Category: Jam/Progressive

Baker’s Dozen Night Two: The Strawberry Goo

As the first weekend of Phish’s Madison Square Garden Baker’s Dozen residency rolls on, and with a memorable Friday night show already in the books, Saturday delivered another rousing two sets of music set to the tune of the next donut flavor of choice: Strawberry milkshake glaze. Once announced, speculation ran rampant as to what the band could pull out of its hat in order to comply with tonight’s theme. Perhaps a rare Strawberry Alarm Clock cover? An extended “Halley’s Comet” with strawberry jam? As usual, The Phish from Vermont did not disappoint.

The show began with all four band members at the front of the stage in barbershop quartet formation as they debuted an a cappella version of one of the more popular cover song guesses of the evening, The Beatles’ “Strawberry Fields Forever.” Those in the “Halley’s Comet” for an opener crowd were then quickly rewarded next with the standout version that followed, replete with thousands of delighted fans singing in unison about the preferred method of their strawberry goo intake.

Things escalated quickly from there courtesy of a sterling rendition of “The Moma Dance” that was delightfully stretched out, showcasing the steady and patient jamming style the band has featured of late. The “Breath and Burning” that followed was in the same vein and the normally straightforward reggae infused number took on an entirely different feel this evening with a complex and, at times, dark jam attached to it. Bassist Mike Gordon took over on lead vocals for the next two songs, a typically energetic and rocking cover of “Funky Bitch” and the old school staple “Mound.” To the delight of many, the first set continued with another Phish staple of yore, the rarely played “Foam” which is featured on the band’s first major release, Junta. “Roggae,” always a popular first set selection followed before “The Squirming Coil” with Page McConnell’s signature piano solo capped things off.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0bdLdTJdKI

Saturday’s second set kicked off with “Down with Disease” and its typical massive, psychedelic infused jam that seems to get deeper and more epic each time it’s played. Only true musical nerds could have possibly guessed what was next as Phish brought out their second debut of the night, “Strawberry Letter 23,” a song first written by Shuggie Otis, popularized by a cover from The Brothers Johnson in 1977 and sampled endlessly in popular music ever since. Before the shock of seeing this out of nowhere cover could wear off, Trey Anastasio’s opening guitar riff to “Birds of a Feather” rang through the Garden and sent the crowd into a frenzy, birds of a feather all singing and dancing in unison.

Another somewhat unexpected song selection followed with McConnell once again taking lead on the synthesizer fueled “I Always Wanted It This Way” which is found on the band’s most recent album, Big Boat. As the ensuing jam slowly winded down, a true bust out emerged with the first “All of These Dreams” played in over 250 shows which served as a true “breather” song. The last segment of the second set was classic Phish in a nutshell. The rhythm section of Gordon and drummer Jon Fishman initiated a “Split Open and Melt” that featured its typical dark, heavy improv section before eventually morphing back into the main riffs of “Down with Disease,” bringing the set opener full circle and leaving fans with mouths agape.

To close out the set, Phish played a popular encore-like selection with another cover, this time The Rolling Stones’ sing along “Shine A Light.” The actual encore was one for the books with “Peaches en Regalia” making an appearance there for the first time since the late 80s. A fitting high energy but brief cover of The Talking Heads’ “Cities” followed before “My Sweet One” closed out the evening. One of the highlights of the night was the extended pause at the end of the song that had everyone in attendance roaring in approval with a force so strong that it seemed to bring up the house lights – a fitting end to a most epic Baker’s Dozen ‘Strawberry’ show.

Setlist via Phish.net

Baker’s Dozen Night 2 – Strawberry

Set 1: Strawberry Fields Forever[1], Halley’s Comet > The Moma Dance[2] > Breath and Burning > Funky Bitch, Mound, Foam, Roggae, The Squirming Coil

Set 2: Down with Disease, Strawberry Letter 23[3] > Birds of a Feather, I Always Wanted It This Way[4] > All of These Dreams, Split Open and Melt > Down with Disease > Shine a Light

Encore: Peaches en Regalia > Cities, My Sweet One

[1] Phish debut; a cappella.
[2] Unfinished.
[3] Phish debut.
[4] With Trey on Marimba Lumina.

July 23, 2017
Phish in Pittsburgh

Phish played the intimate Petersen Events Center in Pittsburgh on Thursday. The small indoor arena on the University of Pittsburgh’s campus was a nice respite from the scorching heat outside. Fresh off the band’s opening run in Chicago and a one off show the night before at a similar style arena in Dayton, Ohio, the band offered up a unique show featuring some bustouts, new songs and jam or two in unexpected places.

The crowd was locked in and was giving back the energy, which was first very apparent during one of the better versions of “The Divided Sky” in quite some time, with the crowd completely losing it during the pause. The first set ended with “Prince Caspian”. It seemed like it would be a standard set closer but the band decided to give the Magnaball Caspian a run for its money and they took it deep. The jam first sounded like it could have came straight out of Maganaball’s Drive-In jam, before picking up speed into a Pink Floyd-like groove before it escalated into some soaring solos from Trey.

After getting things started back up again with a “Punch You In The Eye,” the band played the Trey Anastasio Band song “Mr. Completely” for only the second time. This was the jam of the night as the band played patient and loose while drummer Jon Fishman was the backbone, keeping it driving forward with momentum. This kind of relaxed jamming from the band usually doesn’t happen until the middle or end of the tour so it was very promising to see. Next up was a pairing of the rarely played but often loved “Mercury” into a new song called “Come Together.” They then went into a more song based portion to end the show, with solid versions of “Contact”, “Steam” and “Backwards Down the Numberline” being the highlights.

Phish heads nest to New York City for their 13-show residency at Madison Square Garden.

07/19/2017 • Peterson Events Center • Pittsburgh, PA

Tour: 2017 Summer Tour

Set 1: My Soul, NICU, Halley’s Comet, Undermind, The Divided Sky, Marissa, Home,Prince Caspian

Set 2: Punch You in the Eye, Mr. Completely, Mercury> Come Together, Contact, Axilla,Steam, Backwards Down The Number Line

Encore: Things People Do, Bug, Rocky Top

July 22, 2017
Phish Goes Coconut: Night 1 of The Baker’s Dozen

The buildup and anticipation for Phish’s 13 night ‘Baker’s Dozen’ run at Madison Square Garden hit a fever pitch on July 21 as the band kicked off the first of 13 shows with a coconut theme, free donuts, free Ben & Jerry’s ice cream and a show full of surprises and deep jams with excitement stoked for the next 12 shows.

Having not repeated a song during the first 5 shows of the run, heavy speculation among fans pointed to no repeats this run, with the band working new songs and side project covers into the rotation early. Alongside this was a ‘Coconut’ theme tonight, which was also the flavor of Federal Donuts handed out for free inside the venue this evening, all setting the stage for 12 more themed nights of donut flavored musical fun.

“Shake Your Coconuts” debuted to kick off the run, an energetic tune with lyrics inciting the crowd to get moving, “Just keep on dancing now / Just keep on getting down / Just keep on having fun / This party’s just begun.” “Martian Monster,” “Timber Ho!,” and “555” raised the funk factor with “Pigtail” and “Halfway to the Moon” barely mellowing the crowd. Cheers grew throughout the peaks that came out of these longer than usual versions. The phenomenal duo of “Reba” > “Moorage Daydream” threw a dose of early 90’s old school jamming with an arena rock level drive to each. “Walls of the Cave” closed out a set that raised the bar for the 25 sets to follow. All throughout, Chris Kuroda’s new light rig took on a life of its own, floating above the band and adding another layer to the already stellar light show.

The 16 minute “Tweezer” that opened up the second set grew patiently into an expansive jam, shifting into “Seven Below,” serving as a one-two punch to crank the second the set gears. “Billy Breathes” and “Sparkle” let the audience catch their breath for a moment before a TAB song “Everthing’s Right” took a spin for over 11 minutes and jammed nicely, fitting into the second sets of this tour more than any other debut thus far. A peaking “Slave” and “Suzy Greenberg” seemed to cap the set, but that was done with a cover of “Coconut” (the ‘Lime in the Coconut’ song by Harry Nilsson) done barbershop quartet style with Mike stealing the show. “Mango Song” and “Good Times Bad Times” paired perfectly with the two rocking sets that preceded.

Tonight’s theme has been announced as Strawberry, and we’re not far from Central Park. Strawberry Fields Forever, anyone?

Setlist via Phish.net
Set 1: Shake Your Coconuts[1], Martian Monster, Timber Ho! > 555, Pigtail, Halfway to the Moon, Reba[2], Moonage Daydream, Walls of the Cave
Set 2: Tweezer > Seven Below > Billy Breathes > Sparkle, Everything’s Right > Slave to the Traffic Light, Suzy Greenberg,Coconut[1]
Encore: The Mango Song, Good Times Bad Times
[1] Phish debut.
[2] No whistling.

