NYS Music 20​17

Tag: Prince

  • Phish Puts the Power in Powder

    On Wednesday July 26 at Madison Square Garden, Phish devised a plan to make hump day a great day.  Keeping in form with the powdered donut theme, the foursome launched into an acappella version of Fleet Foxes’ “White Winter Hymnal” to get the party started.  The “white snow red as strawberries” lyric reprised the Saturday night donut theme to the delight of MSG regulars and set the tone for a cover-filled evening on Night 6 of their Baker’s Dozen.

    Fans entering the Garden after work could relate to the traffic -jammed “Cars Trucks Buses” that took the second spot in the rotation and saw Page McConnell work his magic on the boards.  The always welcomed “My Soul” kept the energy building before a “Roses Are Free” completed the back-to-back cover annihilation.  The Chilling Thrilling Sounds “Very Long Fuse” received some extended love as the powder keg audience realized they wouldn’t be getting another five song first set.

    Rarities like “Pebbles and Marbles” have been filling the donut holes in a magical way throughout this run and it has become so common to hear bust-outs that the audience didn’t even detect how special it was. While speaking about special moments, the almost 15-minute “Tube” was explored by the band as if it was in a 1990’s Discovery Zone.  The bouncy punch initiated by Mike Gordon was only outshined by Page’s dirty synth orgy. Trey found his groove and dissected the jam into what will be known as the “Baker’s Tube” for years to come.

    phish powder

    When second sets begin with hard-rocking machines like “Carini,” Phish followers know they are in for a sweet treat.  The 16-minute lumpiness dug its feet into the ground and setup another rarity in “Mr. Completely.”  The TAB classic has only been played a handful of times by the quartet, yet it made its second appearance this tour to the delight of die-hards.  Trey’s ditty may or may not become a staple in the band’s repertoire, but for now there is still much work to be done with the jam.

    “The World’s Most Famous Arena” experienced a flashback to 1998 as the Vermonters destroyed Price’s “1999.” The second set was familiarly baked with incredible choices but the highlight may have been the jam that ensued.  “Steam” rose out of the stage as a seamless and perfectly placed transition before Led Zepplin’s “No Quarter” shocked and awed an already speechless crowd.  Page’s well-executed vocal takedown mixed with the ferocious Jimmy Page-like guitar antics by Big Red solidified this version as possibly the best one ever played.  An overly ambitious “Character Zero” closed the set and proved that surprises come in all forms during this epic 13-show run.

    Where is the powder?  There’s the powder.  Phish never lets us down in terms of donut symbolism.  The encore debut of Neil Young’s “Powderfinger” closed the night and permanently gave us a new motto to live by: “Never miss a Wednesday show.”

    Setlist via Phish.net

    Set 1: White Winter Hymnal[1], Cars Trucks Buses, My Soul, Roses Are Free > The Very Long Fuse, Gumbo, Yarmouth Road, Pebbles and Marbles, Farmhouse, Tube
    Set 2: Carini -> Mr. Completely > 1999 > Steam > No Quarter, Character Zero
    Encore: Powderfinger[2]

    [1] Phish debut; a cappella
    [2] Phish debut

  • Clyde Stubblefield, ‘Funky Drummer,’ Dead at 73

    Clyde Stubblefield, the drummer who provided the backbeat for a generation, died Saturday at the age of 73. As the drummer for James Brown’s band, Stubblefield laid the groundwork for funk and inadvertently created the most sampled track of all time. The drummer’s wife, Jody Hannon, confirmed his death from kidney failure.

    Clyde StubblefieldStubblefield’s resume as Brown’s drummer includes classic tracks such as “Cold Sweat,” “Say it Loud – I’m Black and I’m Proud,” “I Got the Feeling,” “Sex Machine” and the track that gave him his notoriety, “Funky Drummer.”

    He was a funky drummer. The brief interlude in “Funky Drummer” provided the beat that launched a thousand hip-hop acts. The track was sampled by the Beastie Boys, Public Enemy, Run DMC, N.W.A., LL Cool J and even George Michael. Unfortunately, Stubblefield never saw any royalties from any of these uses of his most famous piece as he was not listed as a songwriter on the track.

    Roots drummer Questlove proclaimed Stubblefield, “The Funky Funkiest Drummer of All Time” in a tribute on Instagram Saturday

    Stubblefield was born in Chattanooga, TN on April 18, 1943, influenced by the factory sounds and the rhythm of the trains near his home. He went on to briefly perform with Otis Redding before being introduced to Brown, joining his band in 1965.

    Following his career with Brown’s band, Stubblefield relocated to Madison, WI, performing weekly Monday night gigs with his Clyde Stubblefield Band, a band that included long-time friend Steve “Doc” Skaggs on keyboards and vocalists Charlie Brooks and Karri Daley. He maintained this schedule until health problems sidelined him in 2011.

    Over the years, Stubblefield performed with Rock and Roll Hall of Famers the JBs and frequently collaborated with fellow Brown band drummer John “Jabo” Starks as the Funkmasters.

    Stubblefield battled kidney problems and bladder cancer since 2000. Due to his lack of health insurance, paying for the procedures proved difficult. Following Prince’s death last year, Stubblefield revealed that Prince had secretly paid his nearly $90,000 in medical bills in full. Prince and Stubblefield had never met but Prince considered the funky drummer one of his idols.

    Check out the 1999 video below, where Stubblefield discusses his style and jams with John Medeski on keys, Fred Thomas on bass, Fred Wesley on trombone and John Scofield on guitar: