and scared of going into large crowds because a coward of a man destroyed the lives of so many.
What used to be a unifying force — music — is now linked to what is creating a divide, and I am here to tell you that we must fight that with all our might, will and passion.
Always be vigilant when in public. Take note of things that seem out of place. Try to keep things safe in whatever way you can.
But don’t you dare skip that concert. Don’t throw away your tickets and definitely don’t stop seeing your favorite music live.
If you do allow the fear to take over your ways, you allow people like this man to win.
Take a stand. Go buy concert tickets. Enjoy the show.
Be part of overcoming terror, and not succumbing to what those horrendous people want.
It doesn’t seem like the easiest feat to get a small music festival up, running and successful, but that’s just what the organizers of the Adirondack Independence Music Festival did this past weekend, September 2-3.
In its second year and hosted in Lake George at the Charles R. Wood Commons, the two-day festival brought a stacked lineup to eager fans, and may have solidified itself moving forward as an Upstate New York gem. Ticket prices were beyond reasonable, the atmosphere was relaxed and omnipotent and every person who graced the stage brought something unique and memorable.
With 11 nights down and only 4 sets left, Phish still had not repeated a song at their Baker’s Dozen run of 13 shows at Madison Square Garden. 198 songs in 11 nights is no small feat but Phish stepped up to the plate for the penultimate show of their residency.
Saturday proved to be an even harder ticket than the night before. The last show with a weekend day following wasn’t going to be easy to get in if you didn’t secure tickets in advance and especially not for this end to the Baker’s run of shows
“Soul Shakedown Party” got the night off to a groovy start, before “Uncle Pen” and “The Sloth” got the rowdy crowd even more fired up.
“Gotta Jibboo” provided the first bout of improv of the night, stretching past 12 minutes of Trey-led bliss. Just when you thought the song would wind down, Trey began hitting new licks and taking the song, while within its typical structure, beyond the scope of its typical role.
“Fuck Your Face” was standard, with Mike having a bit of a lyrical gaffe midway through, before Phish decided to mash up Boston and Cream songs for an epic medley. “Sunshine of Your Feeling” began with Cream’s “Sunshine of Your Love,” before the band began dropped suddenly and seamlessly into Boston’s “More Than a Feeling” to which the crowd erupted in shock and awe. “Foreplay/Longtime,” “Tales of Brave Ulysses” and “The White Room” all were woven into the Boston/Cream mashup that the band admitted right after, that they had been waiting 20 years to play, and tongue-in-cheek, the genesis for the Baker’s Dozen concept.
The Trey ballad “Frost” then gave way to a super fun and danceable “Scent of a Mule,” which saw Mike and Page extend the Mule Duel portion longer than usual but without Trey taking to the Marimba Lumina. Jimi Hendrix’s “Fire,” “Alaska” and Trey Anastasio Band tune “Plasma” rounded out the first set, with the closer featuring a slowed down funk jam that built to a nice peak.
“Ghost” opened the second set, and will undeniably go down as a must hear jam from the Baker’s Dozen. After a bliss jam, the band turned the keys to Trey, who brought the song to a soaring peak, complete with one of the more creative light shows Chris Kuroda has put on this run. The feeling was all happiness and smiles.
“Petrichor,” the song Phish rang in 2017 with at MSG, took over, for a straightforward and well executed version. “Light” featured a nice, relaxing jam, before the band started the opening notes of “The Lizards.” Every fan in attendance turned their attention to the stage as Phish ran through one of their most beloved songs, singing in unison.
“The Horse”>”Silent in the Morning” had a fun segue into “Quinn the Eskimo,” before the set closed with the ever energetic “Rocky Top.”
After all that energy, Phish came on and played “Joy” for the encore, which elicited a few groans, but as the band delved deeper, it became apparent that they were thanking the fans for being a part of this unique and intimate part of Phish history.
