Greenvibe Entertainment cannot seem to contain themselves for the upcoming Wild Woods Festival in Croyden, NH, and who can blame them? This year is set to be the best yet, and on Aug. 11 – 13, Page Farm will host this small festival that packs a lot of heart.
The team has been hard at work, adding an entire new building for the beautiful art that will be on display all weekend. They’ve also welcomed back The Reliquarium to add their incredible works of art to each stage. Their intricately designed stage setups are custom made and add much to each set. Because of the Lotus will have one of their mind-melting visual art installations on site, and you can be sure there will be plenty of performance artists dancing, hooping, and fire-spinning, as The What Collective will be in attendance.
Wild Woods has added heavy hitters Emancipator and Papadosio as the headliners this year. There are many familiar faces with Kung Fu, Lespecial, Strange Machines, Of The Trees, and Harsh Armadillo returning for another year at the farm. This festival has become a staple in a lot of these band’s summer tours and you can be sure they’re going to add a little extra energy to their sets. The list of musical talent continues with Cabinet, Roots of Creation, Govinda, and Broccoli Samurai being just a few of the other notable mentions.
Wild Woods has a very special vibe going down on the little farm in New Hampshire. You can tell the thing they care about most is the fans. Between the live art, visual displays, amazing stage setups, and a lineup that just won’t quit, what else could you ask for? Well, how about a whole extra night to set up and relax with your friends? This year (for a fee) you’ll be allowed early entry into the festival on Thursday, Aug. 10 to claim the best spot for you and yours. Tickets are still available and can be purchased at the Wild Woods website. Get them before Aug. 10 to save yourself $20.
It is not unusual in this day and age for a band to have it’s own festival. It is however, unusual, for a band’s festival to outlast the band itself. The Peach Music Festival, running August 10-13, 2017 was started by the Allman Brothers Band back in 2012. The band broke up for good a little more than two years later, but the festival lived on, featuring various off-shoots and solo projects of the band each year. 2017 has seen the untimely deaths of founding members Gregg Allman and Butch Trucks.
But the festival lives on. It will again host performances from Allman-related bands, including Gov’t Mule (joined by guitarist John Scofield and other unnamed guests), Jaimoe’s Jasssz Band, and the final performance of Les Brers. More importantly, will be the special, not-to-be-missed Peach Tribute to Gregg Allman and Butch Trucks, which will feature Chuck Leavell, Jaimoe, Oteil Burbridge Marc Quiñones, Duane Trucks, Devon Allman and many more family and friends.
“Caterpillar sheds his skin to find a butterfly within…”
Gregg and Butch, Berry Oakley and Duane Allman, and the Allman Brothers Band, will live on in the spirit of the Peach Music Festival. The bands invited this year will surely keep it very much alive. A who’s who of the world of jam, it is a lineup that is tough to top in a summer crowded full with festival goodness. The headliners Thursday through Sunday read like a 2017 jam band All-Star team: Joe Russo’s Almost Dead reinvigorate the music from the king of jam bands on Thursday night, My Morning Jacket will set the mountain ablaze with their rock torches Friday night, and southern jam titans Widespread Panic sneak their limited tour north of the Mason-Dixon line for shows on both Saturday and Sunday nights.
Slip just below the top line and the names don’t get much smaller, with Mike Gordon fresh off Phish’s Baker’s Dozen run at the Garden, blues-guitar phenom Joe Bonamassa, and progressive jammers Umphrey’s McGee joining the ranks of the aforementioned Allman-related artists.
“First there is a mountain, then there is no mountain, then there is…”
The Peach Music Festival will once again be held on Montage Mountain in Scranton, PA. Not only is it a naturally beautiful location, but it also includes a full and accessible water park with rides, slides and a lazy river. This is no ordinary waterpark, it comes equipped with a custom live music soundtrack running throughout the entire day of course! The mountain also includes a full restaurant, bar, and bathrooms, in addition to the usual festival fare.
Once you bite into this Peach, the sweet juices will be flowing all weekend, but that large Allman Brother pit from which it grew, will continue to hold it all together. For daily or weekend passes, and all the information you’ll need to prepare for your time at the fest, visit the official festival site at thepeachmusicfestival.com. See you on the mountain, jamming!
