NYS Music 20​18

Category: Photo Gallery

  • Michal Menert and Breaking Biscuits Blow The Roof Off The Fillmore

    Michal Menert wanted to have a party in Denver, Colorado, so he invited a few of his friends to come rock out  at the Fillmore. His “Big Band,” The Pretty Fantastics, is a compilation of incredible musicians that accompanied him the night of January 26. And when he says big band, he means it. With horns sections, a cellist, violinist, drummer, DJ, and a backup singer/ keys player, the possibilities were endless.

    The lineup for the night was packed. With openers Elliot Lipp, Dynohunter, and Late Night Radio, they got the night started off right. The energy was high right out of the gate, and you could feel the crowd surging. The bill included another heavy hitter, Breaking Biscuits, a mashup of jam-legends, The Disco Biscuits, and electro-funk greats, Break Science. The super group made their debut at Brooklyn Comes Alive back in 2016, and fans have eagerly awaited their return.

    Breaking Biscuits began their set on a mile-high note, not letting the crowd forget who was on stage. With covers of RJD2’s “The Horror” and Daft Punk’s “Robot Rock,” the quartet blew the roof off the Fillmore. They were on fire and you could see it in their eyes. After Breaking Biscuits was done throttling the Denver crowd, Dynohunter rocked out a quick intermission set from the soundboard while the plethora of gear and instruments were brought out for The Pretty Fantastics, and the ceiling was reattached.

    Michal Menert is not only a very talented producer, but also an incredible guitarist and singer, and his big, massive, gigantically talented band touched all genres. Menert even gave Break Science a nod as he played a couple songs they co-produced together on their EP, Twilight Frequency. Between the horns, strings, and the heavy, heavy bass, you could say they were more than “pretty fantastic.”

    Check out photos below, courtesy of Zatchmo Lives Media.

  • An Acoustic Evening With Trey Anastasio at the Mayo Performing Arts Center

    Trey Anastasio kicked off a nine-night solo acoustic tour at the Mayo Performing Arts Center in Morristown New Jersey on February 8. He performed to a capacity crowd of 1,302 people. Just for perspective, MSG holds 20,789 people. That’s right around 16 times smaller than the room we all just saw him play in 17 times last year. 2018 is starting off a bit more intimate. The audience shared in a bit of back and forth with Anastasio, “If you sing it I’ll Play It,” Trey told fans as they were coaxing out a “Sleeping Monkey”. That then inspired Trey to challenge the crowd to a  “Limb By Limb”. “… But can you do this one?”, he laughed. They could, as both songs feature the audience singing the vocal parts normally done by Page.

    Trey Anastasio Acoustic

    As he has been known to do, Anastasio also took time between songs to share stories and engage the audience. Storytime with Trey. He covered topics ranging from pregnant cow’s milk to the tongue-eating louse, killer of fish. We also heard the tale of poor young Payton Hooten getting lost at his first concert. Don’t worry Trey talked to his mom on the phone, and reunited him with his friends. Trey also took the opportunity to share about the loss of his lifelong friend to cancer, and debut a song he wrote during the experience. He went on to describe the Portuguese emotion of “Saudade” just before he began playing, although the song was not officially named at the time.

    Trey Anastasio continues his acoustic tour tonight in Ithaca at the State Theatre.

    Setlist: Blaze On, Backwards Down The Number Line, Miss You, Strange Design, 20 Years Later, Wolfman’s Brother, Everything’s Right, The Inlaw Josie Wales, Sleeping Monkey, Limb By Limb, Waste, “Saudade”^, Bathtub Gin> Chalkdust Torture> Back On The Train

    Encore: Bouncing Around The Room, Push On Til The Day*, More

    ^ First Time Played, Original- In honor of CCott

    *Unfinished- Played up to “…Pete threw a bomb and rang the pole…” then stopped to tell the story of that lyric

  • Gary Numan Brings ‘The Savage North American Tour’ to Brooklyn Steel

    A relatively mild December evening and a quick walk from the L train brought us to another excellent show as part of Brooklyn Steel’s inaugural year. Gary Numan, who first gained notoriety in the late 70’s as a member of the band Tubeway Army, was welcomed to the stage by an opening set from NYC’s own Me Not You.

    Numan’s tour brought the live debut of songs from his 21st and latest studio album, Savage (Songs From A Broken World) released September 2017. The album dons a rather tasty industrial synth sound. When performed live at Brooklyn Steel, many more nuances were uncovered in the songs through Numan and his band’s theatrical performance.