July 22, 2017
Swimmer Dives into Second Pool of Summer Tour Dates

There’s only one way to cool yourself down on these thermal, mid-summer nights and that’s to let loose and do some swimmin’. Vermont outfit, Swimmer, resides just a stone’s throw away from New York in the jam-centered, musical hub that is Burlington, VT. As a well-known Burlington band having held an impressive residency slot at Nectar’s and previously opening up for the likes of Dopapod, the quintet made it a point to splash into unexplored territories, cities and states in order to further their rising presence in the jam community.

Welcoming the conception of their first-ever U.S. tour, the guys already completed stint one with stops across the Northeast. They hit NY specifically, with a July 2 show at Silvana in Harlem and a July 7 gig at Arlene’s Grocery in NYC before they dipped their toes into WV, NC, VA and DC. Their second voyage will see more NY dates, beginning with back-to-back stops at Plattsburgh’s Retro Live on Aug. 3 and Buffalo’s Neitzsche’s on Aug. 4 while gearing up to make their first appearance out West in Muncie, IN, Boulder and Denver, CO. They’ll return to MA and ultimately their Burlington swim hole for an appropriate tour closer at Nectar’s and a festival stop at Beaver Fest from Aug. 25-26.

Heavily influenced by artists such as Phish, Frank Zappa and The Disco Biscuits, Joe Agnello (guitar/vocals), Matt Dolliver (keys/saxophone), Cotter Ellis (drums/vocals), Paul Klein (guitar) and Jack Vignone (bass), encompass an encyclopedia of jam, progressive and experimental rock styles, blending them together to create a waterfall of elements all their own. Troy Rosenberg was recently introduced to the Swim team to manage stellar light shows to supplement Swimmer’s engaging and improvisational live performances.

Summer tour has given Swimmer the platform to promote their latest album, No Shape. The release compiles tunes they’ve been delighting fans with for quite some time, such as “Undercover Junkie,” while introducing fresh tunes for fans to float in, like fan-favorite “Godmeat” and “Schwack,” featuring Nate Reit on trumpet. No Shape gives any new swim-fan an in-depth look as to what the group is all about. As any jam band fan would explain, the full experience resides within the magical atmosphere of their live shows. The band’s ability to roll out extensive jams within any given song makes for a unique gig each night, always keeping the crowd fully engaged with a toss up of treats. For more of Swimmer’s live shows and to listen to their studio work, be sure to visit their Bandcamp.

If you don’t know these guys, catch them on the second leg of their summer tour. Get acquainted, get aquatic and check out their tour dates below!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qN_zXtHSbAI&feature=youtu.be

Summer 2017 tour dates part 2:

Aug. 3 – Retro Live – Plattsburgh, NY

Aug. 4 – Nietzsche’s – Buffalo, NY

Aug. 5 – Be Here Now – Muncie, IN

Aug. 10 – The Lazy Dog – Boulder, CO

Aug. 12 – Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom – Denver, CO

Aug. 17 – Thunder Road Music Club – Somerville, MA

Aug. 18 – Nectar’s – Burlington, VT

Aug. 25 – Beaver Fest @ Historic Memorial Hall- Wilmington, VT

July 22, 2017
Jay Peak Ski Resort Welcomes Jeezum Crow Fest For Its Fourth Consecutive Year

The fourth annual Jeezum Crow Fest at Jay Peak Ski Resort began with a rainy and windy start on Friday, July 14, though many locals and out-of-towners braved the elements for a night of great music at the Stateside Amphitheater. Though construction prevented as many vendors from setting up shop as in previous years, there were still a few staples of the community, such as Miso Hungry, an authentic ramen shop and a tie-dye stand, where children were taught how to make their own tie-dye shirts. The rainstorms were scattered, with blue sky peaking through the clouds fairly often.

Friday’s music kicked off with the return of The Mallett Brothers Band, who performed in the Foeger Ballroom last winter. The Brothers brought their blend of folk, rock and Americana to an eager crowd, successfully melding several genres into their sound, a snug fit for Jay Peak, whose locals exhibit a propensity for the folkier side of music. They were followed shortly after by a local favorite, one of Vermont’s hardest working musicians, Seth Yacavone of Morrisville, Vermont. Better known for his work with Dead Sessions, an extremely active Grateful Dead cover band, Seth Yacavone and his power trio played a set full of originals, showcasing his incredible chops on the guitar, as well as an affinity for the edgier side of rock music. They performed several cuts from their latest album, entitled Shovel Down, artfully creating a sound that drew influence from both funk and hair metal, bringing some much needed energy to the mountain.

Friday night’s headliner, Pink Talking Fish, did not disappoint the growing crowd, with their expertly interwoven sets that featured the timeless music of Pink Floyd, Talking Heads, and Phish. Right out of the gates, they got the crowd moving with Phish’s “Possum” which flowed seamlessly into “Breathe” by Pink Floyd into the dark and funky “Slippery People” by Talking Heads. Pink Talking Fish’s true merit lies in their ability to integrate riffs and progressions from each band and incorporate them into their jams, playing each song faithfully to the source material, but still managing to find inventive new ways to tweak the music and keep it interesting for the audience. A blend of hits and obscure gems were played, with the band diving into some deep Pink Floyd cuts as well as the rare Phish tune “Colonel Forbin’s Ascent.” This reporter may have had to wipe a tear or two from his eye when Floyd’s “Fearless” was played, and the whole crowd sang along while the band encored with a mash-up of “Tennessee Jed” and “Ocelot” that concluded with the iconic “Bathtub Gin” riff. Unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances, the late-night act, the Balkun Brothers were unable to perform in the Bullwheel Bar, but attendees took to the parking lot and partied the night away regardless.

Festivities began again at noon on Saturday with Lionize, who had been added to the bill relatively late. Though many Jeezum Crow attendees were still sleeping off the previous night’s shenanigans, Lionize performed energetically for a small crowd in the bright sun, which starkly contrasted Friday’s gray skies. More concert-goers began to trickle in as Rick Redington & the Luv (another Vermont local and staple of Franklin County and the Northeast Kingdom) took the stage, delivering a mellow and enjoyable set. Soule Monde followed next, and truly blew the minds of the audience with their ability to sound like a full orchestra, despite just being a drummer and an organ player. Their flavor of heavy jazz-funk with just a little bit of rock impressed existing fans and newbies alike, as the duo displayed some impressive musical ability. Soule Monde is comprised of Russ Lawton and Ray Paczkowski of Trey Anastasio Band fame. Eric Gales Band performed after that, bringing some heavy funk to an already-energetic crowd. He closed his set out with an instrumental, psychedelic version of “Don’t Fear The Reaper” by Blue Oyster Cult. The Infamous Stringdusters took the stage afterwards, bringing the predominantly Vermont-based crowd their daily dose of traditional bluegrass, with a modern twist. Full of explosive energy, the Charlottesville, Virginia-based outfit plucked and crooned for nearly two hours, and even invited Todd Park Mohr, Big Head Todd of Big Head Todd and the Monsters, to perform a song.

Big Head Todd took to the stage for an impressive set that blended their older tunes with several new tracks from their last album, released in 2014. A bluesy, rocking set that incorporated southern rock and country as well, Todd Park Mohr showed Jay Peak his guitar-playing skill as well as his fantastic, Stevie Ray Vaughn-esque voice, which was well-suited to the older crowd. Jeezum Crow collectively swooned during their rendition of their original song, “Bittersweet,” and sang along and swayed with a soaring encore of the classic rock hit, “Hey Joe.” Big Head Todd and the Monsters formed in the early eighties, saw some fame in the mid-to-late nineties, and are seeing a resurgence now with the release of the album Black Beehive and an extensive tour.

After the Monsters played their closing notes on the main stage, festival-goers were delighted to see Burlington-based band Barika, whose sound almost defies description. Incorporating a sitar-like West African instrument called a N’Goni, Barika played their late-night set in the intimate Bullwheel Bar, the perfect closer to the weekend. Their highly-danceable sound is made unique by the West African influence of Craig Myers, who has performed with Mike Gordon of Phish and Burlington greats Rubblebucket. Their music, which would already be an exciting blend of styles ranging from reggae to funk to afro-beat, is bolstered by the use of the N’Goni, which is best described in appearance and tone, as a cross between a banjo and a sitar. They also incorporate drums, bass, guitar, keys, trombone, and baritone into their multi-faceted sound. They ended their set close to 2am, and then took to the parking lot to mingle with a very satisfied group of concert-goers.

Though the absence of Dark Star Orchestra for the first time since the festival’s induction and nasty weather on Friday may have hurt attendance somewhat, Jeezum Crow managed to assemble a very eclectic group of musicians and bands, for a weekend that truly unites the many communities that border Jay Peak Resort. Visitors new to Jay Peak and families that have lived on or near the mountain for years enjoyed one of Jay Peak’s biggest musical attractions.

