Author: Jared Lindquist

Cobblestone Live to Host Second Annual Buffalo-Centric Fest

This weekend, the second annual Cobblestone Live will be taking place in Buffalo. Cobblestone is a fairly small festival, taking place in a single neighborhood and making use of the bars, restaurants, and venues that call it home. The festival’s stages are set up on the famous Illinois and Columbia Streets, as well as inside Lockhouse Distillery Buffalo Iron Works.

The lineup features some big names, such as the soulful Andy Frasco & the U.N., known for Frasco’s wild stage antics and soulful blues music, Brooklyn-based funk band Turkuaz, Broken Social Scene, and Buffalo natives Aqueous, the groove rock quartet that has spent the last two years touring the country relentlessly. Some smaller, more local bands are also featured, namely Space Junk, Cold Lazarus, First Ward, and Grateful Dead tribute band, Workingman’s Dead. Michelangelo Carubba of Turkuaz will be hosting a “Super Jam” on Saturday, July 28, which should be interesting to see, as they’ve yet to mention who will be included in the jam.

Cobblestone offers a wide variety of activities and vendors, including an alpaca farm on Saturday you should be sure to check out. Food vendors include Grateful Grind Coffee, Lloyd, Mazurek’s Bakery, Lugia’s, and Totally Edible. Lockhouse Distillery & Buffalo Iron Works will be providing festival drink menus. There will be several different vendors at the fest, including a tent for the Child Advocacy Center, an organization that provides treatment and support for kids in Erie County that have been physically or sexually abused. A portion of Cobblestone Live’s profits will be donated to the CAC.

Cobblestone Live is looking like a grand time, full of delicious food, drinks, and good music! Take a look at the daily lineup above to better plan out your Cobblestone experience. Check back with NYS Music for photos and coverage of the fest.

July 27, 2018
Formula 5 Host Another Successful Rock the Dock

On a beautiful day in Lake George, Formula 5 held their Rock the Dock Festival provided family fun and good music for the plethora of attendees that made their way through the gates. A portion of Rock the Dock’s profits were donated to the Fund for Lake George, a non-profit organization focused on keeping the Lake clean and healthy.

Rock the Dock is a very intimate festival, taking place on the dock for the famous steamboats the Mohican and the Lac du Saint Sacrement, with the Minne Ha Ha docked there for the event as well. Attendees were able to go up on any of the three boats to watch the music, enjoy the full service bars, or look at the stunning scenery of some of the Adirondack mountains standing tall around the lake. For food options, the festival featured trucks from the Plaid Pancake and O’Pablo’s Mexican Food, a father/son snow cone tent, and a tent selling hamburgers and hot dogs.

The music kicked off with Saratoga Springs-based group Let’s Be Leonard, a 5-piece rock outfit that put forth a very unique sound while still providing the listener with the familiarity of that “jam band” tonality. Lead singer and rhythm guitarist Karl Bertrand addressed the crowd saying how different it was to have the audience on boats after performing the first few songs, seemingly enjoying the uniqueness of the festival. The group ended their set with an impressive segment of an original tune “Good” into the Grateful Dead’s classic “Estimated Prophet,” into another original “Princess on the Run” which was one of the highlights of the set.

Next up was the New England-based electrofunk group Strange Machines, a nice change of pace after the rock stylings of Let’s Be Leonard. Strange Machines play the Saratoga/Albany area often, so the crowd started to fill in as their set continued. The group’s set included many fan-favorites, such as “Klepto,” “Canopy,” “Motion Potion,” and a newer one, “Wook in a Onesie.” Strange Machines also covered a Grateful Dead song, following in Let’s Be Leonard’s footsteps, performing their take on the classic Bob Weir-penned “Feel Like a Stranger,” which had the crowd boogieing like it was 1980 all over again.

Trey Anastasio Band)’s Russ Lawton and Ray Paczkowski funk duo Soule Monde were the final band to take the stage before the headliners, Formula 5, performed, and they brought the house down with their danceable grooves and jazzy melodies. This was one of the first few gigs Paczkowski played since the removal of his brain tumor, and he didn’t waste any time getting back into the swing of things as he coaxed those familiar Milkman sounds out of his vintage keyboards. The pair performed a mixture of songs from their newest LP, Must Be Nice, and their previous EPs, and they had the whole crowd dancing by the end of the set. Before they concluded the music, the duo brought up Formula 5 guitarist Joe Davis to sit in on their tune “Bernard,” where he locked in with Ray’s keyboard melodies and got to show off some of his chops to the crowd before F5’s set.

As the sun started to set over the lake, Formula 5 took the stage for the final set of the evening. The group performed a range of their original music, from one of their newer songs, the uplifting “Blue,” to a bust-out with the electronic “Nu-Gen.” One of the highlights of the set was the debut of the classic Warren Zevon tune, “Lawyers, Guns, and Money,” often covered by Widespread Panic, which had the crowd singing along and dancing the night away as the last glimpses of sunlight disappeared behind the mountaintops. Another bust-out from the night was the blues-jazz fusion tune “Excalibur,” a song that’s been shelved for a while, which was met with ecstatic cheers from the crowd as the jam at the end of the song drew to a close. “Nu-Gen” was the jam of the night, featuring an electronic jam that isn’t typical of Formula 5’s style, lasting around 15 minutes. After a short encore break, drummer Greg Marek came out to say a quick thank you to everyone attending, and the group broke into their another new song, “Breaking Glass.”