Set 1: Soul Shakedown Party, Uncle Pen, The Sloth, Gotta Jibboo, Fuck Your Face, Sunshine of Your Feeling[1], Frost, Scent of a Mule, Fire,Alaska, Plasma
Set 2: Ghost, Petrichor, Light > The Lizards, The Horse > Silent in the Morning > Quinn the Eskimo > Rocky Top
Chocolate donut night on the sixth night of the Baker’s Dozen MSG residency brought Phish to cover an American Idol contestant’s viral hit, bringing “Chocolate Rain” to life, along with “Ass Handed,” tying the theme to the music once again before letting loose with a set of rarities and surprise jams. “Free” and “Sand’” marked the high points of Set 1’s jamming, with ‘Weigh’ and ‘Destiny Unbound’ garnering the loudest cheers as fans crossed songs off their bucket list for yet another night. During “Divided Sky,” Trey held ‘the note’ for such a long time that Chris Kuroda lit up the arena, with one spotlight shining down on Trey as he slowly looked around the entire arena, in as much awe of his surroundings as the crowd was.
The ever rare “Have Mercy” was the bustout to start set 2, opening the way for “Chalkdust Torture” which clocked in at 24 minutes and stood out as the jam of the evening. Ascending jams that rose and rose with full band builds with no let up highlighted “Chalkdust,” creating a jam vehicle that found its way towards Hot Chocolate’s “You Sexy Thing.” Hearing the opening notes of the funk from this 70s classic, the audience erupted in the glee of an out of left field bust out that led to a funk jam for the ages.
“Mercury,” while fresh and left off Big Boat, bridged the ending of “You Sexy Thing,” a jam the band sought to return to at the first opportunity. By the time the funk ended, the audience welcomed “Backwards Down the Number Line” with as much energy as they could muster and with “Rock and Roll” following, the crowd went into a frenzy listening to that New York Station. An encore of the ever rare “Fee” and “Space Oddity” capped the night as Phish continued to raise the bar during their historic run at Madison Square Garden.
Setlist via Phish.net Set 1: Chocolate Rain[1], Ass Handed, Free, Weigh > Undermind > The Oh Kee Pa Ceremony, The Dogs, Destiny Unbound, Divided Sky, Things People Do, Sand
Set 2: Have Mercy, Chalk Dust Torture[2], You Sexy Thing[3] > Mercury -> You Sexy Thing > Backwards Down the Number Line > Rock and Roll
Encore: Fee[4], Space Oddity
[1] Phish debut; a cappella, with Page on a midi controller keyboard.
[2] Unfinished.
[3] Phish debut.
[4] Lyrics changed to “have a chocolate donut and catch your breath.”
Phish returned to the comfy confines of Madison Square Garden for Night 7 of the Baker’s Dozen residency on Saturday with a show that had all the Phishy elements fans love, starting off with with the energetic scorcher “Llama,” fastening in the crowd for a memorable, cinnamon flavored night.
Many fans who didn’t figure out their ticket situation in advance were left with their finger in the air come show time as it seemed many were shut out. Inside the venue, a recording came on urging the crowd to “not eat the brown donuts,” as they are not so good, surely a play on the famous brown acid announcement at the original Woodstock.
After the straightforward “Llama,” Phish launched into “Wilson” and the crowd was instantly ready, painting the famed venue walls with only the type of energy a Phish crowd can bring. Normally a quick hype song, this “Wilson” stretched beyond the nine-minute mark with an atypical jam out of what normally closes the song, which caught few off guard after the surprises Phish had in the first six shows.
Standard takes on “Stealing Time From The Faulty Plan” and “Ya Mar” warmed up for the semi-rare, and ultra sought after “Tela.” The band nailed the song and Trey played the closing guitar section masterfully, igniting a rousing applause from the capacity crowd.
“The Birds”>”The Line” was a nice segue, with the latter containing a bit of full band improvisation. “The Line” takes a lot of heat in the Phish world for being a bathroom break song, but this one was well placed and you can just tell how much Trey and Mike enjoy playing the song based off their mutual grins.