July 22, 2017
Feeling Love at Camp Bisco Music Festival

Camp Bisco has become the premier electronic music festival in the Northeast (RIP Mysteryland) and continues to showcase the talents of rising jamtronica, EDM, DJ and jam band acts throughout the weekend while host band The Disco Biscuits play 6 sets for their fervent flock of fans who love to make it a point to attend the Scranton, PA festival year in, year out.

The weekend got off to a hot start on Thursday with two NYS artists, Turkuaz and Break Science, dropping some funk on opposite sides of the venue, each to a widening crowd as their set progressed. In Electric City, Gramatik put forth a politically charged set that featured strong support for Net Neutrality with graphics supporting the fight for a free and open net roadcast throughout much of the set behind Gramatik. The crowd cheered on the sentiment, one that affects anyone who streams music, let alone uses the Internet. When the Disco Biscuits hit the stage, the crowd was amped up for the first of six sets this weekend, kicking off with a triple-decker “Astronaut” that included “Run Like Hell” and “Digital Buddha” inside. “Reactor” > “Portal to an Empty Head” (inverted) > “Reactor” followed, raising the bar as the set continued and capping the sole set of Thursday with an apropos “Home Again.” Griz meanwhile kept the crowd dancing late with infectious future funk and electronic that complemented the Biscuits and Gramatik perfectly, kicking off the weekend in the perfect way.

Friday started with Pigeons Playing Ping Pong on the Above the Waves stage, but given the immense rain that came down in the middle of the night, some fans were drying out before getting wet with PPPP while others said ‘funk it’ and headed down to throw down with Baltimore’s finest and Manic Focus shortly thereafter. Beats Antique’s mystic gypsy affair wowed a curious crowd on the main stage at Electric City, warming up the audience for Disco Biscuits who played a nearly nonstop set, working a “Munchkin Invasion” around “Orch Theme,” “Voices Insane,” and an inverted “And the Ladies Were the Rest of the Night.”

Amid all the music the first half of this day was the 12th annual Camp Bisco Color War at the Lazy River, pitting Biscuits fans against Bassnectar fans in a friendly competition that featured volleyball, limbo, a spelling bee, a bacon-off featuring delicious bacon-infused concoctions, water slide races and a scavenger hunt to cap the day off. Purple Reign ruled the day once again, but all four teams – Greenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Bassheads 808 and New World Orange – put in a valiant effort in an all too-close race surely to bring out the competitors next year with an even greater desire to bring home the trophy.

The Biscuits kicked off their second set with “Solstice,” not played since May of 2007 and threw in “Spacebirdmatingcall” with “Gangster” worked in between. Out of “M.E.M.P.H.I.S.,” a perfect song to keep energy flowing, was a jam that drifted into an instrumental version of Prince’s “Controversy,” perhaps an homage to Purple Reign’s victory earlier in the day, but quite possibly one of the biggest surprises of the weekend thus far. Bassnectar’s set followed and drew an immense crowd to Electric City, with fans standing on seats and throwing down in unison as Lorin’s hair and hands flowed across knobs and laptops, creating a tremor of music that didn’t stop for 90 minutes. Late night on the Above the Waves stage, Twiddle welcomes Tommy Weeks from Sophistafunk to the stage for “Latin Tang” and Aron Magner for “Mamunes The Faun,” with Shpongle following behind for a hillside packed to the top for one final throw down of the evening.

Saturday at Camp Bisco proved to be the best day, weather wise, of all three days. And with three sets of the Disco Biscuits punctuated with Pretty Lights Live Band, The Floozies and Action Bronson, loyal fans seemed to save some energy for the headlining events.

The Werks alter ego “Werktronic” delivered a stellar set at the Above the Waves Stage on Saturday afternoon. The band sported white bunny suits, the kind you’d see workers wearing in a clean room at NASA. The electronic set was the perfect match for Bisco. A somewhat harder jam band with synthesized dance beats and auto tuned vocals meant rage time for both swimmers in the wave pool and dancers on dry land. Coming off his earlier set with Electronic Beethoven, keyboardist Todd Stoops sat in, adding even more flare to the unique set.

Bisco enthusiasts, while leaning toward electronic music, are also fans of rap, good rap. Enter Action Bronson on the Electric City Stage. The former chef turned rapper delivered a larger-than-life performance. Seemingly everyone in the crowd knew the words and enthusiastically spouted it out right along with the Fuck, That’s Delicious TV personality. During “Acting Crazy,” the energy both on stage and in the crowd could have blown the tent top off that pavilion.

Back over at the Above the Waves Stage, Escort worked the crowd with their charismatic front woman Adeline Michèle. Her rainbow sequined shorts caught the eye of many as she popped and locked all over the stage, pausing only to occasionally pick up the guitar. They concluded their set with fan favorite “Cocaine Blues,” a song sampled by many bands in various genres.

Just like a ping pong ball, we bounce back once again to the Electric City Stage just in time for The Disco Biscuits’ first set of the day. More hip-hop was incorporated in this set, opening with “Caves of the East” with the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air theme song teased in before slipping into “Loose Change.” “Bernstein and Chasnoff” sandwiched an inverted and enthusiastic “Highwire” and “Tempest” before the set ended with “Mulberry’s Dream.”

On Saturday, The Floozies duo finally got a chance to play together at Montage Mountain. Last year at The Peach Music Festival, The String Cheese Incident’s Jason Hann filled in for drummer Mark Hill whose wife had just gone into labor. While that set was enjoyable and impressive given the last minute throw-together, fans got the full Floozies experience at Camp Bisco. The brothers take sampling to another level while adding their own live guitar, auto tuner and drums intermittently. The crowd came alive with endless beach balls and totems for songs like “Pimp Juice” and “Funky Jesus.” Cats in outer space with laser beam eyes danced across the screen behind them while a fan in the crowd proudly waved a handmade flag with the words “Fuck Trump” scribbled across it.

Back to the hosts, The Disco Biscuits, for their second set of the day and fifth of the weekend. Opening with “Morph Dusseldorf,” they moved into an inverted portion of “Above the Waves.” Their newest song, “The Champions,” ended with guest guitarist and friend Tom Hamilton who helped usher in the phenomenal cover of Bob Marley’s “Exodus.” The set then circled back to “Above the Waves” and “Morph Dusseldorf” with a confetti cannon raining paper on fans during the climax of the morph jam.

Pretty Lights Live has moved away from the funk and towards the darkness, as shown by their performance Saturday night. The majority of the set sounded as though Derek Vincent Smith and friends were striving for the most epic, apocalyptic sound they could put together, which does work if that’s what you’re into. The live band mixed in with the prerecorded music allows the group to keep each show unique. Notable songs included unreleased tracks such as the cover of Run DMC’s “It’s Tricky” as well as “You Get High.” While impressive in its own right, there seemed to be a divide on the satisfaction within the audience. Avid PL fans seemed happy with the new direction while others felt the wind taken out of their dance sails.

The sixth and final set from The Disco Biscuits began with a thank you from Marc Brownstein to the fans, workers and crew at the festival. It truly is impressive the amount of planning and logistics that goes into an event of this size. The reggae seemed to carry over from their previous set with a dub version of “Mindless Dribble” that lead into a jam heavy “Helicopters” and then into a never-been-played instrumental cover of Donna Summer’s “I Feel Love.” The kaleidoscope of lights along with the familiar tune was fuel for the crowd who seemed to turn up the energy level on this last night of Bisco. “Tricycle” and “Air Song” came next before returning to a climatic “Helicopters” to end the set.

Brownstein once again thanked the fans and took one more family Camp Bisco photo with the fans. The cheers of the crowd then drew them back in for one more, encoring with “Spraypaint” to end the weekend.

July 21, 2017
Interview: Escaper Unleashes Space Funk on Planet Earth

Since last year, Brooklyn-based Escaper has been offering listeners a medium through which to contemplate the most practical methods for farming space worms. Or finally realizing that astronauts can create aliens by giving birth in space, or that there are so many cats on the internet because dog people go outside. Either way, Will Hanza of Escaper (bandleader/guitarist) took a moment to reflect on the creative spirit of making music that facilitates the contemplation of life’s most important questions.

Photo Credit: Brian Edward of Sobokeh

Ally Dean: The band members in Escaper have collaborated with a highly impressive assortment of musicians. Does Escaper come first for all band members? Is it a challenge for members to juggle this band with other collaborations and projects?

Will Hanza: We are all proud of our past accomplishments, for sure! Scheduling is tough for any band, but we manage pretty well. There is a lot of creative opportunity surrounding each player, which is terrific! We all support each other’s other projects, which is really fun. Doing so only helps—rising tides raise all ships, and all that. One of the nice things about Escaper is that it was specifically designed to be a band where each member is able to be completely themselves, as players. For each of us, the band is a conduit of free expression, which I think lends itself to the higher levels we are able to get to as a team.