Rock the Dock featured a lot of local, talented bands, and unique vendors that provided attendees with the ultimate small festival experience. The festival will return in 2019. More videos and audio from some of the sets will be coming in the future.

Setlists

Formula 5
Come Along, Pedro* -> Excalibur, Sad Bed* -> Lawyers, Guns, and Money^, Blue ->
Nu-Gen

E: Breaking Glass

* Unfinished
^ Warren Zevon cover, debut

Soule Monde
Slide B, Whassat, The Story, Take My Hand, Jody Grind, Allah Uya, Bernard*, Tango

*with Joe Davis (Formula 5, guitar)

Strange Machines
Golden Rule > Remote Dream > Golden Rule, Canopy, Wook In a Onesie > Moose Soup, Motion Potion, Feel Like a Stranger*, Klepto

*Grateful Dead cover

Let’s be Leonard
Sunrise, Foresight, Open Your Eyes, How Do You Fall In Love?, Good > Estimated Prophet* > Princess on the Run

*Grateful Dead cover

July 16, 2018
Peach Music Festival Ready for Summer Fun

Now that we’re settling into summer, festivalgoers are looking forward to this year’s Peach Music Festival in Scranton, PA. Peach has become a favorite in the jam scene due to its always killer lineup and ability to coax incredible sets of music out of our favorite bands. The beloved festival is happening a little earlier than years past, kicking off next Thursday, July 19 rather than its typical early August dates.

This year’s Peach features a few special sets that fans won’t want to miss, namely one of Gov’t Mule’s rare “Dark Side of the Mule” sets, honoring Pink Floyd’s great album, moe.’s tribute set to Little Feat’s beloved live album Waiting for Columbus, and Cabinet’s only 2018 performance. The usual suspects will also have headlining sets this year, such as the big hitters like Joe Russo’s Almost Dead (who have 2 sets!), Umphrey’s McGee and moe., with the addition of Phil Lesh & the Terrapin Family Band and Dickey Betts.

The main stage features more than the sets mentioned previously, such as blues rock group The Marcus King Band, the horn-centered Funky Dawgz Brass Band, a duo set from Jackie Greene and Anders Osborne, and the Devon Allman Project, ft. Duane Betts. One of the more interesting acts on the Peach Stage are The Revivalists, an alternative rock group from New Orleans that put forth energetic live shows and astounding studio albums.

Some of the smaller national touring acts are also featured on this year’s lineup, such as The Magic Beans, a space funk quartet based out of Denver, CO, Turkuaz, the always groovy funk band from Brooklyn, NY, and Spafford, a genre-bending band that only use two words to represent themselves: We jam. Guitar prodigy Brandon “Taz” Niederauer and his band will also have a set performing some Taz’s original music and the unconventional LA-based organ trio Organ Freeman will be bringing their funk and jazz stylings to Scranton.

The grounds will have lots of amenities to aid attendees in having the best possible experience, such as refillable water stations, phone charging stations, ATMs, medical stations, and more! Montage also offers a full water park, available to anyone attending the festival. Peach’s Mushroom Stage is located in this water park, where attendees can watch on from the wave pool or enjoy many of the other aquatic attractions the park has to offer. People will want to check out Buffalo’s own Aqueous, Big Something and Tom Hamilton & Holly Bowling’s new group Ghost Light’s sets here.

Those who bought VIP passes will be treated to a couple of exclusive sets each day, namely solo sets from Joel Cummins of Umphrey’s McGee and Mihali Savoulidis of Twiddle on Friday, Pap & Po, a duo set from Pappy & JP Biondo of Cabinet, a special 45 minute set from Ghost Light on Saturday and, finally, a duo set from Oteil Burbridge of Dead & Company and Scott Metzger of Joe Russo’s Almost Dead on Sunday. All of these sets will take place on the Grove Stage. Fans should also check out Grahame Lesh’s soulful group Midnight North and Hayley Jane and the Primates at the Grove.

Check out the daily lineup above or create your own personalized schedule through The Peach Music Festival app, which can remind you when your favorite bands are about to start and let you know of any important updates. Keep watch for more of NYSMusic’s coverage of this year’s Peach Music Festival.

July 12, 2018
Behind the Gear: Chris Duffy

Chris Duffy is the bassist of Denver-based band the Magic Beans. Chris is one of the most well-respected bassists on the scene, as well as one of my favorites. If you listen to the Beans’ recent album, Casino Cabaret, you’ll hear Duffy’s bass prowess exemplified in songs such as “Inventor”, “Casino Cabaret”, “Mr. Scientist”, and my personal favorite, “Hanky Panky”. He knows how to keep a groove going! Check out some more of Chris’ playing in this Beans set from their Fox Theatre show last March.

