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.
It’s time to make the donuts. Whether you like your songs sprinkled with bluegrass or deep-fried in funk, the Baker’s Dozen run is sure to be filled with surprises and innovative decoration. The colossally ambitious 13 shows in 17 days will bring Phish back to the “World’s Most Famous Arena” for the first time this year. Soft rock pianists like Billy Joel wouldn’t be able to handle the New York state of mind for this many shows in such a short period of time, but die-hard Phish junkies lucky enough to scoop up the full Baker’s package are foaming at the mouth!
Hard to believe that Phish had only played Madison Square Garden a total of 13 times prior to the 3.0 era. The 90’s saw the band transform from small venue jam band to arena-filling rock stars, and their initial visit to MSG in December of 1994 marked a significant new chapter in the band’s trajectory.
Phish had outgrown their tank by the mid-90’s and iconic Manhattan venues like The Wetlands Preserve were now reserved for bands following in their footsteps. That same winter night in 1994 saw New York’s own Moe. play the first ever post-Phish Wetlands after party (Moe. plans on reprising their role as keepers of the party for the first night of the Baker’s Dozen run at the Playstation Theater on July 21st).
The original New Year’s Eve show at The Garden in 1995 is regarded as one of the best performances in Phistory and started the tradition of theatrically pranking the New York City crowd at each of the three 90’s New Year’s Eve gatherings (1995, 1997, and 1998). In the era where “cowfunk” reigned supreme Phish reintroduced “Sneakin’ Sally” and busted out Eric Clapton’s “Crossroads” to a capacity crowd during their 1997 NYE Run. On their final MSG show of the 1.0 era, Phish opened up with Prince’s “1999” to close out the year 1998 and the room swung back and forth as the band used “The Hose” to water The Garden in glorious fashion.
After a dozen epic MSG performances in the 90’s, Phish returned to their home away from Nectar’s for their first show after hiatus on New Year’s Eve, 2002. The boys surprised followers by only playing one night instead of their usual multi-night Garden run, which created one of the most desperate ticket searches for their dedicated fan base. The tipsy, groggy and short lived 2.0 era created a buzz reminiscent of their New Year’s Eve festival just three years earlier in South Florida, but they did not live up to the incredible Phish that phans had come to expect and only played one measly show at the Garden before their unfortunate “breakup.”
Just when everyone thought they would never get to swing from the rafters at an MSG Phish show again, the sky divided and the good Lord shined a light back on the midtown arena in December of 2009. Phish 3.0 was ready to knock three early December shows out of the park and although those years did not produce many jam heavy second sets, the energy in the venue was well worth the ticket price. Since rising from the dead in 2009, the band has played 26 times at The Garden (that’s two baker’s dozens for those keeping count). We have seen them ride in on a giant “Meatstick” to ring in 2011 and host a wonderful “Garden Party” on New Year’s Eve 2012. They created a “Steam” dream in 2011, plunged below the waterline full of cats and dogs in 2016 and jammed an incredible “No Men In No Man’s Land” between beams behind a funnel-shaped screen in 2015. Throughout each and every performance at the Garden, the band and the crowd give “IT” 110%. The 39 shows have created memories that will last a lifetime, but seeing that they are about to embark on 13 more, it appears that we are just getting started.
“The city that never sleeps” may or may not be prepared for the amount of Phishery about to take place at the end of July into August, but there are a bunch of venues that are ready. The official Baker’s Dozen Headquarters, American Beauty NYC, will be hosting unique events for phans on each of the 17 nights, including the nights that Phish has off. Rest assured that your trip is short from Madison Square Garden to American Beauty, located only one block away on W. 30th Street and 8th Ave. The venue plans to recreate one of the best parts of Summer Tour, the Phish lot, on the second floor which they have entitled “The Jerry Lounge.” If you have post or pre-show munchies, American Beauty also offers free personal pizzas with every beer purchased, and their craft list is impeccable. If you want to keep your mind fresh after nights of partying, the bar will be hosting Grateful Dead and Phish trivia nights (Monday 7/24 & 7/31) for out-of-towners and locals alike. Lastly, check out the venue’s event calendar to stay on top of all the late-night parties, including a birthday celebration for Jerry Garcia on August 1st. Doors open for all pre-parties at 3pm and at 11:30pm for post-parties.
American Beauty is the same place that Jon Fishman used dildos as drumsticks during his side-project late night performance with Touchpants a few years back, so you know this place knows how to party. Phish’s ever-growing artist community, PhanArt, is also coming to your town to help you party down. With the unique blend of artists selling everything from pins and prints to socks and hoodies, they are hoping when you get to your next show, you’ll be better dressed. PhanArt will be setting up one of their popular art shows at American Beauty on July 29th starting at 3pm with pre-Phish help from Space Carnival. If you are unable to pick up PhanArt work on the 29th, stop by Hotel Pennsylvania on July 22nd or August 5th, starting at noon.
If a Baker’s Dozen isn’t enough and you need more Phish in your summer diet, the tour starts this week at Northerly Island in the Chicago and runs through Dayton and Pittsburgh before hitting the Big Apple. The Vermonters are finally going down to the central part of midtown Manhattan and excitement meters are about to reach 2009 Hampton “Fluffhead” levels. Jaded tour veterans can sit back and reminisce about wearing their patchwork pants and mushroom cuts to all those insane 90’s shows, but let’s face it folks, there’s a golden age coming around and it begins on Friday, July 21st. Glaze on.