With the last of the supposed “dark horse” weekday shows taking place on Wednesday, Phish has now completed 10 of its historic 13 show residency at Madison Square Garden. As the last mid-week show, Wednesday escalated the general malaise associated with the relatively mellow Tuesday show from the night before and served as a valid reminder why every show these days falls into “can’t miss” territory when it comes to the legendary Vermont jam outfit. In keeping up with the daily tradition of The Baker’s Dozen, Wednesday’s assigned donut theme was “Holes,” which came in the form of Munchkin-like peanut butter coated donuts handed out before the show and classic, spellbinding Phish tunes during it.
If recent history has been any indication, Phish has not waited long to tip its collective cap towards the daily donut theme and tonight was no different as yet another debut song surfaced as the opener with a cover of Tom Waits’ “Way Down In The Hole,” known to many as the theme song from the popular TV show The Wire. As if it was even possible, an MSG bust out of sorts occurred next with the first “Buried Alive” ever performed by Phish at MSG. A more traditional show opener, this song served its purpose and seemed to finally get everyone up and moving in celebrating a unique “first” at The Garden, regardless of the semi-comical false start necessitated by drummer Jon Fishman. Slotting perfectly into its traditional early first set slot, “Kill Devil Falls” confirmed all in attendance were actively engaged as the entire arena lent its collective vocal support to the wailing lyrics before a long awaited and seemingly forgotten “Guyute” made an appearance for the first time in 50 shows.
Phish then rattled off a stream of typical first set selections with “I Didn’t Know,” which featured the first vacuum performance from Fishman this tour, a straightforward yet lively “NICU” and a nicely jammed out, hearty version of “Meat” that saw some serious extended improv on the back end. Sensing a peak of sorts in the opening set, the band kept the pedal down and then launched into “Maze” complete with its signature standout solos from guitarist Trey Anastasio and keyboardist Page McConnell.
After the two impressive “M” songs and the intensity brought by each, a breather of sorts was instituted in the form of a traditional bluegrass cover of “Ginseng Sullivan” and a mellow, laid back take on “Waiting All Night,” a newer song from the band’s recent album Fuego. “Heavy Things,” replete with its “two holes in my face” lyric then began to pick things back up a little before a raging “Run Like An Antelope,” a much anticipated song that had yet to be played at The Garden this year, closed things out in extremely enjoyable, traditional fashion. For those keeping count, 19 sets of music at MSG were now in the books without a single repeat in sight.
Phish has made its mark this tour with a patient approach to some of its storied jam vehicles and this second set would prove no different, starting with a monstrous “Mike’s Song” that featured the once common but now rare “second jam.” Another popular pre-show guess by fans, this “Mike’s” went above and beyond and thrilled show goers from the 400 level all the way down to the floor.
A spellbinding jam soon made its way into a spacey, ambient section that gave the band a chance to remind everyone of tonight’s theme again, courtesy of a completely unexpected vocal take while ensconced in smoke on the traditional Christmas tune “O Holy Night.” Before everyone could fully comprehend this, McConnell’s signature piano intro to “Taste” began and off the band went again on another improvisational journey that stretched to almost 20 minutes – a staple of Phish in 2017 it seems. This segued almost perfectly into “Wingsuit” which gave the crowd somewhat of a chance to rest and gear up for the high powered closing section of “Sneaking Sally Through the Alley” with its accompanying funk jam and the expected “Weekapaug Groove” set closer that had MSG, once again, bouncing and gyrating in euphoric unison.
The ever clever jam legends then encored with The Beatles’ classic “A Day in the Life,” with a little emphasis on the “4,000 holes in Blackburn Lancashire” line given. Night 10 was now in the books and kept in line with The Baker’s Dozen tradition of mixing long, extended jam sections with well thought out and intelligent song selections. With three nights to go before the residency’s end, it’s clear anything and everything is on the table going into the home stretch. Unless it involves a repeated song.
August 2, 2017 Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
Set 1: Way Down in the Hole*, Buried Alive, Kill Devil Falls, Guyute, I Didn’t Know, NICU, Meat, Maze, Ginseng Sullivan, Waiting All Night, Heavy Things, Run Like an Antelope
Set 2: Mike’s Song > O Holy Night* > Taste > Wingsuit > Sneakin’ Sally Through the Alley > Weekapaug Groove
Tart Vandelay is as fun and feisty as their name. With bopping beats and catchy choruses, they’ve been winning the hearts of music lovers in Western NY and beyond with their live shows over the past year. Next month, they’ll be playing two sets during Rochester Fringe Festival.