Bass

Lakland 55-02 Deluxe

Amp

Markbass Little Mark Tube 800 w/ Markbass Standard 104HF Front Ported Cabinet & 104RF Rear Ported Cabinet

Pedalboard

Signal Chain: One Control Iguana Tail Loop MKII 5-channel Loop Switcher

Loop 1: Boss OC-3 Octave

Loop 2: Markbass Supersynth

Loop 3: Source Audio Soundblox Bass Envelope Filter

Loop 4: Moogerfooger MF-101 Lowpass Filter (w/ Moog EP-3 for Cutoff Frequency)

Loop 5: Boss CEB-3 Bass Chorus > Earthquaker Devices Avalanche Run reverb/delay

Interview

Photo credit to Conor McMahon photography

Behind the Gear: Did you take any inspiration from some of your favorite artists when you were building your current board? Who are some of your inspirations as a bass player?

Chris Duffy: As far as bass players go, Dan Kurtz of The New Deal totally changed my approach to playing bass through pedals, specifically in a livetronica/dance setting. He is the master. When I saw his foot riding expression pedals for an entire show, some crucial things clicked. My use of a sub-octave/ distorted tone through the Moogerfoooger Low-Pass Filter is directly inspired by Dan. No one manipulates their live bass tone so freely on this scene. Except, ya know, Squarepusher (laughs). THAT dude is a mad scientist. As far as I can tell, his current pedal board is some obscene number of expression pedals controlling a few rack-mounted effects processors.

If you or anyone reading knows the details on Squarepusher’s rig, please let me know, it’s fascinating. Or Dan Kurtz’s, for that matter. What a bunch of hyenas. I’ve only been interested in Squarepusher’s rig since seeing Shobaleader One videos a year or two ago, but Dan Kurtz has been influencing me since I was 16. Growing up listening to and emulating Flea means I’ll always have some envelope filters in my rig. The Source Audio is nice because it can save 6 settings, which I’m always experimenting with. It replaced my Pigtronix EP-1 Envelope Phaser, which I got after working a Turkuaz wedding and talking with Taylor Shell. I really need to fix that pedal, it’s the tits. I wish it was smaller!

BTG: What is the one pedal on your board you couldn’t live without?

CD: Definitely the Moogerfooger MF-101 Low-Pass Filter. I use that pedal on literally every jam the Beans go into. I probably over use it, but whatever. It gets me fired up, and that’s important in a jam band, since the flow of energy between the artists and the crowd is so fluid and tangible. If you’re having fun, they’re having fun, and vice-versa. I want to add more expression pedals for it. That’s the great thing about Moogerfoogers, you can control almost every knob on the thing with a designated expression pedal. In a perfect world I’d have four or five on my board, but that takes up so much room. Right now I only have the one controlling the filter cutoff frequency. In the future though… I’ll be Squarepusher!

BTG: What are some of your favorite pedal combinations to play with?

CD: Octave through envelope filter sounds are always fun. I’ve been loving the Markbass Synth through the MF-101. Throw some delay on that and suddenly I’m an EDM producer. Speaking of delay, I’m working on a sustained lead tone for taking melodic solos higher on the neck. Some sort of compression/distortion pedal that I have yet to find, through the MF-101, into the Avalanche Run, maybe some chorus. The Avalanche Run is a perfect delay/reverb for bass. That tone knob keeps things from getting too muddy. God I love that pedal.

BTG: Do you remember the first time you were exposed to the use of effects pedals?

CD: Flea’s tone on the “Around the World” intro led me to buy my first pedal, a Boss overdrive. Then I got into jam bands, Kurtz, Brownie, Ryan Stasik, Mike Gordon; I started copying everything those guys were doing. As I said, The New Deal changed everything.

BTG: What drove you to pick a Lakland to use as your main bass?

CD: Ryan Stasik of Umphrey’s McGee. It’s a Skyline 55-02 Deluxe that I bought new in 2006 without even trying one, just because I loved Stasik so much. I’m lucky that they sound so punchy and play perfectly, or else I would have been f***ed! Laklands are the truth. But don’t be like teenage Duff. Play before you buy!

BTG: Who are some of your favorite contemporaries on the scene currently?

CD: Man, there are so many great players out there. On the Denver scene, Tim Philpott has got to be my favorite. Everything he plays is so in the pocket and seems well thought out, yet he stays creative and interesting. Another killin’ Denver homie is Tucker McClung, who is simply fearless and slaps like a mothertucker. On the bigger picture, Richard Bona really gets my blood pumping when I hear him. His Jaco-like pocket 16ths are so bouncy and energetic, it makes me run and pick up my bass and start running syncopated afro-beat rhythms to a click. His playing with the Joe Zawinul syndicate makes me want to do laps around the house. Who else, Thundercat of course. I listen to a lot of techno and house DJ sets, lots of the Boiler Room videos get me going, especially people like Solumun and other folks on the Diynamic label. On the jam scene, there’s just so much talent. It’s like with every note you can hear people sorting through all the amazing stuff they see on the internet, and we’re all just mushing it into some ever-developing Mother-Groove. I guess thats what music is now, right?