Phish’s Baker’s Dozen of shows at Madison Square Garden starts in just two weeks, and with 13 shows spread out over 17 days, the marathon of music won’t be relegated only to the ‘World’s Most Famous Arena.’ Pre and post show events can be found on virtually every day surrounding the Baker’s Dozen. For phans looking for a complete list of what New York City holds for Phish fans both before and after each night of Phish, NYS Music presents our handy Baker’s Dozen guide. Save the images, share with friends and rest up – this will be a musical endurance test like no other!
Still a bit damp from the sweat and morning dew of Spring Tour, Space Carnival is back at it again this summer with a number of Northeast show dates. Trailing their debut album, Drawn In By The Sun, the wild quartet has put all their time and effort into the touring circuit, hitting up cities throughout both the North East and Midwest. Ready to debut new music this summer, the Ithaca outfit has been focusing on dialing back their tone and working on a slew of new material to bring to fans.
Woodhenge Music, Art and Sustainability Festival kicked off their string of summer dates on Sunday, June 25 in Adams, NY. New York State up-and-coming artists rolled deep to the solar and wind powered fest, including Formula 5, Lord Electro, Intrepid Travelers, Annie in the Water and Jiggawaltz. After a handful of NY shows, Space Carnival will make a performance debut at American Beauty in NYC for a Phish pre-show on July 29 as part of a Phanart event, showcasing the works of Phish inspired artists and vendors. The free event will go from 3pm-7pm and feature two powerful sets from Space Carnival.
Space Carnival recently joined NYSmusic’s 87/90, which is a collaborative group of New York bands on the rise with an initiative to grow in the scene among one another. The current roster includes Formula 5, Folkfaces, Cousin Earth, Let’s Be Leonard, Boogie Low, Gowanus, and Intrepid Travelers. NYSmusic’s 87/90 is an Artist Publicity and Media Group, bringing you a united front of up-and-coming bands across New York State!
View all of Space Carnival’s summer tour dates below:
June 25 – Adams, NY – Woodhenge Festival
July 14 – Sterling, NY – Ameribeat Festival of the Arts
With well loved music festivals being forced to fold their cards and encountering unfortunate mishaps in an ever-growing and highly competitive field, it’s both refreshing and reassuring that Stephentown, NY’s Disc Jam 7 can boast a laid back atmosphere and tightly-woven, yet growing community and still come out on top. A jam-packed, 4-day musical jaunt with a star-studded lineup attracted herds of fans from all over the Northeast and then some. Nearly 4,000 flocked to the cozy farm for a potpourri of funky jam headliners, late night producer and DJ sets, skilled vendors, a hula hooping and fire spinning flow tribe, on site artists and food trucks to keep festival dwellers happy, well-fed and entertained.
Thursday set the tone for the sunny weekend ahead, as Albany’s Lord Electro warmed things up on the CEG stage, before Strange Machines welcomed the booming voice and bubbly personality that is Hayley Jane, for the first of her many sit-ins as artist at large. Just after their set, they hopped on Teddy Midnight’s RV, also accompanied by a hot tub, for a quick interview on Teddy TV, which we later found out doubled as a surprise, late night party bus.
NYC trio Lespecial jumped up on the main stage to deliver some night-time grit and grime as Thursday night headliners. Their odd time signatures, heavy tunes and musical fortitude brought fitting teases of Tool, Rage Against the Machine and Primus’ own “Cannibal Holocaust.” After the help of Dopapod drummer Neal “Fro” Evans on the genre bending “Enter Sandman” into “Sandstorm,” the trio closed out their headlining performance on the main stage, riding the wave of symbiotic high energy between fans and artist.
Friday found a string of New York state bands representing their native stomping grounds into the early evening, including an all-star lineup of Aqueous, Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad, Wild Adriatic, Chromatropic, Leila, Litz, The Motet and jamtronica four piece Teddy Midnight, who rolled out phish teases and a number of stellar covers of The New Deal, STS9 and a pair of hard-hitting Disco Biscuits tunes, “Rock Candy” and “Tricycle,” proving Wiley Griffin can absolutely man handle a guitar. Over on the tent stage, Litz worked their magic to hype up the crowd while the saxophonist alone had enough personality on hand for the whole group. A sound malfunction forced immediate improv with bongo and guitar solos. Doing so seamlessly, the group dove right back into the jams once all issues were resolved and held down their set like true musicians and professionals.
The excitement for Friday night’s headlining Dopapod set loomed in the air as other festival favorites, Kung Fu, took the stage. Beau Sasser and company brought an arsenal of just that to the stage at Disc Jam this year for their one of a kind “Sunset-Set.” With Disc Jam 7 being their 6th time playing the festival, Kung Fu has been a fan favorite of the fest since 2012. That being said, the Fu you now groove to in 2017 may not have been the same back in 2012. With fresh tunes and a familiar sound, the group proved why they get invited back every year to the ever-growing festival. Kung Fu welcomed Hayley Jane during their set to perform Joan Jett’s “Reputation,” or for Freaks and Geeks fans, it’s notable theme song while their full set jammed through a slew of songs such as “Chop Suey,” “Joyride,” and a set closer of Steely Dan’s “Charlemagne.”