    Though Numan has so far had a long career, his performance had a freshness untinged by the years. During his set, Numan tapped albums from throughout his career including a track he performed in the 1970’s prior to going solo with the band Tubeway Army. Along with his band, Numan locked in a steady power between his older songs and those off of Savage.

    After seeing Numan’s performance – the energy, enthusiasm (from the whole band, too), and creativity in the new music from Savage – he shows that there is still a drive at this point in his career to continue being a creative force in electronic music.

    Setlist:

    Ghost Nation, Metal, Everything Comes Down To This, Films, Bed of Thorns, Down in the Park, Pray for the Pain You Serve, Here in the Black, Mercy, Love Hurt Bleed, My Name is Ruin, Cars, When the World Comes Apart, A Prayer for the Unborn

    Encores: M.E., Are ‘Friends’ Electric?, I Die: You Die

  • moe. Returns With a Vengeance for Sold Out Capitol Theatre Run

    After a 7-month break due to bass player Rob Derhak’s battle with cancer, Buffalo rockers moe returned to the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, New York to deliver two sold out shows on February 2nd and 3rd. Their first shows with the full lineup since July featured a variety of fan favorites as well as four brand new songs from four of the five band members. The first night featured an opening act, with the high-energy funk outfit Kung Fu properly warming up the crowd for the main event.

    After a brief word of thanks from a very emotional Rob, the band wasted little time diving into the flagship “Rebubula,” Rob’s anthemic ode to his wife, Rebecca. They quickly transitioned into the funky “Akimbo” which featured a slap-happy bass interlude that made the hungry crowd explode. This was followed by the twangy, energetic “32 Things” and then a brand new song titled “What Can I Say,” written by guitarist Al Schnier. “What Can I Say” was originally debuted earlier in the week during the band’s pre-show webcast, though this was the first time the song had been played in a live setting. Fans then belted out the opening lines to the fan-favorite “Spine of a Dog” which was followed immediately by “Plane Crash,” which felt particularly deserved, with Rob screaming the words “I don’t wanna die” at the end of the final chorus at the top of his lungs.

    Set 2 started off with a bang with the Pink Floyd-inspired “Silver Sun” and then Rob was able to showcase his brand new tune, “LL3” which he wrote in transit to his chemotherapy treatments. “LL3” already shows great potential as a jam vehicle, and will probably appear on the new album that the band is cooking up. The rest of Set 2 was a continuous battery of rock and roll as they interweaved “Moth,” “Captain America,” the instrumental “Hector’s Pillow,” the legendary “meat.” and finally closed with the end of “Moth,” completing a sandwich that took up the majority of the second half of the show. Guitarist Chuck Garvey then led the band in an encore rendition of “Wind it Up,” that had the entire audience collectively singing the lines “Be on my side, I’ll be on your side” with the band.

    A veritable army of excitable moe.rons showed back up to the scenic Capitol Theatre for Round 2 on Saturday, for a performance that was somehow even better than the previous night, this time with no supporting act. It was a night of pure moe. and once again the crowd was deafening when a happy and healthy looking Rob Derhak took the stage.

    The band opened with the crowd-pleasing “Okayalright,” which segued smoothly into “Not Coming Down,” once again showcasing Rob’s bass skills. This was followed by the entrancing instrumental “Wormwood,” which then seemlessly transitioned into the slide guitar-heavy intro to “St. Augustine.” Next, percussionist and multi-instrumentalist debuted his new song, the dark and moody “I Can Never Remember,” which he sang with his signature rasp. This was followed by the short and pleasant Chuck Garvey tune “All Roads Lead to Home.” After “All Roads” came “Opium,” and Rob showed how well his voice has healed, demonstrating his impressive vocal range. The first set closed out with a monstrous version of the jam beast, “Recreational Chemistry” before they took a short set break.

    Set 2 started with a powerful rendition of “Brent Black” which featured not one or two, but three bass solos from a smiling, enthusiastic Rob as well as a fearsome drum-off between Jim Loughlin and drummer Vinnie Amico. Afterwards, Al Schnier led the band in a spirited version of “Mexico,” telling the story of his tumultuous 21st birthday. This was followed by “Timmy Tucker,” once again proving that Rob still has his vocal chops. Chuck Garvey then debuted his newest song, “New Hope for the New Year,” which definitely shows great promise for future shows and the new album in the works. The rest of the set was vintage, heavy, dark, creepy, spacey moe. as they played “Yodelittle” into the high energy protest song “George,” back into “Yodelittle” and then into the sing-a-long “Buster,” every moe.ron’s favorite song about a flying pig. They encored with “Nebraska,” complete with a ripping talk-box solo from Garvey, and finally the hard-hitting “Annihilation Blues” to cap off the back-to-back performances. 

    moe. proved this past weekend that they are far from done, and after Rob’s recent cancer scare and recovery, he is clearly eager to please his fans and write new music. The historic Capitol Theatre projected a series of images of Rob from different stages of his career throughout the shows, and moe. brought an anxious crowd to their knees. Once again, it’s so good to have you back Rob. We hope for many, many more years of music and laughter from you.

    February 2 Setlist

    Set 1: Rebubula > Akimbo, 32 Things, What Can I Say (FTP), Spine of a Dog > Plane Crash.

    Set 2: Silver Sun, LL3 (FTP), Moth > Captain America > Hector’s Pillow > Moth > meat. > Moth

    Encore: Wind it Up

    February 3 Setlist

    Set 1: Okayalright > Not Coming Down > Wormwood > St. Augustine, I Can Never Remember (FTP), All Roads Lead To Home, Opium, Recreational Chemistry

    Set 2: Brent Black, Mexico, Timmy Tucker, New Hope for the New Year (FTP), Yodelittle > George > Yodelittle > Buster

    Encore: Nebraska, Annihilation Blues

  • The Wood Brothers Warm The Egg on a Chilly Evening

    The Wood Brothers brought their tour to The Egg Performing Arts Center in Albany, NY. The sold-out crowd dealt with the return of winter to hear some of the newest songs on their latest album, One Drop of Truth. The album was available at the merchandise table before its official release date of Friday, February 2. The brothers, Chris and Oliver Wood, and Jano Rix mixed new tunes with a healthy selection of Wood Brothers standards. Although, the crowd seemed more than happy to explore the new songs.

    Before the evening was over The Wood Brothers brought out special guest Aaron Lipp from Rochester, NY and the opening band, The Stray Birds, to help out with the one-microphone part of the evening. The voices of The Wood Brothers and their guests blended in the solo microphone to create an “old timey” feel inside The Egg. The night also featured a Wood Brothers cover of the late Tom Petty’s hit “You Wreck Me.”

  • Strangefolk close out Northeast run at The Warehouse

    Strangefolk wrapped up their three-night run of New England on Sunday, January 21 at The Warehouse at FTC in Fairfield, CT. With Dave Diamond Band opening up the night, the crowd filtered into the 500 cap room early, crowding to the rail for Strangefolk, who continue to have a dedicated following more than 20 years since they started at UVM in Burlington. The group recently recorded a new song, and first since 1998, as the title track of the new Reid Genauer & Folks upcoming album Conspire to Smile.

    Setlist: Sinner, Fountain, Utterly Addled, Furnace, 40 Reasons, In Deep, Folka Polka -> Alaska, Elixir, Faces, What Say You?, So Well, Take It Easy on Me, Rachel, Lines & Circles, Sidestep Blues

    Encore: Westerly -> Lay The Dust -> Westerly

  • Photo Gallery: The Seventh Annual Wintercourse

    The 7th Annual Wintercourse was held at The Knitting Factory in Brooklyn on Saturday, January 20, 2018 on a warm and wonderful winter night filled with smiles, hugs, and good music.

    wintercourse 2018Space Carnival brought the heat early, showcasing their dance laden jams as well as their heavier prog side, ending on a high note of their newly released single “Queen of Cups.” Six year Wintercourse veterans Cousin Earth played a set stacked full of high energy originals and unique covers including a throwback to Saturday Night Live’s “Natalie Portman Rap” and the Disney after school classic, “Tale Spin.” Headliner Bella’s Bartok puts on a show like no other, with a high energy dance party of klesmer and punk that was absolutely magnificent.

    Teddy Midnight took the stage as the final act of Wintercourse 2018, delivering a set filled with surprises. The group brought up Tara Lawton and Joey Calfa of Cousin Earth, with Tara singing on “American Boy” by Estelle (complete with rapped verses by band members) and Calfa to ripping up the Teddy classic “Turkish Silva.” Bringing their trademark live house vibes, they covered Daft Punk’s “Face to Face” as well as a heavily improvised New Deal/Daft Punk Medley to round out the night.

  • Umphrey’s McGee celebrate 20 Years with NYC run

    Umphrey’s McGee celebrated 20 years together as a band over January 17-19 with a trio of shows at The Beacon Theater in New York City, alongside stops at Sirius/XM Studios and The Cutting Room to promote the group’s latest release It’s Not Us.

    Umphrey's McGee 20For the January 19 show at The Beacon, Umphrey’s added songs off It’s Not Us – “Remind Me,” “Speak Up,” “Looks,” and “The Silent Type” – into a setlist that featured a “JaJunk” sandwich in set 2, a monster version of “Hurt Bird Bath” (see video below) and Talking Heads’ “Making Flippy Floppy” with guitarist Oz Noy joining in.

    Set 1: There’s No Crying In Mexico > Remind Me, Anchor Drops > Day Nurse > White Man’s Moccasins > Speak Up > Mulche’s Odyssey, Making Flippy Floppy[1]

    Set 2: JaJunk > Push the Pig[2], Looks, Hurt Bird Bath, 2nd Self, Conduit, The Silent Type > JaJunk

    Encore: Bad Friday

    [1] with Oz Noy on guitar and Brendan on percussion and keys
    [2] with Jake on keys; with Lose Yourself (Eminem) jam

    On night 2 of the run, Umphrey’s dusted off part of Guns n Roses’ “Paradise City” inside of “Utopian Fir” (see video below) for the first time in nearly 1500 shows. Acoustic versions of “Memories of Home” and “You and You Alone” followed “Fir,” and were joined by the horns of Peter Apfelbaum (TAB, saxophone) and Mike Maher (Snarky Puppy, trumpet) for a vigorous combo of “Attachments” and Sturgill Simpson’s “Call to Arms.” Set 2 was a gift that kept on giving, with little room to breathe amid “Wappy Sprayberry” > “Wife Soup,” “August” and “The Linear” > “In the Kitchen.”

    Set 1: You Got the Wrong Guy > Spires > Walletsworth, Utopian Fir > Paradise City[1] > Utopian Fir > Memories of Home[2], You & You Alone[2], Whistle Kids, Attachments[3], Call to Arms[3]

    Set 2: Maybe Someday, Wappy Sprayberry > Wife Soup, In The Kitchen > Little Gift, August, The Linear > In The Kitchen

    Encore: Hajimemashite > Pay the Snucka[4]

    [1] one verse
    [2] with Jake and Brendan on acoustic guitars
    [3] with Peter Apfelbaum on saxophone and Mike Maher on trumpet
    [4] with Eruption (Van Halen) tease

    For the 20th anniversary show, Brendan Bayliss spoke from the heart from the stage, opening the show up by saying,

    “On behalf of the band and the crew, I just want to say thank you for the last 20 years. It’s still very surreal to us, and because of you our dreams became our reality, so thank you so much. Tonight we’re going to take you backwards through time over the last 20 years. We’re going to play a song that we debuted each year. We’ll start with something new and end with something old. And we hope you like it.”

    And with that, Umphrey’s McGee journeyed 20 years in reverse, starting with the recent debut “Half Delayed” and ending with their classic “All in Time.” In between, the band let loose with fan favorites and heavy hitters that have been developed into jam vehicles over the past 20 years, a dream setlist for Umphreaks and an impressive way to mark the start of their third decade performing together.

    Set 1: Half Delayed, North Route > Draconian, Similar Skin[1] > No Diablo, Comma Later > Puppet String[2] > No Comment > 1348, Gulf Stream

    Set 2: The Floor[1] > Eat[1] > Higgins[3], Bridgeless[1] > Ocean Billy > The Triple Wide > Ringo[4] > 40’s Theme

    Encore: All Things Ninja[5] > All In Time[6]

    [1] unfinished
    [2] incomplete
    [3] with Can’t You Hear Me Knocking (The Rolling Stones) jam
    [4] with Voodoo Child (Jimi Hendrix) teases; unfinished
    [5] intro only
    [6] with Divisions, 10th Grade, and Nachos for Two teases; also with Thunderstruck (AC/DC) tease

    Setlists via Allthings Umphreys

  • Freaks Ball: Then and Now

    Born from one man’s desire to unite the familiar-faced strangers seen at the shows he was regularly attending solo, the Freaks List has become one of, if not the most, influential internet groups in the jam scene, or any other scene for that matter.

    freaks ball

    A Long Island-based scientist named Aaron Stein was sick of going to concerts by himself and knew he couldn’t be the only one. Tipped off by the fact that each night, in each venue, for each band, the same fans were standing in the same rooms, in the same city. It was in response to this, that eighteen years ago this week, like-minded concertgoers across the greater New York City area were given a place to meet each other. The Freaks List was born, and with it came a now eighteen-year running party known as The Freaks Ball.