May 19, 2018
Hearing Aide: Spafford ‘For Amusement Only’

Spafford’s first studio release in 6 years is finally here and it was well worth the wait. The Phoenix, Arizona-based up and comers have spent the last couple of years making a name for themselves through relentless touring and mass amounts of lengthy jams, and they’ve gained quite a following (affectionately called “Spaffnerds”). The group is comprised of Brian Moss (Guitar/Vocals), Jordan Fairless (Bass/Vocals), Andrew ‘Red’ Johnson (Keys/Vocals), and newcomer Cameron Laforest (Drums/Vocals), who is coming up on one year with the band. For Amusement Only mostly consists of songs that have been debuted and expanded upon live already, with the exception of “Fuel.”

“Ain’t That Wrong” is one of strongest tracks on the album, with a very anthemic and driving sound. The groove is tight and fast paced, the lyrics are catchy, and there’s a jam section towards the end that shows a glimpse of just how impressive their live jams are. It’s quick, concise, and features a thrilling peak driven by a saxophonist named Jason that Moss met on the street while taking a smoke break. The band recently made their MSG debut with this track, which was a smart choice, as this song is bound to gain them lots more fans.

Another great selection from For Amusement Only is the funky “Mind’s Unchained,” which is based off a poem by Spafford’s former Lighting Director and contributing lyricist, Chuck Johnson. This song was slowed down a bit for its studio recording, but still captures the laid-back nature of the song that fans are familiar with. “Mind’s Unchained” also features a jam section, a bit longer than “Ain’t That Wrong”’s, and a little more focused on the group’s ability to improvise as a whole rather than bringing a song to a peak, though it does end with a remarkable solo from Moss.

One of the most exciting songs that got a studio version was “The Postman,” one of the more grandiose songs Spafford has in their catalog. The song starts off with a beautiful, complex composed section and moves into the funky verse section that fans all know and love. “The Postman” really showcases each member’s individual talents and how they come together in large-scale compositions. Cameron Laforest keeps everything tight and locked down, allowing for Fairless to stray a bit from the traditional role of a bass player in the rhythm section and keep the whole band moving through chord changes. “The Postman” also rounds out the wide range of styles that Spafford covers on this album, from soulful ballads to funk jams to extensive compositions. For Amusement Only is a really solid studio release that shows off some of the band’s best compositions and is bound to gain them lots of fans.

Key Tracks: Ain’t That Wrong, Mind’s Unchained, All In, The Postman, Slip and Squander

May 4, 2018
Hearing Aide: The Magic Beans ‘Casino Cabaret’

Denver-based jam outfit The Magic Beans recently released their second full length LP Casino Cabaret this past March—also the second studio effort featuring Chris Duffy on bass—focusing in on a new sound the band calls Neo-Jam (a merging of the Neosoul and Jam genres), while also staying true to their Space-Funk roots. The group is comprised of Scott Hachey (guitars/vocals), Chris Duffy (bass/vocals), Casey Russell (keys/vocals), and Cody Wales (drums). The album provides studio versions of songs that have been in the band’s live rotation for some time now, and allowed them to expand the sound of the songs with the help of saxophonist Clark Smith, trumpeter Matthew Wilkolak, and percussionist Will Trask.

The whole of Casino Cabaret is very groove-driven, with Chris Duffy and Cody Wales working together in a powerful rhythm section. Duffy’s tasteful bass playing is showcased all across this record, especially on tracks such as the title track itself, “Casino Cabaret.” The song has a very spy thriller-y sound to it, and heavily features Scott Hachey and Casey Russell’s ability to work as a duo when laying down the melody.

“Mr. Scientist” is another choice selection from the album, featuring more of that classic “space-funk” sound fans are familiar with. Some of Russell’s intriguing synth tones are shown off in an impressive solo about halfway through the song, as well as the main melody throughout the track. This song also features Duffy’s extremely impressive slap-bass skills, and some of Hachey’s super tasteful lead playing.

Another of the standout tracks on the album is “Hanky Panky,” which as Hachey put it during a live show, “…is a song about sex!” There’s no actual explicit lyrics besides the band yelling “Hanky Panky!” during the chorus section of the song. The song has a very fun, upbeat sound, and really showcases keyboardist Casey Russell’s skills on the Hammond Organ, as well as the band’s ability to groove along as a unit of funk soldiers. Casino Cabaret is an impressive studio release from The Magic Beans that features a wide variety of great, soulful music. Catch some of these songs live during their upcoming sets at Domefest in Bedford, PA and pick up the album on their Bandcamp.

Key Tracks: Mr. Scientist, Inventor, Casino Cabaret, Hanky Panky

<a href="http://themagicbeans.bandcamp.com/album/casino-cabaret">Casino Cabaret by The Magic Beans</a>

May 3, 2018
moe. Delivers Heater of a Spring Tour Closer in Northampton

On a warm and sunny Saturday, moe.rons from all across New England gathered in Northampton, MA for moe.’s spring tour closer at the Calvin Theatre. Many .rons traveled down from Burlington, VT, fresh off an impressive 2-night run at Higher Ground from the recently rejuvenated band. If fans were to expect anything after last year’s fiery winter tour closer at the Calvin, they were in for a good time.

The first set took off quickly as Rob Derhak broke into the first words of fan favorite “Captain America,” which was met with a huge cheer from the crowd. The song set a very upbeat mood for the beginning of first set, and was a strong song to open with in the band’s return to the Calvin. The band got to jamming swiftly, seemingly very well practiced from the previous 2 nights in Burlington, and very smoothly transitioned into “ATL,” which really showcased Al Schnier and Vinnie Amico’s ability to work as a unit. During “ATL” it was very apparent that the band was having lots of fun and ready to have tons more. After a very energetic ending of “ATL,” the band took a break filled with lots of banter between the whole band, mainly focused on Rob poking fun at guitarist Chuck Garvey’s crowd work skills. The group broke into one of percussionist Jim Loughlin’s originals, “Chromatic Nightmare,” which is an extremely impressive showcase of the musicianship in the band. Chuck took the helm towards the end of the song with a crushing solo before the band did a “no huddle” transition into “Annihilation Blues.” This version of “Annihilation Blues” was pretty standard, and helped bring up the mood after the weird jazziness of “Chromatic Nightmare.” After a rather quick jam section, the band brought the song into “Seat of my Pants,” one of three repeats from last year’s Calvin Theatre show. This “Seat of my Pants” featured the first big peak of the night, led by Al Schnier, who was in full rockstar mode. Any moe.rons who attended last year’s Calvin show will remember Al soloing right on the edge of stage and using a guy’s head as a guitar slide, which Al paid homage to by performing another killer solo on the edge of the stage, sans guitar head-slide. The band brought the jam into one more verse and chorus before ending the segment.

To close out the set, the band presented the first big highlight of the night, “Montego” > “Kyle’s Song” > “head.” “Montego”’s Latin sound switched the mood up after the very upbeat and reggae-esque “Seat of My Pants,” and featured a very trippy jam led by Loughlin and Schnier. The band transitioned into the slow, but warm, “Kyle’s Song,” kicking it off with Derhak playing the very recognizable intro bass riff. The whole crowd was singing along and participating in the usual clapping, even joined by Schnier for most sections. Lighting Director Preston Hoffman was flexing his lighting muscles during this “Kyle’s Song,” putting on one of the more impressive lighting performances of the show. Chuck Garvey took the helm of this jam, taking a lengthy but impressive solo tensely leading the whole band into one last chorus, before they started energetically building into “head.” The jam into “head.” featured a big Rob solo before starting into the main riff of the song. “head.” was met with a roar from the crowd and got everyone in the room pumped up as the band was steaming ahead like a freight train on stage. The jam featured an Al-Jim call and response section initiated by Rob, and a killer slide solo from Chuck before they ended the song.

The group opened the second set with their bluegrass tune “Queen of Everything,” which was an interesting way to start off set 2 after the high energy “head.” first set closer. After an energetic ending, the band “no huddle” segued into one of Garvey’s new songs, “Who You Calling Scared,” which was debuted at the State Theater in Maine this past February. “Who You Calling Scared” featured a very fun blues jam to close out the segment. The group wasted no time as they broke into one of my favorite moe. songs, “Four,” another repeat from last February’s Calvin Theater show. This version of “Four” was really solid, and the second big highlight of the show. “Four” featured a lot of .rons’ favorite moment from Saturday’s show: a great extended solo from Rob that featured some strange but cool synth bass tones. After Rob’s solo, the group brought the song into the third big peak of the night before one more chorus that had the whole theater singing along. “Four” smoothly transitioned into the rocker “Deep This Time,” the last of the repeats from last year’s show. Chuck broke out the slide again, starting a trend in his playing throughout the set. This version of “Deep This Time” was fairly standard and brought to close with no big jam section.

The band started into another one of the post-hiatus debuts, Loughlin’s soulful “I Can Never Remember.” This is one of my favorites of all the new songs they’ve debuted since their return as it really allows for a chance to let Jim’s voice shine and its slow, somber feel serves as a nice break between all the big peaks moe. sets tend to contain. Chuck took a great solo to end the song, rounding out this extremely solid version of “I Can Never Remember.” “Not Coming Down” started off the last segment of the night, bringing the mood up and featuring Rob Derhak’s slapping capabilities. The song had another big crowd sing along moment before taking a lesson from Wormwood’s track listing and transitioning into “Wormwood,” which brought the set back into the slower mood that “I Can Never Remember” was evoking. “Wormwood” is a great showcase of Chuck’s slide playing, which he was already showing off earlier in the show. After a pretty standard version of “Wormwood”, the band segued into “Puebla” > “St. Augustine,” the last big highlight of the show. “Puebla” set a mysterious mood in the theater, and the band made quick work of getting to the jam. This jam section started off slowly but heavily featured Rob and Vinnie’s impressiveness as a rhythm section, as the duo kept driving the jam faster and faster until they had built up enough tension to transition into “St. Augustine.” Schnier also played very heavily into “Puebla”’s jam section, taking his solo to shred city as the band steamed on behind him. The segue into “St. Augustine” was very energetic and made the crowd go wild. This song quickly picked up the pace from “Puebla” and served as a great second set closer, as the crowd sang along and the band had fun with a bluegrass-y jam towards the end. The band brought “St. Augustine” into one last chorus sing along with the crowd before ending the segment.

The group encored with the heavy but energetic Wormwood cut, “Crab Eyes” which was a great way to end this burner of a show. Two years in a row now, moe. has served up absolute heaters in Northampton! Seems like they should keep ending all their tours down at the Calvin Theatre, as one moe.ron put it, “Never miss a Calvin show!”

Setlist:

Set 1: Captain America > ATL, Chromatic Nightmare (nh) > Annihilation Blues > Seat of my Pants, Montego > Kyle’s Song > head.

Set 2: Queen of Everything (nh) > Who You Calling Scared, Four > Deep This Time, I Can Never Remember, Not Coming Down > Wormwood > Puebla > St. Augustine

Encore: Crab Eyes

Purchase & Listen to the show on Nugs.net.

May 1, 2018
Joe Russo’s Almost Dead jam for sold out crowd at The Palace Theatre

Joe Russo’s Almost Dead continued their sold out northeast run at the historic Palace Theatre in Albany on Friday, March 1, 2019. Many fans traveled to the city from Syracuse after their nonstop Thursday show at the Landmark, and fought through the wind chill to get into the theater, ready to hear some Grateful Dead tunes.

JRAD kicked the night off with an energetic version of the classic tune “Feel Like a Stranger,” setting the mood for the first set. Tom Hamilton took the helm of the song’s jam with a killer solo, and used the ending lick of “Stranger” to help transition into “Help on the Way”, which was met by a roar of cheers from the crowd. There was a notably good jam into the last chorus of “Help” before the band segued into “Slipknot!.” “Slipknot!” started off normally with the arpeggio section that fans are familiar with, but after one go around, Marco Benevento made good use of his grand piano and took a lengthy solo, using that same arpeggio section as a home base in between improvisations. The band jumped back into the song with a strange chromatic jam that turned into one more repetition of the arpeggios, until they segued into “The Wheel.”

After a very emotional peak at the end of “Slipknot!,” “The Wheel”’s upbeat sound had the crowd dancing like there was no tomorrow. The song featured multiple “Bathtub Gin” teases and a jam on the Phish classic, the first of many teases of songs by the jam powerhouse. The band brought the song into a very high energy peak and one last chorus before Hamilton and Metzger led them into “Uncle John’s Band.” The whole theater sang along with the fan-favorite Dead song, and Hamilton took another ripping solo. The jam was disco-esque, and made way into an acapella chorus supported by the crowd keeping the beat with clapping.

The group quickly transitioned from “Uncle John’s Band” into “Truckin’,” playing it more quickly than normal. Scott Metzger and Joe Russo really shined during this “Truckin’,” but you could tell that the whole band was having fun with each other as they steamed through the song. Finishing up the last verses and choruses, the band segued into a version of “Music Never Stopped Reprise” that featured a “Born Crosseyed” jam. This first set was filled lots of classic Dead songs and energetic playing, and it left the crowd excited for set 2.

To start off the second set, the band went into an improv jam before breaking into the Jerry Garcia Band’s classic “Reubin & Cherise.” “Rubin” was met with plenty of cheers from the audience and provided a very upbeat start to the set, as well as another Phish tease of “The Divided Sky.” The band worked their way into “Viola Lee Blues,” the highlight jam of the night, using the energy built up during the end of “Reubin & Cherise” to kick the song into high gear. “Viola Lee” featured a jam on Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5” that sent the energy in the theater through the roof, before transitioning back into “Viola Lee Blues Reprise” that included a jam on “Foam” by Phish towards the end. The group segued into “Jack Straw” which began with a jam over a jungle-like rhythm that Russo was throwing down. “Jack Straw” featured a psychedelic jam that included a section where the whole band was harmonizing over a lick Tom Hamilton was playing, and every time he played the lick, each member would change the harmony they were playing.

Following a very powerful “Jack Straw”, the band broke into “So Many Roads,” one of the later Hunter/Garcia collaborations, which was a nice cool down after the intensity of “Rubin & Cherise > Viola Lee Blues > Jack Straw.” Marco Benevento took another beautiful grand piano solo that made Joe Russo whip his head around, and gracefully passed the torch to Hamilton who soloed his way into one last verse and chorus. The group broke into “Goin’ Down The Road Feelin’ Bad” which brought the energy back up following the somber “So Many Roads.” Scott Metzger took a fantastic solo over a bluegrassy section before Benevento squeezed in one last solo, during which the entire band was laughing and playing around with each other. The set closed out with an instrumental version of “We Bid You Goodnight” that was quite beautiful.