In past years, Dopapod have been known to deliver two sets to the festival they’ve been with since its culmination seven years ago. Unfortunately a gig in Colorado called for the festival veterans to head out early but not before offering up an eye-opening set that had all on feet and moving to the zips Eli’s keys and defined head bobs. Adorned in a blue Dopapod hoodie, Rob Compa took to the front row of the crowd to incite fan engagement, asking what songs they’d like to hear. After a “Trapper Keeper” suggestion and “Nerds” being loudly projected to the forefront of the stage, they launched into none of the above as they continued with songs of their choice. While the hour and a half set didn’t boast a laundry list of material, each delivery had a flair of its own and incorporated lengthy jams throughout, leaving fans both thankful and energized. Fans were treated to an opener of “8 years,” new track “Mucho, classic Dopapod hits and two-bit favorites “Priorities,” “Trickery” and “Cloud.”
Feeling wired post-Dopapod, a two hour “after party” ensued at the tent stage with the Motet’s uplifting and encapsulating music. Their kinetic energy and signature style made it impossible to stand still, as everyone underneath the tent found a dance partner in the strangers to their left and right. Paired with groovy visuals on the back wall of the tented stage, the Motet provided time travel through the decades with their genre-spanning music. Just in case anyone let out a yawn or felt their bodies slowly yearning for sleep, singer Lyle Divinsky doubled as hype man for the group, spewing catch phrases into the mic and pumping up the crowd as he stalked back and forth across the front of the stage.
With late night sets and DJs playing through the early stages of the morning, many found their way back under the tent to witness the magic that poured out of the tips of Holly Bowling’s fingers. While first depicting psychedelic visuals to pair with her compositions of well-loved jam tunes, Bowling offered the audience a “behind the scenes” look at her performance with a special camera placed in front of her hands. Viewers were able to watch her fingers tickle the instrument as she raced her hands back and forth while banging on the black and white keys, all while sporting a quirky smile on her face. It’s evident that Bowling is not only great at what she does but that it embodies the happiness she feels inside. Her takes on Grateful Dead, Phish and The Disco Biscuits found sweet symphonic sounds mimicking “Franklin’s Tower,” “It’s Ice,” and “Magellan” among others. Thankfully, this wasn’t the last we saw of the all-star pianist.
With at least one expected day of rain, the only dampening of the weekend came from the early morning dew and spilled beer across widely spread campsites. If you even attempted to get some sleep between the late woods parties and the beat boxers dressed in all black outfits adorned in glow sticks, the sun was enough to jolt you up out of your increasingly heated tent making you feel just Bearly Dead, or at least awake enough to go catch their early morning Grateful Dead tribute set–a slot they held at the tent stage all weekend. As Saturday progressed, Consider the Source took on their late afternoon set on the main stage, gathering a large crowd regardless of the fact they had a highly anticipated late night set scheduled for 2am. Ripping through well-known source tracks like “This Dubious Honor,” “Many Words of Disapproval” and “Closer to Home” paired with the wailing of instruments and heavy emotion written across their faces, the trio proved and surpassed reasons why they deserved two slots at disc jam. Never missing a note and playing the most difficult instruments and arrangements, consider the source managed to put a spin on their already involved tunes, oozing mastery musicianship.
Wild Adriatic brought their Saratoga Springs flair to the Disc Jam stage as declarations of “getting my hair like that guy’s” were made in the crowd, referencing to the stellar afro rocked by bassist Rich Derbyshire. Keeping it in the Capital region, Formula 5 boasted an unforgettable set, complete with a sit in by Holly Bowling and an emotional Allman Brother’s Band tribute cover. Drawing a solid, dance-ready crowd, Formula 5 brought the jams to those swaying back and forth on feet as well as those sitting and relishing in the moment. Bowling sat in for “Floating” as the group made what was the only Gregg Allman tribute of the weekend at the time, with an impassioned selection of “No One to Run With.” Mister F kept the upstate grooves going directly after, despite their recent misfortune of being down a tour van and itching to get new music out to fans, Scott Hannay showed his chops and delivered hard on keys before treating fans to a late night surprise.
Anticipation struck Gardner’s Farm for the party that Turkuaz was about to unleash on its weekend inhabitants. Making their rounds on the festival circuit, the 9-piece power funk ensemble offered harmonica stylings and powerful vocals with a groovy dance party to match. Shira Elias and Sammi Garrett have been getting more and more attention and for good reason. Their dialed up vocal chops, coordinated dance moves and soulful sound give enough reason as to why–plus, a cover of The Band’s “Don’t Do It” didn’t hurt.
Saying the tent stage was filled to capacity for Break Science Live would be an understatement. When they took the stage on Saturday night, the original duo of Adam Deitch and Borahm Lee reeled in a humongous crowd as well as support on stage when they were accompanied by a handful of Lettuce members– Erick Coomes on Bass, Eric Bloom on Trumpet, Adam Smirnoff on Guitar and Ryan Zoidis on Tenor Sax. The super group, paired with an intense light show captivated the audience with a combination of trip-hop, dub and jazz which found the tent jumping as a unit. During their set, Manic Focus joined Lee on the table to help with DJing, which brought a unique sound to an already extraordinary group of musicians.