A brief “Water In The Sky” came as a warm up for the close of the set, which began with a very well played “Vultures,” another song that seemed to add an extra layer of frosting on an already rocking first set. Mike took the lead to sing “Train Song” that led into a segue into “Horn,” in which the entire band played each note almost perfectly. In recent years, Trey has taken some online flak for not playing the composed guitar part of “Horn” perfectly, but he did last night.
Not many expected what came next. When Page hit the two notes on the clav and Trey played the fuzzy lead line, the crowd nearly exploded with energy as everyone realized Phish was covering The Beatles’ beloved “I Am The Walrus.” As the band and crowd sang in unison and Chris Kuroda turned the Garden into a rainbow light dance party, a guy leaned in to my ear and said, “So dude, I really think they’re not going to repeat a single song.” Me too, kid. Me too.
After set break, Phish started up with “Blaze On,” a song that debuted two summers ago and quickly found its place as a first set rocker, late set jam vehicle and the coveted second set opener. It was apparent that Phish was going to sink their fins into this one as Trey didn’t waste a second before jumping into a nearly five-minute lead solo that was him wield his Languedoc high, bending notes in his signature rapid fire licks. It was some of his finest playing of the run, which was a bit of foreshadowing for what’s to come.
“Blaze On” then started to devolve, until Phish reconstructed it into a major key with a mildly funky and ethereal jam that kept everyone’s interest before bringing it back to a swirling crescendo finish that clocked in at nearly 24 minutes and left some speechless. This band is clearly as comfortable as they’ve felt in a really long time.
After a segue into “20 Years Later,” which seemed to contain some Led Zeppelin type elements in the jam, Phish broke out “Alumni Blues”>”Letter to Jimmy Page”>”Alumni Blues,” two of their oldest songs. While the segment was very textbook, it was very well played and featured Trey and Mike facing each other for a short bluesy segment, after which Trey shouted “it’s alright now, ‘cuz Mike’s playing the bass,” which elicited a crowd roar, before Mike took a short but powerful lead solo.
Out of the soundscape came fan favorite “Meatstick,” which has a rich history with MSG. In 1994 and 2010, Phish used the song as part of their New Year’s Eve gags. After the dance part, Trey and Page led the band into an atypical and psychedelic jam which landed perfectly on “Dirt.” While “Dirt” is typically a first set song, last night’s placement couldn’t have been any better, giving fans a bit of a break after nearly an hour of some pretty unique music. But, hey, that’s why we follow this band.
With time winding down in the night, anticipation was high in regard to what they’d close the set with. When Fishman hit the drums, “Harry Hood” made it’s Baker’s Dozen appearance and did more than close the set. Clocking in at 17:20, this “Hood” broke itself down into ambient space before Trey, Page and Mike revved the sing into the highest gear with very Allman Brothers’ “Mountain Jam”-esque teases and quotes. Approaching 17 minutes, “Hood” finished with a peak that only that song can bring. When this is all done and said, “Harry Hood” will go down as a very notable jam from this run.
Almost forgot that the theme was cinnamon donuts? Well, after a somewhat lengthy encore break, Phish came out and lit into a cover of Neil Young’s “Cinnamon Girl,” which was last played by the band 19 years, 364 days ago. The crowd had anticipated the song all night and Phish delivered with a stellar take on the song that sent 20,000 people flowing onto the streets of midtown Manhattan.
The stage is set for what we in the Phish world gear up for: A Sunday show. I think the saying goes something like, “never miss a Sunday show!”
In reality, it should be, “never miss a Phish show!”
Set 1: Llama, Wilson > Stealing Time From the Faulty Plan > Ya Mar, Tela, The Birds > The Line, Water in the Sky, Vultures, Train Song > Horn, I Am the Walrus
Set 2: Blaze On > Twenty Years Later > Alumni Blues > Letter to Jimmy Page > Alumni Blues > Meatstick > Dirt > Harry Hood
After a two year hiatus, moe.down returned to its birthplace at Snow Ridge for the Fourth of July weekend. The highly anticipated return of the festival featured many sit-ins and covers along with rarely played moe. classics and seven full sets of moe.
moe.down was founded as a fan and family friendly festival in 2000 at Snow Ridge Ski Resort in the Tug Hill town of Turin. The festival made a name for itself over the years by inviting bands not typically associated with the jamband scene. Past years of moe.down have seen such acts as They Might Be Giants, Cracker/Camper Van Beethoven, Violent Femmes, Flaming Lips and Meat Puppets join moe. in upstate New York on a yearly basis. You can read all about past moe.downs in NYS Music‘s featured series here, here and here.
moe. also has a reputation for fostering younger bands. This year’s festival was indicative of that. Up and comers such as Mister F, Wild Adriatic, Organ Freeman, the Black River, Hayley Jane and the Primates, Ripe and the Hip Abduction were included in this year’s lineup, along with such familiar tour mates as Kung Fu, Twiddle, Railroad Earth, Ryan Montbleau and Blackberry Smoke. Fishbone was this year’s inclusion for outside-the-jamband mainstream act and did not disappoint. Several moe.-related bands were also included in this year’s lineup, including Floodwood, Al and the Transamericans and the Mike Dillon Band. Frequent moe.laborator, Shannon Lynch of Conehead Buddha and Lynch was also on hand, contributing her sax and vocals to several performances throughout the weekend.
Occasional heavy downpours throughout the day on Friday made for a muddy start to the weekend as much of the parking, main stage and high traffic areas became nearly nonnegotiable. Regardless, moe.rons are a hardy bunch and mud or not, moe.down was back.
Friday opened with Yes Darling on the tent stage. Yes Darling is a collaborative effort of Ryan Montbleau and Hayley Jane. Their chemistry got the festival off to a great start and provided a foreshadowing of what would come later in the night.
A reunion set of Al and the Transamericans followed on the main stage, followed by Hayley Jane and the Primates’ set in the tent and Ryan Montbleau on the main stage. The scheduling throughout the weekend was precise. As soon as one band finished on one stage, the other stage cranked up almost immediately. The proximity of the stages also allowed those at either stage to remain where they were and still enjoy the music from the other.
Kung Fu funked up the tent as many of the moe. faithful began filing in for the band’s first set at Snow Ridge in nearly three years.
moe. kicked off its festival with the apropos “Bring it Back Home,” seamlessly segueing into “Akimbo.” The segue-fest continued with “Defrost” > “Bearsong” until they brought it all back home to “Bring it Back Home” > “Captain America.” A fairly straight-forward rendition of “Captain America” was interrupted by a slight lyrical flub that was quickly recovered.
This led to the first sit-in of the weekend as Kirk Juhas and his Hammond B3 made their way to stage left to participate in three songs, “Blue Jeans Pizza,” a stellar cover of the Allman Brothers Band’s “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed” and Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain.” Juhas’ keyboard style fit in well with the flow of “Blue Jeans Pizza.” A “Two Tickets to Paradise” tease alluded to the moe.down hiatus before flowing back into “Blue Jeans.” If moe. were to consider adding a full-time keyboardist to the lineup, Juhas would be a great fit.
The “Elizabeth Reed” cover was noticed early on by many in the crowd and met with a huge roar when the opening notes hit Chuck Garvey’s pick. Juhas played the part of Gregg Allman as Garvey and Al Schnier did their best Duane Allman/Dickie Betts. The band made this song its own while still nodding to its Allman’s influence. The first cover of the weekend would have been the perfect set closer but moe. had another trick up its sleeve.
The trick in question was bringing Ryan Montbleau and Haley Jane onstage for a spot-on rendition of Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain.” Montbleau nailed Lindsey Buckingham’s vocals while Jane’s Stevie Nicks was a bit more bluesy than the original but a perfect complement to Montbleau. This is where the two’s chemistry was truly on full display.