AD: What do you think people most often contemplate as their minds wander to distant places under the melodic gaze of your music?

WH: Fun question. We do try to make transportive music. Hopefully, there are no constraints to where the mind wanders. Maybe it’s something transcendental and thought provoking. Maybe it’s, “pizza vs. tacos?” or, “why don’t cats like to swim?” Regardless, our duty is to move ourselves when we play, or we have little chance of moving the listener.

AD: Do you form your own meanings for what the songs represent or do you prefer not to assign specific meaning to them?

WH: The songs have taken on some meaning and ‘vibe’ as they have developed. Being an instrumental album, it is certainly more open to interpretation. That said, we call our song titles our one shot at “lyrics.” The songs and titles have developed into their own story line. The journey of escaping confinement is allowing one to be oneself without barriers, and only then is one truly able to unlock all doors and open themselves to many different realms. In the end, our hope is that the listener is able to find their own meaning in all of that.

AD: Skeleton Key is your first album together. Have you all had separate recording experience before coming together for this?

WH: Yes. We’ve all recorded/been part of other albums. All separately, except Will and Jay, who were both on the Kalen & the Sky Thieves album, Bluebird (also on Ropeadope). Johnny Butler was an original member of Sister Sparrow & the Dirty Birds and recorded with them. He also has credits with Beyonce, Randy Jackson and others. Adam Ahuja was also on the Ropeadope roster with his band The Flowdown before joining Escaper.

AD: I read that you guys laid each track down in one take. Is that because you all had an exact goal and executed it perfectly on the first try, or because this style of music lends itself to a little flexibility and you could afford to have a little creative freedom, while still feeling satisfied with the end result?

WH: A little bit has been lost in translation, as far as how we made this album, so this is a good chance to clarify how we went about our process. We recorded most of the album together in one day in the studio. We all played together, simultaneously, while isolated in different rooms, but with windows so we could see each other. This enabled us to best capture the synergy of playing live. Instead of layer upon layer, we all played together, lending the ability to also play *off* of each other, and inspire each other in the moment. Lift each other up in the moment. While a couple of tracks had some light layering for some orchestral effects, for the most part what you hear is the 5 of us just playing with each other at the same time. The music definitely lends itself to the flexibility of “how do we feel right now,” which we absolutely wanted to allow for in the studio.

AD: As of now you have a few dates booked in July and just a couple in the Fall. Are you hoping to add more dates in support of the new album or are you not trying to tour too extensively just yet?

WH: Oh yes. We had a great release show in NYC back in May and have played Brooklyn Bowl a couple times since the release. We’ve played around the northeast, from New England to Virginia. The late July/early August dates are mostly in New York state! We’re excited for the pre-Phish show at American Beauty in NYC on July 26. We’re also excited to be returning to some Hudson Valley favorite spots; July 28 at Snug Harbor in New Paltz, NY and August 4 at Olive’s in Nyack, NY. We haven’t released all of our Fall schedule yet, which will include a couple more festivals and bunch of dates in the northeast, in particular. We’ll continue to fill out our schedule for Fall, Winter and beyond! With the next album currently being recorded and mixed (and due for release in a few months), we’ll be on the road quite a bit. Stay tuned!

Upcoming Tour Dates:
7/21 – New Haven, CT – Pacific Standard Tavern
7/26 – New York, NY – American Beauty NYC
7/28 – New Paltz, NY – Snugs
8/4 – Nyack, NY – Olive’s

July 20, 2017
Wild Adriatic to Host ‘The Summit’ Hometown Music Festival

After years of planning, Wild Adriatic unveiled details of their very own music festival. The Summit will be an annual hometown event featuring up-and-coming live bands. Wild Adriatic aims to use the event to bring music lovers together to foster community and collaboration. The premier on September 29 and 30 at the Queensbury Hotel will include performances by Aqueous, Madaila, Girl Blue, NYS Music 87/90 artist Let’s Be Leonard, Angels on the Fourth, the LateShift, Ramblers Home, Last Daze, Paradox Saints and Chestnut Grove.

Wild Adriatic spends much of the year on the road. Fresh on the heels of their new album, Feel, the power trio is currently on tour. They dish out high-energy rock and roll, creatively incorporating elements from influences including Motown and classic rock.

Wild Adriatic member and festival producer Mateo Vosganian issued the following statement regarding the new festival:

We’re three guys who were raised within two miles of each other in Queensbury and we’ve been fortunate enough to build a career of touring the world playing our music. Our hometown played huge roles in that in so many ways and we’ve been looking for ways to do something fun, memorable, and community oriented.