Charismatic couple Katie Halligan and Martin LoFaso started the project while studying at Berklee College of Music, and have since added band members Pete Zamniak on bass and Christopher Dubuc-Penne on drums. Last fall’s EP Frontier Pioneer is a zesty little delight. Blending art with inspiration, the collection of songs are the acoustic equivalent of a novella which celebrates the triumph of the human spirit over adversity.
NYS Music met up with Halligan and LoFaso at Village Gate, an eclectic multi-use community in the heart of Rochester’s Neighborhood of the Arts. We talked about the joy of making music, and they created a playlist of some of their indie faves.
Paula Cummings: The name Tart Vandelay, does everyone get that it’s a Seinfeld reference, or are there people who don’t?
Martin LoFaso: They either do or they don’t. If people are too young or their parents didn’t watch Seinfeld, they don’t get it. But they still appreciate it, it’s still kinda goofy for them, so they still like it. But I was raised on Seinfeld, and I always loved the name Art Vandelay. George is my favorite character. He’s the despicable person who stands out in a group of despicable people. Even compared to other despicable people, he’s bad. It’s just funny to watch and I was always into that name. Luckily, Kate suggested Tart Vandelay.
Katie Halligan: I thought that adding a letter in front of it, and changing it slightly would just make it a fun play on words.
PC: What instruments do you play?
KH: I sing. I also have a looping station that I use, and I play ukulele and auxiliary percussion – different types of shakers.
PC: When you use the word “sing” you also mean vocalizations, not just words.
KH: I loop vocal percussion, and then I add harmonies on top of myself to fill out the sound and make it sound like there’s a chorus.
ML: You also play bass and keys and sax, but not for the band yet.
KH: I play a lot of other instruments. The next one I will be incorporating into the live performances is keys, the piano.
ML: In the band, I just play guitar and do backing vocals. I can play other instruments – bass and keys and the drums. She likes being a multi-instrumentalist, and I really like guitars. Any of the writing I do is on guitar. It’s just the instrument that speaks to me the most.
PC: I’ve seen you on stage, and it looks like you’re having so much fun.
ML: I’m glad that comes across. What’s interesting about the live show is trying to communicate that feeling. That’s what bands are selling. The good ones are selling a specific feeling at a live show, and it changes based on the band. Have you seen our full band?
PC: Not yet. That is one of my questions, the difference between playing as a duo and as a full band.
ML: There’s a lot more energy as a full band, but we still try to retain the cheery disposition. Just having fun. But I think a lot of our songs, especially as a duo, become very meditative. I think we still try to retain that with the full band because that’s the feeling that we’re selling, this sort of transcendence. As opposed to if there was a band that was heavier and wanted to sell more of like an angsty feeling, an aggression feeling. There’s nothing wrong – there’s no wrong feeling to feel. It’s just different bands sell you different feelings. And maybe that’s the feeling that we’re trying to get across.
KH: Definitely transcendence, with all our music. Being honest about the human experience. We’re trying to translate that on stage. Hopefully people in the audience not only enjoy it, but explore a lot of different feelings.
ML: I think making people cry is the best. Especially if you’re going out to a live show. A lot of people have built up defenses about being that vulnerable in public in front of people. I can totally understand that – a room full of strangers watching you bawl your eyes out. But really, we’ve been able to get through to people like that before just with a song, the message cuts so deep for them. That’s the thing, it’s just such a deep connection – it’s the deepest I think – to create that vulnerability, get people to feel the most raw that they can feel.
KH: But not always in a sad way.
PC: You have a song “Alien” that speaks to a lot of people about feeling out of place in the world.
KH: You’re taught from when you’re young that the nail that sticks out gets hammered. But we really try to embrace that because what else do we have but our differences? It’s a beautiful thing. I definitely wrote that pretty autobiographical. I’m glad that it speaks to other people. How could somebody not feel the same way at some point in their life and somehow relate to it? And I like the groove, too. That was one of the songs that wrote itself.
ML: It was the first one you finished.
KH: Yeah, that was the first. The first Tart Vandelay song.
PC: So were you in the dorm room at Berklee when you wrote that?
ML: We had an apartment along the subway line. Yeah, I wrote the guitar part.
KH: It started as a project he was doing.
ML: That’s usually our writing process – I’ll get the skeleton as far as the guitar line and bass of the song. Then it goes to her to write lyrics and rearrange.
KH: If I feel it needs a bridge or something, I send it back to him.
ML: Like Katie said, that one was autobiographical. I think they all are in a way. I think we’ve made a concerted effort as far as the writing itself. If we’re really after something that’s universal to the human condition and at the root of something that everyone is able to go through, then it should resonate even if it comes from an individual standpoint. The universal timeless things we all go through, existential questions and stuff like that. We don’t have to write for other people. We write for other people by writing for ourselves. It’s just a matter of getting people to surrender, to go to the feelings that deep.
PC: You have some creative pursuits outside of music as well?
KH: Right now, I’m a professional henna artist. Also, in my spare time I enjoy drawing and painting.
PC: What do you like to listen to?
ML: This year in September will be the 20th anniversary of my favorite album. It’s called Dots and Loops by the band Stereolab. I can appreciate their music, but I really only listen to that album. Some of our other favorite bands are Wilco…
KH: My Morning Jacket-
ML: Grizzly Bear, St. Vincent-
KH: White Denim, Dirty Projectors. We’ve been compared to Dirty Projectors.
ML: Tune-Yards.
PC: How do you like to listen to music?
KH: Usually in the car, because we’re always on our way to someplace else.
ML: I’ve been using Spotify. I have mixed emotions about Spotify. As a consumer, it’s just so easy.
PC: And easy to curate playlists.
ML: Which is mostly what I do, make a bunch of playlists.
KH: It’s mostly through Spotify that we listen to stuff. Sometimes we still use CD’s and mix tapes that we’ve made.
ML: Sometimes radio. Rochester has amazing radio stations. Both WRUR and WITR are great. 95.1 WAYO is great. WBER is an institution. Both of our jazz stations. We listen to local radio in Rochester, but if there’s nothing on at the moment that I like, I’ll go back to Spotify.
PC: If you made a playlist right now, which songs would you include?
ML: I would grab maybe the song “Diagonals” from Stereolab.
KH: I would grab “Touch Me I’m Going to Scream, Part 2” by My Morning Jacket.
ML: That one’s great. I’ve been really digging Wilco’s album they put out last year. It’s called Schmilco. It’s pretty low key and acoustic. I would probably put “If I Ever Was a Child” on that.
KH: My next song would be “Huey Newton” by St. Vincent.
ML: “Unto Ceasar” by Dirty Projectors.
KH: I just thought of one. We didn’t mention the band earlier, but the song, I love it so much. “Great Curve” by Talking Heads. I love Talking Heads.
PC: What would you name this playlist?
ML: We might call it something like “Summer Slummer.” We usually aim for cheesy puns when naming things. More fun that way.
PC: Let’s talk about Fringe Fest. You will be playing at Java’s. Have you played there before?
KH: No, this will be our first time playing there. We love going there, so it will be nice to play there. I think our music always translates well in a coffee shop setting. Especially because Java’s is artsy and perfect for Fringe Fest.
Tart Vandelay will perform as a duo at Java’s Cafe in Rochester on Sunday, September 17 at 5 pm and Thursday, September 21 at 9 pm as part of Rochester Fringe Festival. Both shows are free and open to the public. Attendees are encouraged to arrive early for seating/standing room.
On Night 9 of Phish’s Baker’s Dozen residency, Maple was the donut theme of the night and with that came jams that slowly dripped out from Phish’s tap, leaving 4 nights to go and not a single song repeated thus far.
A tribute to our Maple loving neighbors to the north started the show, with a spotlight on the Canadian flag and one on Trey as he tore into ‘O Canada!’ A dozen songs followed through in the set, with nothing overly ambitious or stretched out like the previous 8 nights but the band dove into their catalog for fan favorites and rarer tunes. Highlights included the upbeat “Daniel Saw the Stone” that felt like a church revival as the lights brightened the entire arena; “Guelah Papyrus” which included Page performing Scott Joplin’s ragtime classic “Maple Leaf Rag” in between sections; “McGrupp” and a firey “Walk Away” capped the set of a full Baker’s Dozen of songs.
Set 2 brought out a usual jam vehicle “Golden Age” that stretched for 20 minutes and could have been the jam of the night if it were not for the latter half of “Swept Away” > “Steep” which took a spacey spin for 12 minutes and grew into an improvisational jam that has been a staple of the residency. Growing from “Steep” was a trio of heaters: “46 Days,” the long awaited (but not slow built) “Piper” followed by “Possum” made for 35 minutes of firey rock n roll to cap the show. An encore of Bowie’s “Rock and Roll Suicide” didn’t have the emotional impact that the debut during Halloween in Las Vegas had, but Trey singing the Ziggy Stardust coda still packs an emotional punch.