Friday’s second set was joined by three members of Kung Fu for a ripping version of Frank Zappa’s “San Ber’dino.” Guitarist Tim Palmieri, keyboardist Beau Sasser and saxophonist Robert Somerville joined moe. for one of the band’s traditional covers turned into a funky guitar duel between Garvey and Palmieri that also featured some “Elizabeth Reed” teases. Somerville’s solos added a punch sometimes lacking in moe.’s versions of the Zappa classic while Sasser’s keys added the crunch the song very much needed. The fun had onstage among all the musicians was truly evident as Garvey and Palmieri traded licks and Sasser smiled from ear-to-ear. Despite being the opening song to the second set of what would be a marathon night, the crowd was visibly spent as was Garvey, who exclaimed as the Kung Fu fellows exited the stage, “Now what the hell are we gonna do?”
What moe. did was get back into its catalog with a series that included “Billy Goat” > “Tailspin” > “Hi & Lo” > “Water” > “Hector’s Pillow” into a tease-heavy “Farmer Ben,” that hinted at influences throughout moe.’s career, and finally into a trippy, short “meat.” The inclusion of “Water” was truly appropriate considering the amounts of it that had fallen from the sky leading up to and during the fest.
Following the traditional post-set Al.nouncements, Schnier thanked the musicians that had performed that day and the soundcheck the previous night along with the crew that helped to keep things going despite the weather, offering a cheers to the moe.down faithful as they broke into an acoustic version of “Raise a Glass.”
The four song encore got into the silly zone as the clock sniffed the 2 a.m. barrier. A cover of the Violent Femmes’ “Blister in the Sun,” sung by Schnier, turned into a group sing-along. Friday ended with “Nebraska” and an extended “Faker.” An epic, nearly five hour set by the hometown heroes set the stage for an amazing weekend.
After the rain came the sun, and with that even more interesting interplay between the acts on Saturday at moe.down.
Waking up Saturday, it appeared we might be in for even more mud and gross weather, but that never happened. What did occur was a day saved by increasing temperatures, a bright sun and a renewed positive energy among the crowd, who were clearly ready to un-cake the mud, dry out and boogie without sliding down the slippery mountain terrain.
Kung Fu and moe. both battled the elements Friday night to piece together a memorable evening. But a little after noon on Saturday, the Black River kicked things off inside the tent stage. Perfect for the lazy morning, Mike Powell lead the still waking crowd through an hour of fun rock.
A little after its slated 1:30 p.m. time slot, moe. took to the mountain stage and intertwined some of the parade from the kids tent into their set, performing Sister Sledge’s “We Are Family” and rousing the attendees to sing along in unison. “Spine of a Dog” and “Buster” opened the set in fun fashion, with Schnier and Garvey trading licks, as is usual.
“Bullet”> “Kyle’s Song” > “Kids” proved itself to be a trio of meticulous segues. moe. then closed out the Saturday set with an extended “Moth.”
Albany-area progressive funk rockers Mister F, who were all enjoying their weekends near the VIP camping area, were up next in the Tent Stage. Keyboardist Scott Hannay said prior to their set that the band was very prepared to give fans a treat.
What they weren’t planning for was more bad weather, as rain and lightning caused the band to have to exit the stage for about 15 minutes due to safety reasons. They didn’t miss a beat when they returned, giving the rowdy crowd another half hour of blistering time signatures. “Duck Tales” > “Eye Level” > “Everything You Say” kicked off the set, but it was “Answer the Dog” that was the set highlight. It featured teases of Inspector Gadget and the Snoop Dogg/Dr. Dre classic “Nuthin’ but a G Thang.”
Funk and reggae mixed with a little punk rock was up next, as veterans Fishbone brought its crew onstage for 90 minutes of unadulterated, unapologetic, in-your-face music. Maybe they were energized by what was going to happen later?
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Floodwood brought its folksy, Americana blend to the tent stage next. This writer missed most of the set due to having to change out of soggy, muddy clothing and to prepare for the evening’s activities. Blackberry Smoke, followed by Saratoga Springs riff rockers Wild Adriatic, were next on the docket. It was the perfect back-to-back combination, as the southern charm of Blackberry Smoke was the perfect breeding ground for the hard hitting Wild Adriatic.
moe. came back on for its second Saturday set with blazing covers of Pink Floyd’s “In the Flesh,” followed by “Another Brick in the Wall Part 2.” The energy caused the crowd to sing along in unison with the two of the psychedelic rock group’s most beloved songs off The Wall. Fishbone then joined in the fun for a cover of “Freddie’s Dead,” before Charlie Starr, of Blackberry Smoke, sat in for a southern tinged take on moe. favorite “Opium.” “32 Things,” “Seat of my Pants” and “Plane Crash” were performed, with the latter two closing out the set.
For the late night set, moe. kept with the theme of inviting guests to explore their material, as well as others’ music. “Wind It Up,” “Same Old Story,” “Tubing the River Styx” and “The Pit” began the set, before “Silver Sun” gave way to a cover of the Grateful Dead’s “The Other One,” which featured Jason Barady and Nick Piccininni, both of Floodwood.
Sunday featured a renewed optimism, as the mud was nearly dried, and some fresh music on tap.
Mike Dillon Band started the music on the tent stage, before roots-Americana band Railroad Earth brought their brand of bluegrass to the Main Stage.
Twiddle, seeing its stock rise steadily in 2016 and into 2017, took to the mountain stage at 5:30 p.m. and lit right into “Nicodemus Portulay,” featuring an extended trance-like jam. Favorites “Polluted Beauty” and “Lost in the Cold” were up next, as the former carried into the 16-minute range.
“Orlando’s,” “The Fantastic Tale of Ricky Snickle,” and “Drifter” finally gave way for a set-closing “Wasabi Eruption” > “The Box” before finally settling on “Juggernaut.” It’s abundantly clear that Twiddle have not only carved out their place in the jam scene, but based of their moe.down set, they’re ready to continue pushing to uncapped heights.
The final night of moe.down had the band dressed all in white, similar to Saturday night. The band opened with “Puebla” and quickly returned to “meat.” from Friday night. Loughlin’s extended malletkat (“It’s not a xylophone”) solo led the band into an early moe. classic, “Awesome Gary,” sending the crowd into a dancing frenzy, while also indicating that Loughlin would have a large presence on this night.
Schnier donned a white suit with a fedora reminiscent of the Panama Jack spokesman and proceeded to level up to rock star mode during the solo in the proceeding “Crab Eyes,” standing on top of the monitors and all.
The unexpected highlight of Sunday’s set was when Rob Derhak forgot the lyrics to “New York City” and asked the audience for help, “Someone’s gotta give me the first line. The band has no clue…But what’s the first word? Anybody know the first word of this next line? This is gonna go down as the most epic ‘New York City’ ever.” Unfortunately the crowd was no help, which resulted in his son pulling up the lyrics on his phone while the band continued the bridge in the background.
Sunday’s first set concluded with a guest appearance from Twiddle’s Mihali Savoulidis and Ryan Dempsey for a performance of moe.’s “Mexico.” Dempsey’s keys weren’t really prominent in the mix, while Savouldis’ fretwork mixed well with Schnier and Garvey. All of the musicians were obviously pleased to be sharing the stage as the crowd sang along.
Following setbreak, the traditional Mayor of moe.down election took place. It’s obvious at this stage of the game that Derhak has had enough of this tradition. The nominees included such animate and inanimate objects as the hay (that was laid down on top of the mud), Screaming Trumpkin (a rubber chicken that resembled President Donald Trump), Frank (moe.’s guitar tech, Frank Robbins), Rex (the reigning Mayor of moe.down) and Rob’s Bulge (a reference to bassist Derhak). The resulting “election,” much to Derhak’s chagrin, was Rob’s Bulge. The acceptance speech included Derhak saying, “I hate this. And, uh, fuck everybody here. But my bulge is Mayor of moe.down.” This was followed by a chant of “Rob’s Bulge” led by Schnier.
Following the election, a “McBain” sandwich occurred, that included a “Skrunk,” a “Yodelittle” and a return to “McBain” that featured percussionist Mike Dillon battling Loughlin on the mallets, truly one of the many highlights of the weekend.
As the band broke into “Brent Black,” the skies opened yet again, sending the faithful scurrying for cover. Many gathered in the tent stage area as the band troopered on through the downpour. As the rain fell, the band converged to presumably discuss what to do for the remainder of the show. Vinnie Amico and Derhak continued playing as Schnier convalesced with the stage crew. The rains diminished and the band persevered, the result was pure exuberance from fans.
The weekend concluded with Schnier thanking the crew, their families, fans, Snow Ridge and the people who cleaned out his basement during the recent flooding in the Utica area, followed by an encore that included a “Not Coming Down” > “Okayalright” and a fitting “America, Fuck Yeah” from the Team America soundtrack.
moe.down XVI by all accounts was a success despite the weather. When it comes to moe.down, it’s expected you’re going to get weather. That’s what makes moe.rons such a special breed and moe. such a special band. The return of this festival to its origin proved successful and bodes well for a return for moe.down XVII in 2018. Let’s hope it’s so.
Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day weekend bookend the festival season, meaning many northeasterners start and end their summers at Camp Kee-Wanee in Greenfield, Mass., for the 15th Strangecreek and Wormtown Campouts.
Last week was the 15th annual Strangecreek, and the vibe was very focused around the family that had been built up over the years. Camp Kee-Wanee is the perfect spot to host this festival, with a picturesque green landscape that leads into the forest, which is cut in half by a stream running through the creek. The late night cabins make it as fun for ragers as all the kid friendly activities make it perfect for families.
The four-day fete spanned May 26 to 29 and was a hit to everyone in attendance. Aside from the rain over the first two days, the festival went off without issue, and by the time the music was done late on Sunday night, everyone was left with ear-to-ear smiles.
I wasn’t able to arrive until Friday evening, just as Consider the Source was soaring on the main stage. Prior to that, David Gans’ tribute to the Grateful Dead’s Ron “Pigpen” McKernan had fans singing the type of blues that only Pigpen could sing. Rebel Alliance and Relative Souls were prior.
At 7:30 p.m., Shakedown took over the Vernville stage to play 90 minutes of the way they interpret the Grateful Dead. It was a very nice and relaxing way to segue back to the mainstage, where headliner Badfish brought the sunny spirit of Sublime to Strangecreek. It was a welcomed surprise to boogie down to one of my favorite bands from my teenage years.
A few minutes before 11, I caught the tail end of Western Mass. group The Alchemystics and their genre melding blend of funk and hip hop.
In the Keewanee Cabin, Tweed jammed, and jammed and jammed until the early morning hours, before Skeleton Keys brought a new spin on Grateful Dead music, using two pianos to interpret the legendary catalog. West End Blend and Bella’s Bartok were the late night acts at the Wormtown Cabin.
After some late night campground shenanigans, I turned in to my tent and took a much needed rest. The cool mountain air, paired with a quiet camping area, made it easy to fall and stay asleep.
The morning started with a delicious smoothie from the Solar Cafe and a bacon, egg and cheese from an independent vendor. By the time I got to the Vernville stage, Desert Rain was wrapping up, so I wandered to the Riverworm stage, nestled in the woods, to check out Rhythmic Circus, who were the perfect complement to the fair weather.
A friend messaged me and told me not to miss The Broadcast, a three-piece group that played the main stage at 3 p.m. They brought a sort of straightforward approach to rock and roll, but mixed in some fiery soloing.
Big Mean Sound Machine, The Fritz and Ryan Montbleau were up next, before a dinner break to get ready for the band I come to see every year: Max Creek.
The four-piece band has been around since the late 1960s, and continues to innovate in the jam scene. Guitarist Scott Murawski has been playing a lot with Phish bassist Mike Gordon in recent years, and the duo’s partnership and style showed a lot during the show. Max Creek, years ago, sometimes felt like it was Murawski soloing over chord progressions, but this show featured a lot more in the ways of subtle rhythm shifts and deep grooves, which is similar to what he does with Gordon. And not to be forgotten is the Dead’s spirit, which is tattooed all over Max Creek’s live sets.
Shakedown and Zach Deputy rocked the Wormtown late night cabin, and Keepers of the Vibe and the Z3 held down Kewanee.
Sunday morning is what I’ve been looking to for a while. New York based group Cousin Earth was opening the Riverworm stage at 10:30 a.m. to bring their super unique, sometimes quirky and all-the-time fun and intricate music to Strangecreek for the first time. The five-piece band featured Joey Calfa on electric ukulele, Corey J. Feldman on a bass the size of a ukulele, Terry Brennan on vocals and percussion, Nate Searing on drums and Tara Lawton on vocals and melodica. They bring a Broadway vibe to rock and roll, and add in memories from your childhood, such as playing the Animaniacs theme song, or performing a video game medley. All in all, Cousin Earth was the most energizing set of the weekend, and I urge you to catch this band any chance you get.
The Rev Tor Band and Hayley Jane and the Primates performed on the main stage, before Bella’s Bartok took another shot at the crowd. Bella’s Bartok is quite unique, with an indy rock feel and also a singalong sort of vibe. At one point, their singer sang a song while on an inflatable couch that the crowd was making surf.
The Talking Dreads and Annie in the Water had the Vernville stage hopping, while Steal Your Peach brought the river to life.
Eric Krasno of Soulive played a set with his solo band on the main stage right around the time people were learning that Gregg Allman had passed away.
Zach Deputy, Pink Talking Fish and Pink Floyd tribute The Machine closed out the festival in grand fashion. Pink Talking Fish’s set consisted of all Phish material, adding another layer to the weekend.
From September 15 to 17 at Kee-Wanee is Wormtown, which is put on by the same people. Melvin Seals and JGB and Max Creek are the headliners. You should really plan on attending if you want to experience one of the most amazing and laid back festivals in the country.
“I Always Wanted It This Way,” keyboardist Page McConnell’s tune, stretched out from 1980s-like quirkiness into a vast yet quite dark jam. “Martian Monster” and “Heavy Things” saw the band have a little fun, notably the interplay between Anastasio and McConnell in the latter. “Destiny Unbound,” somewhat of a rarity, injected a breath of life into the crowd. Stretching to nearly nine minutes, this version of “Destiny” is longer than all in recent memory, but it was clear the band hadn’t practiced it much prior.
Currently on tour in support of her latest musical adventure, titled Better Left Unsung, the music of the Grateful Dead reimagined for solo piano, Bowling will return to the Whisper Dome this Saturday, October 21, for a 7 p.m. show. In 2014, she hit fame within the jam band world by transcribing a 37-minute version of “Tweezer” that Phish did in 2013 in Lake Tahoe. Since taking that on the road, Bowling has blown up into not just a respected piano player, but a keyboard savant who has been performing with some of her idols.
moe.down was founded as a fan and family friendly festival in 2000 at Snow Ridge Ski Resort in the Tug Hill town of Turin. The festival made a name for itself over the years by inviting bands not typically associated with the jamband scene. Past years of moe.down have seen such acts as They Might Be Giants, Cracker/Camper Van Beethoven, Violent Femmes, Flaming Lips and Meat Puppets join moe. in upstate New York on a yearly basis. You can read all about past moe.downs in NYS Music‘s featured series 
Last week was the 15th annual Strangecreek, and the vibe was very focused around the family that had been built up over the years. Camp Kee-Wanee is the perfect spot to host this festival, with a picturesque green landscape that leads into the forest, which is cut in half by a stream running through the creek. The late night cabins make it as fun for ragers as all the kid friendly activities make it perfect for families.