A 2am set drew in a rather large and sleepy crowd underneath the tent stage. Known for their magical history with performing late night festy sets, most of the audience knew to place their blankets and tired bodies on the floor to witness an amplified, yet scaled back Consider the Source set in a more intimate setting with calming visuals to match. Two girls, however, missed the memo and kept prompting everyone to “stand up and enjoy the music” while others retaliated with, “but it’s a seated performance!” Nonetheless, all in attendance found themselves in awe at the mastery level in which the trio plays. Having checked off deliveries of stirring tracks, including one they learned during their trip to India and haven’t played since, Jeff Mann, John Ferrara and Gabriel Marin know how to nail a performance through tempo, chord progressions, arrangement and elements of surprise.
At the same time Consider the Source was delivering their intimate set to a lulled crowd, Teddy Midnight’s surprise RV party bus was at full force. Disc Jam artists swapped on and off the luxury bus, playing tunes from the backside of the opened vehicle and slithering guitar necks in between its doorways. Joe Davis and Matt Richards of Formula 5, Scott Hannay of Mister F, Adrian Tramontano of Kung Fu, Wiley Griffin of Teddy Midnight all took a musical ride on the bus.
As silent discos were offered into the premature minutes of the early mornings, Saturday night/Sunday morning offered listeners a stroll through the Techni-colored woods to “No Diggity” as one looked around and noticed life in the woods is a bit different than out on the wide open spaces of the farm. After placing a pair of silver headphones over your head, you were welcomed into a wooded world of festival dogs, multiple pin boards circulating and growing raves.
Sunday morning’s sunrise guided everyone to their tents for a quick nap ahead of the final day of Disc Jam 7. Upon awakening and being lazy around camp, the opening notes of Dopapod’s “Bubblebrain” trailed widely across the farm, conjuring many to the stage. Quickly, it had to be discovered who was playing such a top-notch delivery of the unique track. To the surprise of many, it was a group of kids from the ages 11-18 in Zachademy of Music All Stars, including a young boy with luscious blond locks, reminiscent to that of Formula 5 bassist James Woods. A mind blown audience watched as kids half the age of the festival goers shredded through a difficult catalogue including covers of Vulfpeck, Consider the Source and Kung Fu. Dopapod’s Compa went forth to share the “Bubblebrain” video to Facebook, announcing that even he messes up his guitar solo at times and further affirming the true talent boasted by the all stars.
Around noon, a very talented group new to the scene took the tent stage and made it their own. New Paltz’ The Other Brothers brought a unique sound to the festival, drawing a nice crowd to their set that blended a variety of genres. As always, Chris Owen was able to captivate the crowd with his larger than life vocals and impressive dance moves while Bera, Marquez, Morrison, Nelson and Mendelson kept every groove as tight as possible. Where one song took on the structure of a love ballad, the others were sure to get toes tapping and hips swiveling, gaining a new circle of Disc Jam fans. Be sure to check out this humble group on the rise, you won’t want to miss these brothers in a city near you before they ultimately break through. They’re currently out in L.A. recording their spirited music at the famous Sound City Studios.
Comparable to the tunes of Twiddle and their upbeat feel, Annie in the Water proved to be the fun 5-piece they are with a super involved set– a smorgasbord of sit ins by Holly Bowling on ‘Carry the Burden,” “Girl Let’s Dance,” with Twiddle’s Dempsey and Hannay of Mister F as well as Hayley Jane and Meadow Eliz offering assistance on “Crispy.” Keeping the theme going, a bulk of talent joined the Twiddle side project known as Gubbulidis. The group’s name derives from the combination the two members; Zdenek Gubb on bass Mahali Savoulidis on acoustic guitar and vocals. Usually all the two need are some loop pedals to make their sound one that very few could duplicate but to add depth to their one-off set, the power duo was joined by a plethora of talented artists such as the other components of Twiddle, Holly Bowling, Honeycomb, Billy Comstock of Annie in the Water, Wiley Griffin of Teddy Midnight and two members of Mister F; Colin Shore and Scott Hannay, making their Disc Jam set one of a kind. The full performance, which pieces together “Juggernaut,” “Rocky Raccoon,” “Mad World,” and more, can be found on Archive.org.
Later on in the day, a tent stage party was hosted by none other than G-Nome Project. The Israeli-based Livetronica Electro-Funk band rocked the tent and everyone inside with their synth-heavy instrumental tunes. Resembling jams taken on by trans-fusion/jam bands such as The Disco Biscuits, Lotus and Phish, G-Nome Project appealed to the masses, zeroing in on a unique blend of genres and inverted jams with covers of tunes from Game of Thrones, Lotus’ “Livingston Storm,” the Biscuits’ “Abraxas,” and Phish’s “Frankie Sez.”
Pink Talking Fish helped round out the festival with a Sunday evening performance, rotating their famous Pink Floyd, Talking Heads and Phish covers to an appreciative crowd. Mixing up the music of three undeniable bands in the scene, treats came in all sizes with covers of “One in a Lifetime,” “Run Like Hell,” “Mother,” “Rift” and “Harry Hood.” To close out their set, guitarist Eric Gould and artist manager brought out his latest guided talent, Hayley Jane to end with the second and final tribute to Gregg Allman with a moving version of “Soulshine.”
Neal “Fro” Evans, Holly Bowling and Hayley Jane certainly made their rounds throughout their four days on the farm, collectively marking an impressive number of sit ins. Evans brought his skill on the kit to help Lespecial and Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad on stage. Bowling spent time jamming with Electric Beethoven, Formula 5 and Annie in the Water while Hayley Jane notched an impressive sit in count of nine, with a TLC “Don’t Go Chasing Waterfalls” cover alongside Roots of Creation and appearances with Strange Machines, Bearly Dead, Aqueous, Congo Sanchez, Kung Fu, After Funk, Pink Talking Fish and, Annie in the Water. Her final performance with Ryan Montbleau tucked Disc Jam 7 into bed and put the weekend to sleep with one last performance as Yes Darling, as they ripped through a set of original material.
An intimate experience and independent effort, Disc Jam 7 sure packed a punch of a weekend before coming to a close. Every year, Disc Jam sees exponential growth and although it’s tucked away in the cozy knolls of Stephentown, NY, it’s small town aesthetic and low maintenance atmosphere is exactly what keeps fans coming back for more. When you step onto the farm, you step into the Disc Jam Fam–a world in which you meet and click with those you cross paths with if only for the weekend, a world in which you most likely already know an abundance of people there. After a widely successful seventh year in operation, those who self-identify as Disc Jam Fam left Gardner’s farm already mapping out next year’s detailed blueprints for Disc Jam 8.
“And they’re off!” On Friday, May 19 the gates lifted in Scranton, Pennsylvania and campers raced to grab the flattest and grassiest space on the The Pavilion Lawn at Montage Mountain. They were not there for the 142nd Preakness Stakes, which traditionally takes place in Maryland every third Saturday in May, but instead were celebrating a new bluegrass tradition, the 5th annual Susquehanna Breakdown. Some attendees dressed in jockey-like colors and patterns with ridiculous hats and clothing combinations. Others wore graphic t-shirts splattered with band names like Cabinet, Umphrey’s Mcgee, Greensky Bluegrass and Phish. By the beginning of the first set at 6:30pm, one thing was clear… everyone was there to place their bets on a winning weekend.
The Dishonest Fiddlers, orchestrated by founder Dave Brown, are a Scranton local bluegrass act that switches up the bill every time they perform. The lightweight and easy listening bluegrass invited campers to put down their tent poles and join in the music at the smaller “Breakdown Stage.” Breakdowners were delighted to discover that Cabinet’s own fiddle player, Todd Kopec, was sitting in during the festival’s opening act. The Dishonest Fiddler’s performance marked the first of many expected Cabinet sit-ins over the weekend, but that comes as no surprise as the festival is named after one of their songs! Next up on the bill was the American-festival veteran Keller Williams. It is hard to think of the word “bluegrass” or just “grass” in general and not think of the pumpkin pie hair-cutted freak bouncing around stage barefoot from instrument to instrument. Once you have seen one Keller show, you have seen them all, but that doesn’t stop anyone from attending. Keller Williams got his start in parking lots playing to the energetic crowds that gathered before the main attraction, The Grateful Dead. For over 20 years, he has been marching to the beat of his own drum, guitar, synth and whatever else he decides to bring on stage. The completely improvised sets travel through space and time reminiscent of a spun-out music junky that can’t decide which radio station to listen to as they station hop. Keller closed his roots-filled funky set with a cover of Marian Hill’s “Down,” which lyrically is the most genius song to kick off a festival. If you hate on modern pop music, give this one a listen.
As the sun finally disappeared on Day 1 of the festival, the audience was treated to more Keller Williams for the first semi-official Cabinet set of the weekend entitled “Keller & Cabinet.” Launching into the bluegrass traditional tune, “My Grass Is Blue,” got the fans boppin’ and air pickin’ before a cover of “Float On” by Modest Mouse. As more and more non-camping 2-day-pass holders made their way into the venue, the atmosphere began to feel less like a backyard BBQ and more like a full-fledged festival. The communal body heat kept everyone warm as “Ain’t Gonna Work Tomorrow” served as a reminder that Montage Mountain was home for the next 36 hours. It wouldn’t be Night 1 of a festival without some minor technical difficulties. After three minutes of tinkering, the stage was back on track and Cabinet allowed Keller to take the wheel for his originals, “Alligator Alley” and “Sing for My Dinner.” Before the final track of the collaborative set, Keller commented that he wanted to do a reggae version of the upcoming tune but Cabinet insisted on playing it fast. Much like Ricky Bobby in Talledega Nights, they wanted to go fast, and fast they went through Amy Winehouse’s “Rehab.” Ironically enough, ambulance lights flickered through the crowd during the Winehouse cover as the first festival attendee maybe had too much too fast. Members of the crowd looked on in hopes that this would be the one and only emergency rescue of the weekend.
On a brighter note, Cabinet came out swinging for their first major set of the weekend, tackling their catalog of reggae, bluegrass, roots and rock. “The Smile” breezed into the first slot as the symbolic greeting tune of the evening. “Hey Baby” gave Mickey Coviello’s guitar and Pappy Biondo’s banjo some focus in the spotlight and afterward they modestly commented it was “groovy as all hell.” Pappy was once again the center of attention during their rendition of “Diamond Joe.” Building the song up with some fantastic peaks and valleys via JP Biondo’s mandolin and Todd Kopec’s fiddle, the 6-piece band transformed the poetic country tune into a jam-grass meltdown. The “Diamond Joe” lyrics feature horses, betrayal and payback which are central themes in many old-timey tunes and Cabinet made this timeless piece their own to showcase their talent during this set. The band mentioned that the crowd size was much larger compared to years past and I took it as a sign of festival growth, strength and some perfect weather. The friendly fireside vibe of the Cabinet set was not complete without a singalong and “Pine Billy” served as a fitting choice. The “way up on a mountain” lyrics got extra howls as families and friends belted out “Pine Billy” during the second half the short set. “Sunday 60 Breakdown” finished off the set and the crowd significantly thinned as their beloved Cabinet went to get some rest before a big Day 2.