The Summit is an opportunity for us to gather friends from all over the northeast under one roof with the intention of collaborating and creating a special, memorable weekend that we can build on as a yearly function. We’ve already been poking around about next year and adding an outdoor mainstage, so this is something we’re looking to keep cheap, fun, and accessible for our local community for ideally a long time to come.

Featured artists for the festival include bands that they’ve played with over the years. This sense of camaraderie is sure to add fun to the festivities. Live performances will run from 5 p.m. – 1 a.m. both nights, running on two stages within the Queensbury Hotel. The festival is a bargain at $15 for one day or $25 for both, thanks to partnerships with Mean Max Brew Works, Empire Audio Recording + Sound, and the Queensbury Hotel. Tickets go on sale on Thursday, July 20.

July 19, 2017
Levitate Festival Brings The Rythym To South Shore

Levitate Music Festival said this year there would be two days and it was groovy. July 8 and 9 in Marshfield, MA, this little grassroots festival brought thousands of fans to the fairgrounds for some of the best and brightest names touring today.

Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad had people going ape in the pits to start off on Saturday. The good tunes kept rolling as New Orleans’ own Rebirth Brass Band brought that southern jazz you never knew you needed. These Grammy winners didn’t become a NOLA institution by accident. You can’t help but get down to this kind of funk. I was a little disappointed to find that Mihali & Friends was dueling with Rubblebucket, but the festival was so well organized that I was able to move between stages with ease to make sure I captured as much of the magic as possible. Deer Tick and The Revivalists were followed by the first set of Umphrey’s McGee. A heavy dose of Umph goodness echoed over a packed crowd. The guys took a quick break to let local-legends Stick Figure tear up the main stage, and then returned with a jam-heavy second set that took over that little fairground. The headliner for the night was the legendary Dispatch, and the rails were surging as they rocked the crowd til the sun had finally set on a magnificent first day.

Guitar prodigy and singer/songwriter Quinn Sullivan really impressed to start off Sunday. The teenage phenomenon has made a true name for himself in his short career. It was a treat to see him and his star-packed band play a hometown show. Pigeons Playing Ping Pong opened the main stage with their insanely contagious energy and funky jams that cannot be matched. Once “Melting Lights” was done melting everyone’s brain, Ripe followed on the Style Stage. This funk/pop group has completely taken this scene by storm with Robbie Wulfsohn’s sassy and soulful presence. Their cover of Ellie Goulding’s “On My Mind” is one of those songs that you can play on repeat for an hour… at least. Trevor Hall and JJ Grey & Mofro had the pits screaming so loud I thought my ears were gonna burst. Vermont favorites, (and yours), Twiddle blew the fans away and blanketed them with dreams and relaxation. You couldn’t help but sing along when they played their new song “Orlando’s.” The Style Stage was closed out with the hottest folk-rock band out there right now, in Lake Street Dive. The reggae legend, Ziggy Marley closed out the festival in pure style. The festival could not have ended on a higher note. Check out the pics from Zatchmo Lives Media and remember to Dream Big, Live Bigger.

July 19, 2017
Lineup Announced for Cortland’s Seedstock Festival 2017

This year’s Seedstock Fest lineup is stacked with some of Central Region’s best musical talent over the span of three days from August 4-6, 2017, the festival will feature performances by 27 acts, including Sophistafunk, Digger Jones, Floodwood, and Root Shock.

Now in it’s 9th year, Seedstock Festival brings together a crowd of 1000 music enthusiasts to Reed’s Farm in Cortland. While day passes are available, many attendees take advantage of the camping on the picturesque site. This family-friendly festival also includes activities for kids.

Friday, August 4: Sophistafunk, Root Shock, Mosaic Foundation, Quona Hudson, Next to Kin, Horizon Wireless and Red Brunette.

Saturday, August 5: Digger Jones, The Unknown Woodsmen, and Molly and the Badly Bent Bluegrass Boys, The Blind Spots, Chris Eves and the New Normal, The New Daze, Dapper Dan, Tanksley, and Adam Ate the Apple. The late-night silent disco will feature sets by DJ Tech and Weasel Dust.

Sunday, August 6: Floodwood, Analogue Sons, Milkweed, The Local Farmer’s Union, Bea, Austin MacRae and Rachel Beverly.

Tickets are available at the Seedstock website.Follow Seedstock Festival on Facebook for updates.

July 18, 2017