Holes is the theme for tonight’s 10th show of the Baker’s Dozen. Could Phish pay tribute to the late Chris Cornell with “Black Hole Sun?”
Set 1: O Canada[1], Crowd Control, Sugar Shack, When the Circus Comes, Daniel Saw the Stone, Army of One, The Wedge, Guelah Papyrus, Maple Leaf Rag[2], Guelah Papyrus, McGrupp and the Watchful Hosemasters > Limb By Limb > Walk Away
Set 2: Golden Age, Leaves, Swept Away > Steep > 46 Days > Piper > Possum
Encore: Rock ‘n’ Roll Suicide
[1] Phish debut; instrumental. [2] Phish debut; performed solo by Page
On the second Sunday of the outstanding Baker’s Dozen run at Madison Square Garden, Phish once again left its mark in the building and reminded us why we should never miss a Sunday show. When they opened with the classic, “The Curtain With,” the audience knew that they were in for an extra tasty treat. On Night 8, the band showed patience, confidence, and, of course – a sense of humor. Launching into a short but sweet first set “Runaway Jim” the band brought smiles to faces as the first donut reference of the night was revealed. Phish has magically decorated all their sets with delicious toppings during the Baker’s Dozen, and they continue to please the crowd with the lyrics we know and love.
Unlike the outrageously raging Saturday night, the quartet took the “slow and steady wins the race” approach on Sunday. The unexpected Junta jam “Esther” poked its head out for the first time since 2015. A hush filled the chapel and the people looked happy as the boys eased into two more slower tunes in “Home” and “Brian and Robert.” After a straight forward “Nellie Kane” Trey Anastasio led into an unforgettable “Colonel Forbin’s Ascent> Fly Famous Mockingbird” while Chris Kuroda took the lights on a legendary adventure in “the World’s Most Famous Arena.”
A spine tingling “David Bowie” finished off the set highlighted by Trey’s exceptionally tight guitar playing. The first set may have been slow, but it certainly wasn’t dull as several bust outs and sought after trophies were obtained by the ravenous audience. During the set-break, it was clear that fans had made the right choice in buying tickets to the Garden rather than staying home to catch up on Game of Thrones.
While there was no mention of “Jimmies” in the set two opener, “Drowned,” there was certainly enough improvisation to write home about. Clearly the MSG residency has done something to the Vermonters as they are playing with a Nectar’s-esque level of commitment. The ambient and mind-altering “Song I Heard The Ocean Sing” that swam its way out of the “Drowned” jam was the perfect addition to an already stellar second set. Dialed in, Page anchored the jam with some incredible synth play and Gordon acted as the lift-guard and threw in a floating bass line to build the jam up.
After two songs and almost 40 minutes, the crowd was left speechless, but thankfully Phish did all the talking during what will be known as the “Baker’s Harpua.” The never-ending tale of Jimmy and his cat’s unfortunate fate has not been narrated since 1997 at the Garden, but this time around Trey, Mike, Page, and Jon sat down to tell us a story about the universe. Donuts have covered mid-town Manhattan as fans anxiously await the details of the next flavor each night. During the historic version of “Harpua,” Phish let us in on a little secret by informing us all that the entire Universe is just a donut! In the expansive narration of Jimmy and his comrades, Trey consistently made the connection between current events and what is happening in Jimmy’s world. The insanely entertaining story that was told on Sunday night will not just go down as one of the greatest things to happen during the 13-show run, but possibly one of the best renditions in Phishtory.
The band made it clear that they were not ready to head back down to planet Earth as they remained in outer-space for a cosmic “Also Sprach Zarathustra.” The crowd seemed perplexed and were still trying to wrap their minds around the “Harpua” story when the spacey and instrumental jam morphed into a familiar and grounding “Golgi Apparatus.” While I am not at liberty to assume how Trey writes his set lists, I imagine there was some thinking behind the second set on Sunday night. The band went from a water and ocean theme to explaining the massive and mysterious universe before looking into a microscope and focusing in on one of the smallest elements of a cell, the Golgi body.