The evening was not over yet as late night funk trio Organ Freeman treated the mountain to an ass shaking dance party. Drummer Rob Humphreys, organist Trevor Steer and Erik Carlson on guitar answered the age-old question “Won’t you take me to Funkytown?” For those in attendance looking for poppy instrumental jazz or experimental and danceable funk, they found it right off the bat with “We’re On Our Way.” The band tested out several new songs during their set and considering most in the audience didn’t know the names to their originals anyway, it was all new and exciting to us. The first cover came in the form of Stanton Moore Trio’s “Pie Eyed Manc.” It was clear that Moore’s sound has a strong influence on Organ Freeman as they worked their layered grooves into every jam they went into. My one critique is that at 1:30 in the morning, instrumental jazz begins to all sound the same. As many non-campers such as myself began exiting the venue, it was incredible to clearly hear the echoes of funk during the entire walk back to the parking area thanks to mountain’s valley walls, which acted as natural amplifiers. The successful first night of music was complete and the main attraction was only hours away. The Breakdowners were nestled all snug in their beds, while visions of mandolins played in their heads.
CABINET FRIDAY NIGHT SETLIST:
A Smile, Treat Me So Bad, Hey Baby, Diamond Joe, Mysterio, Eleanor, The Dove %, Pine Billy, Sunday 60 Breakdown
% Brief Power Failure occurred twice during The Dove
KELLER WILLIAMS SETLIST:
My Grass is Blue, Float On*, Ripped 6 Pack, Ain’t Gonna Work Tomorrow, AGWT Reprise (post Power Failure), Alligator Alley, The Tower, Sing For My Dinner, Rehab **
* Modest Mouse Cover ** Amy Winehouse Cover (Setlist credit: Rich Stoler)
ORGAN FREEMAN SETLIST:
We’re On Our Way, (New Track 1), Only If You Mean It, Putin And I Get Along Fantastic, Life’s A Bench, Reptile Moonshine, Pie Eyed Manc*, Change For A Nickel, The Green Green Grapes, You Said You Quit Drinkin’, (New Track 2), Verve, Byrd vs Fish, (New Track 3), Go By Richard, Not By Dick ENCORE: Hit The Ground Running, Come out Swinging
*- Stanton Moore Trio
This year marks the 20 year anniversary of the WaterWheel Foundation, the organization that oversees Phish’s charitable activities. To celebrate this milestone, two special pre-show celebrations are planned prior to two of the band’s Baker’s Dozen shows at New York City’s Madison Square Garden.
Two pre-show celebrations benefitting the WaterWheel Foundation will take place prior to the July 22 and Aug. 5 Phish shows during their Baker’s Dozen run of 13 shows at Madison Square Garden. The celebrations will benefit five different non-profit organizations. The proceeds from the July 22 event will go to four organizations, to be individually selected by each of the band’s four members. Proceeds from the Aug. 5 event will benefit the Mockingbird Foundation, supporting music education.
Tickets to the event include access to a two-hour celebration with complimentary cocktails and a light dinner. Attendees will receive a WaterWheel event poster designed by Jim Pollock, a specialty chocolate bar created and donated by Asher’s Chocolates, access to a raffle and/or auction for Phish memorabilia from the Phish Archives, early access to the concert venue and access to a private lounge at set-break.
Tickets for the celebrations are available now for $200. The 21 and over event is open only to ticket-holders for the concert on the evening of the pre-show celebration.
Phish added a new official archival release to their LivePhish collection this morning, with a show from May 17, 1992 at Union College in Schenectady is now available from LivePhish.com.
On Sunday, May 17, 1992, Phish played a “secret” show, unannounced in the April/May Phish Update of that year. The show took place at Achilles Rink at Union College in Schenectady on keyboardist Page McConnell’s 29th birthday. The show, which had a ticket price of $5, was the second to last show on the 53 night spring tour that wrapped up in the band’s hometown of Burlington, Vermont.
The night started off with a “no smoking” announcement prior to a first set highlights of “The Landlady” and “Llama” as the openers. “Stash” and “Chalkdust Torture” are also highlights from the set, and the “I Didn’t Know” features drummer Jon Fishman on trombone. The second set “Possum” is considered a recommended version of the song. It features a number of the band’s secret language cues, including the Simpsons and All Fall Down signals. It also contains a variety of teases, including “Rocky Mountain Way,” “L.A. Woman,” “China Grove,” “It’s Ice” and “Divided Sky.” The “Squirming Coil” features the audience singing “Happy Birthday to You” to Page, followed by teases of the song by Page. The versions of “Brother” and “Harry Hood” are considered must hear versions.
The new release is available for download or streaming at LivePhish.com.
Setlist
Set I: The Landlady, Llama, Colonel Forbin’s Ascent > Fly Famous Mockingbird > My Sweet One > Reba, I Didn’t Know, Stash, The Mango Song > Poor Heart > Chalk Dust Torture
Set II: The Curtain > Possum, Guelah Papyrus, The Squirming Coil, All Things Reconsidered, Brother, Sanity > Cold as Ice > Love You > Hold Your Head Up, Sparkle > Harry Hood, Cavern
Capital Region jammers Formula 5 pulled out all the stops for their final All Points North album release party in Saratoga Springs in front of a full crowd of familiar faces and an exponentially growing fan base. After premiering the album in its entirety in New Haven with Relative Souls, the foursome decided to team up with the New Paltz-rooted The Other Brothers to serve up slices of true NY funk and soul on a Saturday night with a dirty laundry list of reasons to celebrate.
From 8pm-10pm, fans rolled through the Putnam Den doors to enjoy the likes of a free keg with The Other Brothers set slated to rock at 9 pm. With a 15-song set, the six-piece of Chris Owens (vocals), Brandon Bera (drums), Gabe Marquez (keys), John Morrison (Guitar), Jared Nelson (Percussion) and Jordan Mendelson (Bass) kicked off the night with their rock and roll origins, soulful captivation and soaring vocals. Having convened in 2012 at SUNY New Paltz, the group is in the midst of preparing their first studio album, Jones. Having played shows for a few years and acting as seasoned veterans on the Rock and Roll Resort lineup, it’s a bit surprising that they’re only releasing their first album. At the same time, it allows you to get in on the ground level and perhaps grow with a band you’ve never had the pleasure of seeing or listening to before.
From first impression, you could tell The Other Brothers’ sound and Owens’ powerhouse vocals provided a pleasing contrast to Formula 5 and what was to follow. As their set unraveled, each song found the front man, dressed in pale pink, rocking his hips back, forth and around town and further exploring his vault of dance moves. During a fun reggae-fusion tune, “These Cycles,” Owens’ charisma and onstage conversation demanded your attention–all that was left to do was listen and sway along with him. He often took the audience through anecdotes of how song titles came to be and strange one-off experiences that helped shape their musical contributions. It was hard not to keep your eyes locked on Nelson as his hands transitioned through tapping the congas and tossing a shaker, tambourine and rain stick for high points of the set, which also included Mendelson, sporting a Iron Maiden hockey jersey, impressively hitting quick tempo switches and odd time signatures on “Your Machine.” “Hit You Up” brought out the first guest of the night, Wavy Cunningham, to ease smooth tunes and a bit of rap into the set while the ending track of the night, “Levee for Free” had all fans on foot and Formula 5’s Joe Davis (also sporting pink) delivering tasty licks on guitar.
The eclectic group of six will open up for Vulfpeck’s Theo Katzman on April 19 at the famed Capitol Theatre in Portchester, NY. Looks like all is pointing North not only for Formula 5 but for these New Paltz natives as well.
The Other Brothers Set List:
Sleep Yo, Good Thing, The Man, Don’t Mean A Thing, Love Recedes, These Cycles, K2 in the Bathroom, New Friends, Can I Get It?, Why You Are, Hit You Up*, Game Show Radio, Your Machine, Bound, Levee for Free*
* Wavy Cunningham
$ Joe Davis from Formula 5 on guitar
After a short introduction from a sincerely grateful and proud band manager, Pete Mason, Formula 5 immediately launched into their double header with transcending energy and multicolored lights boasting “F” and “5” from the top corners of the stage.
set the tone for their Saturday night gig with kinetic energy that only kept building. While fans may have heard the newer tunes from recent gigs and even more recent album release teases, it was the first time listening to the entire album in a live setting, lending their ears to Formula 5’s natural creativity and improvisation. Bassist James Woods sported a slight smirk all night, which could be attributed to a number of things, but we’ll just pin it on the electric energy and a “load-off” feeling of finally offering the band’s new studio album to the world. The merch table was freshly stocked with musical material both new and old, freshly crafted Trout Waters pins and newly designed T-shirts available for longtime fans and those just discovering their music.
Having transformed a Kickstarter goal into reality, Joe, Matt, and James long awaited the night’s celebrations after pouring endless amounts of effort into their third studio album which follows their self titled debut album, April 2014’s Edging on Catastrophe and one live album, Live Five Vol. 1. The quartet implemented some classic strategies as well as newfound ways to draw a dancing crowd to their Putnam Den gig.Joe and Matt dedicated a few hours of their day to Albany’s own Madison Avenue Ben and Jerry’s shop on free cone day to dish out tasty frozen treats to Albany locals, hand out fliers for the album release show and spin their newest record to listening ears and the hungry humans attached to them–talk about a marketing triple threat.
Set one presented All Points North front to back, with friends Phil Chow on trumpet and Bryan Brundige of The Chronicles on trombone during “It Goes” paired with a loud exclamation of “I love horn-ula 5!” from the depths of the crowd. Not only did Brundige lend a helping horn on stage, he handles audio engineering at OverIt Media and aided the guys through their All Points North journey in the studio. A long set break brought set two, chock full of covers, a “Tweezer” tease and a loaded surprise sit in. Following a jam and “Booher’s Pass,” moe.’s own Vinnie Amico took to the drum kit during “Pedro” to sit in for the group’s drummer. The two seamlessly transitioned on and off stage while the drummer tried to use his surroundings to aid the beat to try and smoothly dip back behind the moe. veteran. Amico’s presence was unplanned, making the surprise sit in all the more sweet. The seasoned drummer happened to be hanging in the Saratoga venue before wandering into the back room and admitting he was a Formula 5 fan and excited to see their set. From there, an organic sit in blossomed to cap off an already exceptional night.
Next up was a double header of covers with Don Henley’s “Dirty Laundry” and Steely Dan’s “Hey Nineteen,” band and fan favorites alike. Appropriately closing out a night of well deserved festivities and completing a pretty solid song cover trifecta, the night was wrapped up into a funky package with a Phish phavorite, “Run Like An Antelope.” Keeping the momentum rolling the next day, the guys announced their participation at The Werk Out Music and Arts Festival alongside Dopapod, Emancipator, BIG Something, Spafford and more. They’ll keep the grooves going with a continued Spring 2017 tour as summertime bliss will bring Formula 5 tunes not only to the festival circuit but directly to phans during the Madison Square Garden Baker’s Dozen run.
Formula 5 Set List:
Set I: (“All Points North”)
Come Along, Sad Bed*, Trout Waters, Pt. I & II, It Goes…^, Excalibur, The Birch Tree^, Q&A, Do Tell^, Figure Out A Feeling^
Set II:
Jam -> Booher’s Pass, Pedro$, Dirty Laundry$, Hey Nineteen!
The Chillfam All-Stars will play a tribute to Michael Jackson on Aug. 5 at the Gramercy Theatre for an afterparty during the Phish Baker’s Dozen run. The band is a supergroup of familiar faces and includes Elise Testone, Jen Hartswick and Natalie Cressman of the Trey Anastasio Band, Alex Petropulos of Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, Danny Mayer of the Eric Krasno Band, Eric Gould and Richard James of Pink Talking Fish, Adrian Tramontano of Kung Fu, Matt Wayne of the Bobby Deitch Band and Rob Volo of Deep Banana Blackout. Tickets go on sale this Friday at noon.
Update 5/23/2017:
Turkuaz is the latest act to announce a Phish afterparty during the Baker’s Dozen run. They play Irving plaza on Tuesday, July 25. Tickets for their show go on sale this Thursday, May 25, at noon.
Update 5/4/2017:
Matisyahu, Atlas Road Crew and Strange Machines will all play afterparties following Phish’s Baker’s Dozen shows.
Strange Machines plays Wednesday, July 26 at Drom. Eggy opens the show. Atlas Road Crew hits up American Beauty on Friday, Aug. 4. Tickets for both shows are on sale now.
The Cutting Room sees Matisyahu on Wednesday, Aug. 2. Tickets go on sale tomorrow, Friday, May 5 at noon.
Update 4/26/2017:
Pink Talking Fish, Holly Bowling and the Motet will all play shows around Phish’s Baker’s Dozen run at Madison Square Garden. Following Phish on Tuesday, Aug. 1, Pink Talking Fish plays as Pink Talking Fish Are Dead at the Cutting Room. They also play an after-party on Friday, Aug. 4 at the Gramercy Theatre. They board The Jewel for a pre-party booze cruise the next day, Saturday, Aug. 5. The cruise is at 2 p.m.
Holly Bowling brings her solo piano renditions of Phish and Grateful Dead songs to the Cutting Room on Saturday and Sunday, July 22 and 23 and Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 5 and 6. All her shows start at 4 p.m.
The Motet plays an afterparty on the first night of the run, Friday, July 21 at B.B. Kings.
Original Post:
When Phish comes to New York City, the party tends to start well before the shows and it always ends long after they leave the stage. As with every Phish run at Madison Square Garden, a slew of pre-parties and afterparties are planned for their 13 night Baker’s Dozen run at the storied arena.
Phish is set to play their historic 13 night run at Madison Square Garden beginning July 21 and ending on Aug. 6. CEG Presents has pre-parties and afterparties planned for just about every night of the Baker’s Dozen. Their run of shows kicks off a day early on Thursday, July 20 with Twiddle and Madaila. Twiddle finishes out a three-night run with a pair of Phish afterparties on Friday, July 21 and Saturday, July 22. All three shows are at Irving Plaza. Particle also plays an afterparty on July 21 at the Cutting Room. The DeadPhish Orchestra plays a 2 p.m. concert cruise on July 22 before the show.
John Kadlecik brings Jay Lane of Ratdog to join his band for a pair of afterparties on Tuesday and Wednesday, July 25 and 26. Both shows are at American Beauty.
The second weekend of the run has Dopapod playing two nights at the Gramercy Theatre on Friday, July 28 and Saturday, July 29. Also on July 29 are Bonerama at Iridium and Torus and the Mushroom Cloud at Drom.
The final stretch of Phish shows see fewer afterparties. Zach Deputy hits up American Beauty after Phish on Wednesday, Aug. 2. Saturday, Aug. 5 has a pair of shows with Formula 5 at Lucille’s at B.B. King’s and Particle back at the Cutting Room for their “Director’s Cut.”
Tickets for all of these shows, except Dopapod, are on sale now. The Dopapod shows go on sale on Friday, April 14 at noon.
Two pre-show celebrations benefitting the 