The group encored with “Magnificent Sanctuary Band” off of Jerry Garcia’s Cats Under the Stars album, which set a nice, whimsical feel for the end of the show. The whole crowd was getting down and grooving as Hamilton serenaded the theater, and the band was having a ton of fun taking turns soloing at the end of the song. Joe Russo’s Almost Dead first sold out Palace Theatre show was a giant dance party and featured fantastic jams such as “Viola Lee Blues.”

Recording via Brian Goldstein, Setlist via Peter Costello

Set One: Feel Like A Stranger >Help On The Way -> Slipknot! @ -> The Wheel # -> Uncle John’s Band $ -> Truckin’ % -> Music Never Stopped Reprise -> Born Cross-eyed Jam

Set Two: Jam -> Ruben & Cerise ^ -> Viola Lee Blues -> 9 to 5 Jam -> Viola Lee Blues Reprise + -> Jam & -> Jack Straw * -> So Many Roads -> Going Down The Road Feeling Bad -> We Bid You Goodnight (Instrumental)

Encore: Magnificent Sanctuary Band

@ – With an MB Solo
# – With “Bathtub Gin” (Phish) Teases & Jams
$ – With a “Poison” (Bell Biv DeVoe) Tease (JR) & a “Mama, I’m Coming Home” (Ozzy Osbourne) Tease (TH)
% – With a “Chalkdust Torture” (Phish) Tease (TH)
^ – With a “Divided Sky” (Phish) Tease (TH), a “Let My Love Open the Door” (Pete Townshend) Tease (TH) and a “Paradise City” (Guns N Roses) Tease (Band)
+ – With a Unknown Tease (SM) & a “Cavern” (Phish) Tease (JR)
& – With “Foam” (Phish) Teases & Jams
* – With a “Llama” (Phish) Tease (JR), Ruben & Cerise Teases & GDTRFB Teases (TH)

March 18, 2018
The Disco Biscuits Brought the Heat in Chilly Portland, Maine

The Disco Biscuits rolled through Portland, Maine on Friday for the first show of their two- night run at the State Theater, a hidden gem of a venue hiding in the streets of the Port City. Fans of the Biscuits toughed some wintery weather left over from Thursday night’s Nor’easter to get to the show, but the State’s cozy vibe quickly got everyone in the mood for some live music.

New England-based band Strange Machines kicked off the night with one of their newer songs “Wook in a Onesie” and continued grooving out with some of their funkier songs during the set. They employed their patience while jamming and really built up the energy for an impressive opening set, which ended with the fan favorite “Klepto.”

The Disco Biscuits came out swinging, throwing down in Portland with a 65-minute M.E.M.P.H.I.S. > Voices Insane > Spaga > Pygmy Twylyte > Spaga, with M.E.M.P.H.I.S. and the first section of Spaga being the highlights of the opening segment. “M.E.M.P.H.I.S.” got the crowd warmed up quickly as the band blew through the chorus and got straight into some weird, deep space jamming that featured Magner heavily using some of the weirder sides of his many synthesizers. Barber made a switch from his Gibson ES-135 to his Parker Fly, and the band started picking up the pace of the jam, lifting it into a sort of mini-peak before they started building on a theme that Barber was creating. After a bit more spacious jamming, they brought the jam into “Voices Insane”, while still maintaining the groove from the “M.E.M.P.H.I.S.” jam going rather than playing the normal tempo of the song.

“Voices Insane” was a pretty standard version, and after a killer solo from Barber, the band transitioned into “Spaga,” starting off with a piano solo from Magner. “Spaga” transported the whole crowd into a medieval wonderland with its lyrics and jazzy instrumental sections, and the band quickly dove into a dark jam. Brownie and Allen kept the groove tight, and Barber created another motif that the band followed into the first big peak of the night, which transitioned back into the fantasy sound that “Spaga” introduced. After another verse, the band segued into their fan-favorite cover of Frank Zappa’s “Pygmy Twylyte” which was met by an eruption of cheers from everyone in the theater. The whole crowd sang along and grooved out until the jam started to get spacey. Magner took an extended synth solo and led everyone back into “Spaga” which peaked yet again after all the energy they built up in “Pygmy”. They ended the segment with one last high energy chorus of “Spaga” and then played “Wet” to close out the set, which featured a tight mini bass and drum jam from Brownie & Allen, and ended with another great solo from Barber.

The second set featured two inverted songs, and was a nonstop 102-minute segment of “Story of the World > 42 (inverted) > Lunar Pursuit > Naeba (inverted) > Tricycle > Story of the World.” The upbeat “Story of the World” kicked the set off, with the jam starting off with one of the funkier sections of the night, initiated by Magner getting into some Clav playing. The jam was driven heavily by the duo of Brownie and Allen and was transformed into a dark trance jam once Allen started using his electronic drum pad to create the beat. You could tell that the band was feeling it, as they teased the audience with what seemed like it was the peak before dropping back into the jam, only to actually bring it to a peak minutes later. They used the high energy from the SOTW peak to transition into the end of “42”, signaling that the song was inverted, which was met with another eruption of cheers from the crowd. Brownstein took the lead on vocals for the first time of the night and worked through the many verses and choruses of the song before getting back into the jam that started the song off.

After grooving along for a bit, Magner played a siren sound that brought the segment into “Lunar Pursuit” which brought with it the first instances of Allen triggering laser beam noises from his drum pad. After a quick peak and a spacey reggae section, they moved into an inverted version of “Naeba” > “Tricycle.” “Naeba” was a nice laid back break from the intensity of “42 ” > “Lunar Pursuit,” and after they’d played through to the beginning of “Naeba”, which was an almost heavenly arpeggiated guitar progression from Barber, they transitioned into the dance party that is “Tricycle.” They kept “Tricycle” nice and spacey while Allen kept the electronic dance beat going. The band built the energy up for one last big peak before segueing back into the set opener “Story of the World” for another verse and chorus to close the set out.

They encored with “On Time,” which sounded like it could be the theme to an 80’s action film. The whole band was having fun being the head of the dance party, especially Magner, who was going off with a vocoder effect from one of his synths. They did one more little spacey jam before Brownie brought the whole band into the last chorus and ended the song.

As a first Disco Biscuits experience, this show was incredible. The audience was feeling it, and you could tell that the band was locked in with each other during some of the bigger jams like “Spaga” and “Story of the World.”

The Disco Biscuits, State Theatre, Portland, Maine – March 9, 2018

Set 1: M.E.M.P.H.I.S. > Voices Insane > Spaga > Pygmy Twylyte > Spaga, Wet
Set 2: Story of the World > 42 (inverted) > Lunar Pursuit > Naeba (inverted) > Tricycle > Story of the World
Encore: On Time

March 12, 2018
Behind the Gear: Mike Candela

Mike Candela is the lead guitarist of the D.C.-based band Of Tomorrow and was previously the lead guitarist of Mister F. Mike brings ripping leads to any show he may be playing, as well as extremely skillful looping abilities as showcased in his cover of Girlfriend is Better by the Talking Heads. Catch Of Tomorrow at their official Funk vs. Bluegrass Umphrey’s McGee After Party in D.C. on Feb. 15th!

Guitars & Amp

2007 Paul Reed Smith Hollowbody II & 2017 Music Man Cutlass Strat

Supro Royal Reverb 60W 2×10 Combo

Keyboards

Akai Advance 49 & Novation Circuit

Pedalboard

Signal Chain-

EHX Pitchfork > TCE Polytune 2 > Pigtronix Philosopher’s Tone > EHX Micro Synth > Noisekick Almond Blossom > Teese RMC3 Wah > Noisekick Oriole Fuzz > JHS Double Barrel > EHX Small Stone > Xotic EP Booster > Strymon Timeline > Mr. Black Eterna> A/B Box > TCE Hall of Fame > MXR Talkbox > TC-Helicon VoiceTone H1

Behind the Gear: How did you develop your solo show? You have a pretty extensive set up for a one man band.

Mike Candela: So my one man band set up is actually everything pictured plus a Boss RC 300, and I was heavily inspired by Zach Deputy’s early setups. Basically I needed drums which I get from the Novation Circuit, and keys which I get from the Akai Advance 49. Also the TC Helicon Voicetone gives me some cool harmony effects that correspond to what I’m playing on guitar.

BTG: How has your new Music Man been treating you?

MC: This thing is the Strat of my dreams man, haha, the 10″ radius and stainless steel frets make it feel very similar to my PRS, which was refretted with SS by Philtone Guitars in Baltimore MD.

Photo credit to Matt Way of Moon Daze Photography.

BTG: What are three pedals on your board that you couldn’t live without?

MC: The Double Barrel is a really nice sounding 808 clone and a killer Bluesbreaker clone in one box, it’s definitely the foundation of my tone. The EP booster is a great clean boost that’s adds a slight amount of tonal color, but it’s a really great color, I am always using this pedal for solos. The TimeLine allowed me to go from having 3 delay pedals on my board to just 1. The functionality and sound quality is off the charts, and it’s really easy to use live; switching between the different preset banks is a breeze.

BTG: What kind of synth/keys sounds are you running from the laptop?

MC: I run a Novation Bass Station plugin to my talkbox and I use the included Akai plugins and VIP software, which groups your VSTs together in a central program that you can control from the keyboard itself.

BTG: How do you like your Supro Royal Reverb?

MC: It’s an amazing clean pedal platform amp. It has a great midrange character that is essentially always there due to the lack of a mid knob, and it’s also got trem and reverb. It also switches between 35, 45, and 60 watts for getting cranked amp sounds at lower volumes, I always run it on 60 watts though since I get all my dirt sounds from the pedals.

February 13, 2018

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