Under the light, they couldn’t get anything wrong on this particular night as they settled on yet another a cappella song, “In The Good Old Summer Time” to finish off the amazing set. Phish acted as our genie and granted us the third wish of the night by debuting the Jimi Hendrix classic “The Wind Cried Mary.” While die-hard fans were hoping to hear the recognizable “Izabella” by Jimi, we got a slow and fitting “best-of Hendrix” tune instead. The Garden screamed Mary as smoke billowed and couples embraced during the well-executed cover. The “Jimmies” night of the Baker’s Dozen run was a huge success and solidified the second Sunday as another classic Garden performance for the band that knows it best.
Set 1: The Curtain With > Runaway Jim, Waking Up Dead, Esther, Home, Brian and Robert, Nellie Kane, Colonel Forbin’s Ascent > Fly Famous Mockingbird > David Bowie
Set 2: Drowned, A Song I Heard the Ocean Sing, Harpua > Also Sprach Zarathustra > Golgi Apparatus, In The Good Old Summer Time
Phish is doing something unprecedented at Madison Square Garden. They’re in the midst of a 13 show residency that is more than your average run of shows. This isn’t just a residency: it’s a historic Rock ‘n’ Roll experience that is falling under the radar as Phish often does. But what they’re doing deserves attention from music fans of all ranges.
With this ‘Baker’s Dozen‘ residency, Phish will have performed 53 times at The Garden in their career, dating back to 1994. As of Sunday, they will only be behind Elton John and Billy Joel for most times played at MSG. The band has played New York State more than any other state in the country, with a large chunk of their shows now in one building. The national media have been takingnotice and givingcredit where it is due to the band.
After 8 nights of shows since July 21, Phish has performed 141 different songs, debuted 11 covers and originals, played 9 20 minute+ jams and have left the audience wanting more. The final 3 nights of the run coming up this weekend have become a ticket as sought after as New Year’s Eve at The Garden, if not more so. The energy at the shows emanates through the bars and music venues that Phish fans populate daily before and after each show, building a beautiful buzz that grows each time Phish takes the stage. In short, Phish is doing something few rock bands can do during a residency of this nature, let alone play 13 shows at one venue, not get the slightest bit rusty and improve as the run progresses.
Credit: Fans.com
The Themes
Each night, donuts that are handed out for free, courtesy of Philadelphia’s Federal Donuts, and the donut flavor is reflected in the setlist each night. On Velvet donut night, two Velvet Underground songs were played, “Sunday Morning” and “Sweet Jane.” On Strawberry donut night, “Strawberry Fields Forever” and “Strawberry Letter 23” were debuted. On Chocolate donut night, “Chocolate Rain,” and on Powder donut night, Neil Young’s “Powderfinger” debuted, to the laughter (chocolate) and awe (powder) of the crowd. With so many flavors of donuts, fans are anticipating song selections while avoiding the predictability that Phish eschews. With Maple Glazed donuts on Night 9 of the residency, fans wonder if they can expect “Maple Leaf Rag” by Scott Joplin and how that will play into the band’s themed set for the night. Keeping the theme of the run going each night, not just with physical donuts but music to accompany them, the band is giving their fans a treat in more ways than one.
The Jams
All time jams have been performed by Phish at MSG before, but during the residency, this has not been your typical jamming. We’re talking hallmark jams that can stand the test of time. The typically 3-4 minute lounge lizard “Lawn Boy” was performed for 30 minutes on July 25, and in the second set that night, Talking Heads “Crosseyed and Painless” hit the 33-minute mark. Upon listening back to these jams, you don’t notice time passing as the jams continue to build and escape the noodly uncertainty that improvisation can lend itself to. Versions of “Chalkdust Torture” (24 minutes), “Down With Disease” (20 minutes), “Fuego” (20 minutes), “Blaze On” (23 minutes), “Drowned” and “A Song I Heard the Ocean Sing” (40 minutes combined) as well as “Tube” (15 minutes) are just a some of the standouts in the first 8 shows. Phish is jamming on typical jam vehicles and non-traditional songs as well, keeping the audience on their toes. Expecting the unexpected is part of the Phish experience, but that has never been truer than during The Baker’s Dozen.
Debuts
Phish has debuted originals from side projects, seemingly as part of the effort not to repeat any songs during the run. The Trey Anastasio Band song “Mr. Completely” returned for the second time this year and only third version since 2003, while Mike Gordon Band’s “Waking up Dead” appeared on July 30 to the surprise and delight of fans. The Story of the Ghost closing track “End of Session,” was performed for the first time ever on Jam-filled donut night. Digging into their side projects and giving them the Phish treatment rarely turns out to be less than impressive, as the new twist reintroduces the songs to fans. You can expect more tunes from side projects to appear as the band (unofficially) attempts to deliver on a no-repeat run of shows.
