NYS Music 20​17

Tag: Phil Lesh

  • Dark Star Orchestra’s 20th Anniversary at the Palace Packs in the Classics

    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.

    Dark Star Orchestra, Palace Theater, Albany, NY, 11/11/2017

    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

  • Phil Lesh Given Key to the Village of Port Chester

    The meaning behind being given the key to a city has changed time and time again since it’s origins in medieval times. Back then, it granted peasants a freedom from serfdom; now it’s a symbol of thanks to any person, native or alien, who has had an positive impact on a community. Looking back on what Mr. Lesh has done for Port Chester, it’s a mystery why he wasn’t given this earlier.

    He has made over 70 appearances at the Capitol Theatre alone and was widely recognized for his streak of 17 shows within 11 months between 1970-71. One of the Grateful Dead’s most highly praised live albums was recorded during this time at The Cap in February of 1970. Three From the Vault is considered to be one of the most desirable and included the first live performances of the songs “Bird Song” and “Deal.”

    Lesh also is a strong advocate organ donation awareness, another reason why he was given this prestigious honor. He had a close call with Hepatitis C and was fortune enough to be given a liver by a random donor he only knew by the name of Cody. Due to this traumatic experience, Lesh, is always saying to his fans, “Save the life of someone you’ll never meet.” Lesh is a truly selfless person and is undoubtedly deserving of the key to the “Village of Port Chester.”

  • Photo Gallery: Lockn’ 2017

    LOCKN‘ 2017, held annually at Infinity Downs Farm in Arrington, Virginia, draws lovers of funky jams, old school blues, and gritty hard rock from all corners of the country. This year, residents from every single state migrated to the mountainous landscape on a late summer weekend, August 24-27. Beautiful sunny weather with a scattering of clouds provided much welcome shade as festival goers danced and mingled, sampling a variety of local brews and food. All-star jams and vibrant performances by local artists studded the four-day event with excitement and musical release.photo gallery lockn 2017

  • Soulful Sunday Closes out LOCKN’ 2017

    People seemed to lazily roll out of their tents on the final day of LOCKN’ 2017′, but Keller Williams returned to the stage on Sunday in full force, this time with his Grateful Gospel project. It was specifically conceived as a Sunday morning installation for LOCKN’. Playing some of their favorite Grateful Dead tunes with a black gospel spice, it filled the dusty air with a fitting soundtrack for the snoozy attitude shared by many.

    Virginia-based Anthony Rosano and the Conqueroos stayed with the funky blues theme, Rosano’s sturdy bellowing voice married soulfully with a sweetly played saxophone. “Devils Hand” was among their setlist, as was a tease of Zeppelin’s “Black Dog.” Mid-set he addressed the crowd, “Make some noise so I know you’re still breathing out there!” Glancing around at the listeners, some with nose and mouth draped in a bandana to block out the red dust billowing up, there was no doubt everyone’s lungs were a little worse for wear after four days of inhaling the dirt-speckled air. A quick nostril excavation would surely reveal the treasure trove of crusty reddish-black gems harbored by festival goers all weekend.

    Keepin it classy, Eric Krasno Band‘s jazzy flair featured an old school organ with those quintessential revolving speakers that have fallen out of popularity but are always a nostalgic site. The female vocalist sharing the stage complimented Krasno’s vocals beautifully, making for some soulful harmonies.

    Over at the main stage, The Record Company emerged with their rough and rowdy rock n roll to which lead vocalist Chris Vos assured, “It’s rock n roll, it ain’t gotta be pretty. At least not the way we do it I suppose.” After a short but intense set, the band thought their time was up but were cued to keep playing, to which Vos announced, “And now we will play the entire Rush 2112 album,” followed by cheering in the audience. Vos quickly responded, “Just kidding, we couldn’t play that if we tried! But glad you’d let us get away with it.” His humble humor made his set stand out even more after bonding with the crowd over a good laugh.

    JJ Grey and Mofro followed, dressed to the nines with lead vocalist JJ Grey donning a black sport coat and red satin tie. Bouncy keys and two horn players, who swayed in choreographed unison, brought a more upbeat and dance-worthy feel. Grey sang several songs inspired by his grandmother, a woman who heavily influenced his life. He exclaimed, “If she taught me one thing, it’s that you can’t fight darkness, you have to be the light.”

    The atmosphere mellowed out during Margo Price’s set which transitioned to a slightly more country folk style. Her soft vocals almost felt a bit lost as they floated through the crowd, her music seeming muted after the two lively sets before. Her song “Desperate and Depressed” spoke of the woes of trying to make it as a musician, but things must be looking up, getting a slot at LOCKN’.