The Covers
Name a classic rock artist and Phish has covered them this run. The Beatles. Velvet Underground. David Bowie. Led Zeppelin. Neil Young. The Who. Ween. Talking Heads. Then add in some funk via Prince, Hot Chocolate, and Deodato, with Tay Zonday and Fleet Foxes catching fans off guard on separate nights with acapella renditions of their originals. The list will continue to expand as Phish stretches well out of their comfort zone and surprises fans with a dose of something out of left field.
No Repeats
As of Sunday night, Phish has performed more than 140 unique songs with 5 nights to go. The band is on pace for close to 230 total unique songs by the end, without a single song repeated. There is no band performing today with a catalog that deep who could perform at this level for 13 shows over 17 days.
You may or may not be a Phish fan, but the musical history being written inside Madison Square Garden is worth paying attention to as the run comes to a close this week.
Two years succeeding their debut, self-titled EP as a funky musical quartet, SkyDaddy makes a comeback with their latest EP Wide Eyes, due out on all digital platforms come August 1.
Dave Heinz (bass/vox), Joe North (saxophone/EWI), Tom Claney (guitar/vox) and Pat Agresta (drums) fit together as a jazzy-funk ensemble with nods of soul and rock fusion from downstate New York. However, its their solo skills that come together to create all that SkyDaddy stands for. Riding the wave of the ever-growing music scene in the Northeast, the foursome have lent their jam talents to venues across NYC and the tri-state area in support of The Nth Power, Pink Talking Fish, Amy Helm, Spiritual Rez, Sophistafunk and Zach Deputy, all within the last year.
Their self-titled effort brought fourth a five-track EP, including “Tell Me I’m Crazy” and “Just Enough Wine.” Dipping their toes into varying genres, Heinz, North, Clancey and Agresta use their talents to deliver spacey, progressive-like jams while capturing soul through their meaningful lyrics and memorable hooks.
Wide Eyes comes in the form of three tracks, all of which have the ability to get you on your feet and dancing or at least swaying side to side in your work chair. “Effortlessly Elegant” introduces the EP with a fitting title as the opening notes of the track and buttery-smooth saxophone make the listener’s need to move around and dance grow stronger by the second. “By the Fire Tonight” follows next, letting Agresta and the drum kit lead into the second track which appeals largely to the funkier soundscapes of their music. “Perspective” emphasizes on Heinz’ hearty vocals as he sings of relationships, wide eyed girls and the burning question of how they found their soul. Over the course of one year, the EP was recorded in REM Studios in Woodcliff Lake, NJ, collectively and accurately encompassing their sound as a unit thus far.
You can catch SkyDaddy on their Wide Eyes Tour during their slew of upcoming NY show dates, including a live WRRV Session at Newburgh Brewing Company, a September 19 Garcia’s gig with The Magic Beans in Port Chester and quick stops through VT and CT.
It’s been a long and inspired ride for the Athens Georgia based Drive-By Truckers. Since their debut album Gangstabilly almost 20 years ago, the band has seen numerous band lineup changes and produced multiple critically acclaimed LP’s. Co-founders of Drive-By Truckers Patterson Hood (lead vocals, guitar) and Mike Cooley (lead vocals, guitar, banjo) have been the architects of their longevity by amassing a pool of amazing musical talent that currently includes Matt Patton (bass guitar, backing vocals), Jay Gonzalez (keys, guitar, accordion, backing vocals), and Brad Morgan (drums). The band’s last LP, 2016’s politically charged American Band, takes head on the subjects of gun violence and the current state of U.S. racerelations that only a Southern based rock band steeped in that culture and tradition possibly could.
Drive-By Truckers at the Egg
DBT brought that politically charged power and intensity to the Hart Theater located in Albany’s Egg Performance Art Center on Tuesday July 25. This is the eleventh stop on DBT’s Resist Tour and the band was accompanied by opening act The Seratones. Based out Shreveport Louisiana, The Seratones are touring in support of their 2016 rocking release Get Gone. Lead Singer and guitarist AJ Haynes along with band members Connor Davis (guitar), Adam Davis (bass guitar), and Jesse Gabriel (drums) kicked off the show with a high octane version of “Choking On Your Spit.” The high octane, in your face, offering set the tone for their remaining energetic set.
After a short break, it was the Truckers turn to take the stage and they kicked off their set with “Filthy and Fried” off of 2016’s American Band. Vocalist Cooleypainted a gritty picture of a modern day landscape that showcases the angst of a 27-year-old woman trying to cope with the struggles of gender identity in everyday life. Next it was Hood’s turn to take the lead on vocals with a stirring rendition of “Two Daughters and a Beautiful Wife” off of 2008’s Brighter Than Creation’s Dark. It was just a little later in DBT’s set that Cooley realized that the crowd at the Egg were being overly reserved and sitting statically in their seats. He addressed the audience, stating that it was alright if they wanted to keep sitting down. Cooley went on to say that he and the band were more than willing to play slow songs, but if they wanted to rock they should feel free to get up on their feet. The newly energized crowd eagerly left their seats, the majority of which, stayed that way for the remainder of the performance.
DBT kept up their end of the bargain by cranking out down and dirty versions of Truckers fan favorites “Where The Devil Don’t Stay” and “Puttin’ People on the Moon.” Bassist Matt Patton also got a turn at vocals later in the set with a high-powered rendition of the Ramones classic, “The KKK Took My Baby Away.” DBT finished the night with an encore that included American Band’s politically charged “What It Means.” The song lyrically examines the ever-increasing incidents of gun violence in America and references the gun slayings of African Americans Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown. The stage lights went down during the performance, with the exception of a brightly lit Black Lives Matter sign that was prominently featured on the side of the band’s piano. Hood ended the anti-gun violence anthem with the impassioned mantra “It ain’t political…It’s personal!”
The Truckers wrapped up their set with a stirring version of “Grand Canyon” off of 2014’s English Oceans. Hood dedicated the song on-stage to “Departed Drive-By Truckers Family,” a reference to longtime merch-man and band ambassador Craig Lieske who passed away in 2013. The Drive-By Truckers will be featured at both the Newport Folk and XPoNential Music Festivals later this month.
Setlists:
Drive-By Truckers: Filthy and Fried, Two Daughters and a Beautiful Wife, Ramon Casiano, Baggage, Marry Me, Dead, Drunk and Naked, Guitar Man Upstairs, Darkened Flags on the Cusp of Dawn, Surrender Under Protest, The Company I Keep, A Ghost to Most, The Guns of Umpqua, Where the Devil Don’t Stay, Puttin’ People on the Moon, Shit Shots Count, Ronnie and Neil, Kinky Hypocrite,The KKK Took My Baby Away, Sinkhole, Made Up English Oceans, Let There Be Rock, Zip City, What It Means, Love Like This, Grand Canyon
Seritones: Choking On Your Spit, Sun Kingdom Come, Get Gone, Head-trip, Chandelier, Tide Brainwashed, Take It Easy, Necromancer, Don’t Need It, Trees
New York City based progressive rock band, Haakon’s Fault, has recently released their brand-new EP, Waning Gibbous. Despite the four-track project’s shortness, the band’s style and skill level is well showcased, combining elements of both wailing and grunge guitar offset by the entrance of a clean vocal by lead vocalist, Harry McNamara.
The EP’s opening self-titled track, “Waning Gibbous,” acts as an inviting introduction to the project. The song’s lead guitar riff captures and heats up the track to soon be cooled down by calming vocals. Despite the hot and cold nature of the track, it catches on fire with a piercing guitar solo that secures focus and desire to listen to the next three songs.
Waning Gibbous continues with a variety of sounds, followed by the second track, “Wicked World.” The track’s opening riff tells listeners to fasten their seatbelts. They’re on for the ride. With tints of hard-country, “Wicked World” symbolizes the versatile nature Haakon’s Fault has with their music.
Moving onto “Save Us” and then “Higher” Waning Gibbous provides an easy listening atmosphere for all listeners of music. It is very rare that a project is able to appeal to audiences of different genres while still remaining true to their sound. Haakon’s Fault is an example of a band that makes prog rock listenable to everyone. Their new EP stabilizes the thought that everyone, no matter the age or music sensibility, is able to rock.
“Caterpillar sheds his skin to find a butterfly within…”
Paula Cummings: The name Tart Vandelay, does everyone get that it’s a Seinfeld reference, or are there people who don’t?
PC: I’ve seen you on stage, and it looks like you’re having so much fun.
PC: What do you like to listen to?
Unlike the outrageously raging 
August 1.