    The Revivalists opened their set with “Bulletproof” and also played their popular radio hit “Wish I Knew You.” They played mostly to the books, without too much experimentation outside of their established  song structures. The band concluded with a classic, “With a Little Help from My Friends.” 

    Phil Lesh and friends accompanied by moe. was an eagerly anticipated collaboration given that it will be one of the last times moe. plays for a while as Rob Derhak tackles a recent cancer diagnosis. Their lighthearted sound brought a warmth felt throughout the crowd. After their set, the crowd thinned out a bit, leaving more room for fans excited to watch The Avett Brothers close out the festival. They opened with “Satan Pulls the Strings,” and also played “Down with the Shine,” during which their vocals could have been raised, a sentiment echoed by several in the crowd.

    The laid-back comfort between the band members gave the feeling that  they could just as easily be playing together in a cozy living room instead of on display in front of thousands of fans. Cellist Joe Kwon didn’t even utilize his cello stand, preferring to hold the instrument up and walk around with it, which was both amusing and impressive. Violinist Tania Elizabeth and Scott Avett shared a fun chemistry, as they both enjoyed breaking it down, at one point standing face-to-face before bending down on their knees at the front of the stage to the delight of the audience.

    The Avett Brothers also played “Headful of Doubt/Road Full of Promise,” “Laundry Room,” “Morning Song,” “Vanity,” “Kick Drum Heart” and “Murder in the City” before Bob Weir joined them onstage. Weir’s sweet guitar added a richness to their set, a perfect marriage of sound they continued to carry out for the rest of their performance. The Avett Brothers made a fitting cap to the four day festival, with their honest storytelling illustrating scenes many in the crowd can relate to. As their set played out, listeners seized the last opportunity to genuinely connect to the music and with the LOCKN’ family of music fans they forged over the long weekend.

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  • Kings and Queens of Rock Reign at Lockn’ 2017 on Day 2

    As the Friday morning migration of early risers dispersed to acquire their first fix of caffeine at Lockn’ 2017, the fairly priced $3 cups were a welcome relief from the $9 beers that drained wallets the night before. Local rock group Sun-Dried Opossum, aided by the climbing heat of the mid-morning sun, beckoned attendees out of their tents and campers toward the Relix stage.

    Marcus King Band followed, upping the rock and roll intensity even more, to a noticeably larger crowd. The Relix field’s undulating topography provides varying levels that aid people further back in viewing the stage, but also offers some rather slanted footing that can make it trickier to find a comfortable place to stand. But patrons weren’t letting that stop them from gathering to soak in the sultry southern rock led by Marcus King. His rough around the edges vocals accompanied by trumpet, sax and organ blended to form a rich and mature sound. The heavy rock made a fitting soundtrack for the crowds dragging footsteps, weighed down with the increasing heat.

    New York band TAUK brought a level of sophistication with their polished sound, releasing beautifully executed instrumentation with a slightly spacey, ethereal tone. Accompanied by some much appreciated cloud cover, they provided the perfect soundtrack for the web of frisbee throwers flinging their tiny UFO’s through the air on the main stage field.

    The tribal soul vibes of Sinkane mellowed out the atmosphere with a lighthearted sound as people mingled, sprawled out in hammocks between whatever trees they could claim, and made the whole show field feel like one giant living room shared by all.

    The main stage welcomed Blackberry Smoke as it’s first performer of the day. They put out a satisfying performance of savory southern rock before Jim James completely switched up the energy with a solo acoustic performance. Despite his softer sound, he had a way of focusing the crowd’s attention with thought-provoking sentiments.

    He opened his set with an acoustic rendition of “Young at Heart” before paraphrasing the Nelson Mandela quote: “No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background or his religion. People learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.” He explained it’s a quote he’d been thinking about a lot recently. He poignantly followed it with a tune about people making the same mistakes over and over again.

    Brandi Carlile took to the stage next and exploded through the speakers with a full band and really tight, controlled sound that laid a strong foundation for her unbelievable vocal ability. There was a lot of love for Carlile at the start of her set, but as she bounced around on stage, exuding positivity and grace, she quickly won over a lot more hearts too. The crowd was in awe to the point that she took notice and expressed to the crowd, “This is some of the best energy I’ve felt on stage.” The mutual love and respect between Carlile and the adoring crowd continued to grow throughout her set.

    After each song she wistfully tossed her guitar pick into the crowd, to the cheers and delight of many. One of her set highlights was an acoustic rendition of “The Eye.” She sung in a three-part harmony with two of her bandmates whom she has been performing with for fifteen years. They happen to be twin brothers, and she humbly introduced the tune exclaiming, “They are amazing singers and they could be standing at this center mic any day of the week and we’re about to show you why.”

    Next the band picked things up with “Hard Way Home,” followed by an energetic rendition of “Folsom Prison Blues,” which she sang in an effortless flutter between sweet and smooth to gruff and rusty vocals. Carlile remarked right after, “Momma’s getting’ to old for that shit,” and the crowd hollered in laughter at her sincerity, and ability to level with the crowd. Her conversational style between songs allowed her to genuinely connect with the audience. She played “The Mother,” a song off her new album about the impact of having a daughter. Jim James came back out to duet with her and their mutual respect for each other provided the glue for great stage chemistry. Next she dedicated “The Story” to Charlottesville before ending her set by covering “Going to California,” which she sang effortlessly because she is the queen of country rock.

    Phil Lesh and The Terrapin Family Band came out next to the utter joy of the very Grateful Dead-centric crowd. Their mellow rock sound was punctuated by a sea of cheers as fans recognized their favorite songs and proudly brandished their vibrant tye dyes. Gov’t Mule followed with more heavy rock, aided by the sharp vocals of Heart’s Ann Wilson during a one-two punch cover of “Immigrant Song” aptly followed by “Black Dog.”

    Wilson took a moment to express, “We judge each other by what we have or how successful we are, but that’s complete and utter bullshit. So let’s take it all back.” Wilson and Gov’t Mule then went into a deep bluesy, “I Don’t Care What You’re Wearing,” as a man donning a glitter-laden jellyfish hat paraded through the crowd at just the right moment.

  • Rob Derhak Cancer Diagnosis Causes moe. to Announce Indefinite Hiatus

    Fresh off the heels of moe.’s triumphant return of moe.down at Snow Ridge in Turin, the jam veterans have announced they’ll be going on an indefinite hiatus following the unfortunate oropharyngeal cancer diagnosis of singer and bassist Rob Derhak.

    With the shocking and obviously unplanned break looming, the Buffalo quartet issued a statement to moe.rons with plans to leave all future shows off of their calendar come Aug. 1. Derhak, Chuck Garvey, Al Schnier, Jim Loughlin and Vinnie Amico plan to finish out their remaining three shows in New York City, at Huckleberry Jam and their wildly anticipated Lockn’ Festival gig alongside Grateful Dead’s Phil Lesh, who has a battle with cancer all his own.

    In Derhak’s personal statement, he reveals that despite the diagnosis and rough healing period, things are looking up with a positive survival rate. NYS Music sends Rob Derhak, his family and the entire moe. organization well wishes during this trying time and look forward to seeing the guys back in action when time and health allow.

    The group’s heartfelt letter to the the “Famoe.ly” is posted below:

    https://www.facebook.com/moe.org/posts/10155487850692438

  • Phil Lesh & The Terrapin Family Band Slip into Winterland ’77

    On the eve of a massive blizzard in the Northeast, on Monday, March 6, and after the dreaded “spring ahead” of Daylight Saving Time, Phil Lesh and The Terrapin Family Band took to the stage of Brooklyn Bowl to fall back into time, specifically, to recreate a June 7, 1977 at the Winterland Arena in San Fransisco, California.

    Honestly, I’m not positive when it was announced that the TFB would be recreating this iconic show in its entirety, but the fact that it coincided with the aforementioned weather and skip in space-time continuum was, if nothing else, extremely amusing to a few of us in attendance. Joined by Eric Krasno of Soulive, the Terrapin Family Band sounded fresh and eager, breathing new life into a set of Winterland ’77 that is nearly 40 years old.

    winterland '77Without hesitation, I will attest to having heard this show many times. I own the box set and collected the bootlegs. But for a few hours last night, I hung on every note with anticipation of what was to come next. And that is the large part of the appeal, to what is, the expansive catalog of the Grateful Dead. Even after all these years and incarnations and cover bands and the like, there just might be something new around the corner when you least expect it.

    Grateful Dead Live at Winterland Arena on June 7, ’77

    Set 1: Bertha, Jack Straw, Tennessee Jed, Looks Like Rain, Peggy-O, Funiculi Funicula, El Paso, Friend Of The Devil, The Music Never Stopped

    Set 2: Scarlet Begonias, Fire On The Mountain, Good Lovin’, Candyman, Estimated Prophet, He’s Gone, Drums, Samson And Delilah, Terrapin Station, Morning Dew, Around And Around

    Encore: Uncle John’s Band, U.S. Blues

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