    In the early years, The Freaks list has was credited with jumpstarting the popularity of such acts as Robert Randolph and the Family Band and The Benevento/Russo Duo. The list’s members began talking about these emerging acts popping up in the New York City club scene, and having them play the annual The Freaks Ball. Scott Metzger’s RANA, The New Mastersounds, Apollo Sunshine, Chris Harford & the Band of Changes (featuring Dean Ween), The Squad (a variation of Lettuce), Ollabelle, Tom Hamilton’s American Babies, Skerik, Mike Dillon, Anders Osborne and more were all featured in the yearly Freaks celebration within the first decade of conception. The event had been held in venues such as Tribeca Blues, Southpaw, The Bowery Ballroom, and Sullivan Hall just to name a few. In more recent years The Freaks Ball has called Brooklyn Bowl its home.

    freaks ball

    Freaks Ball XII featured the Freaks Ball-Stars that included Eddie Roberts (The New Mastersounds), Joe Russo, Marco Benevento, Ron Johnson (Warren Haynes Band), Eric Deutch and special guests Eric Krasno, Scott Metzger and Warren Haynes. Also in 2012 Bustle In Your Hedgerow (Marco Benevento, Joe Russo, Dave Dreiwitz & Scott Metzger) paid an absolutely astonishing tribute to Led Zeppelin. After putting together a seemingly impossible lineup to top XII, the 2013 Freaks Ball would bring Marco Benevento, Joe Russo, Dave Dreiwitz & Scott Metzger together again for what was meant to be a one-off tribute to the Grateful Dead. They called it Joe Russo’s Almost Dead. And so it was, some thirteen years after giving The Benevento/Russo Duo and RANA an opening spot behind Robert Randolph and the Family Band at the Bowery Ballroom, The Freaks Ball would birth what we are now simply calling JRAD. Maybe you have heard of them?

    In the last handful of years, The Ball would feature JRAD two more times as well as WOLF!, Stirrers (Eric Krasno, Neal Evans & Joe Russo), Superhuman Happiness, and last year hosted just the third Benevento/Russo Duo performance since 2010. Boasting a resume as strong as this, one can only ask themselves, “what could possibly come next?” On Friday, January 19th The Freaks got their answer.

    freaks ball

    This year’s Freaks Ball was headlined by the Neal Casal-led, Grateful Dead-inspired group from California and Colorado, Circles Around The Sun. The Westcoast psychedelic improvisational group drew support from Brooklyn-based DJ Kevin Kendrick, as well as a rare appearance from the band Hola! featuring none other than (you guessed it) Joe Russo and Scott Metzger alongside Andy Hess, and Avi Bortnick. It is safe to say that Circles Around the Sun, Hola!, and DJ Kevin Kendrick are not acts to pass on if given the opportunity. None of them have extensive touring schedules in 2018. All have them have just been added to the elite roster of bands and musicians chosen by The Freaks, for The Freaks.

  • Spafford Tears Apart Buffalo Iron Works

    For the past couple of years, the Arizona native rock/jam band Spafford has been the talk of the town. With a seizure inducing light show, dual-set mind altering jams, and a cast of imaginative, highly-skilled musicians, it is no wonder why an old factory-converted music hall down by the canal was packed nearly to capacity on a chilly Thursday winter night at Buffalo Iron Works.

    The up and coming funk-folk band Goose set the stage as they performed an opening set which undoubtedly expanded their fan base. The venue was slowly filling up as Goose started up, and they welcomed attendants with a light reggae groove which transformed the northern ice chest into a breezy paradise. Heads were bobbing, hips were swinging, and by the third song the venue was so packed there wasn’t enough space to wave down your friend at the bar.

    spafford iron worksGoose’s set ranged from reggae dance numbers to upbeat funk to intense, guitar-driven peaks. Their well-crafted songs and impressive vocals bode well for their future in this competitive jam scene. By the end of their set, the crowd was so enthralled they nearly forgot they were there to see Spafford. It was like having a delicious shrimp appetizer that filled you up and left you smiling, completely forgetting about the filet mignon you ordered. Thankfully once the meat comes out you always find room for more and savor every bite until there is nothing left, and that is exactly the way Spafford delivered.

    By the time Spafford went on there was hardly any room to stand on the dance floor. Electricity surged through the air as newcomers awaited their first experience of the highly-anticipated musical experience, and veterans stood eager to re-enter their happy place. There is no doubt this small venue is not going to be large enough to hold them the next time they come back to Buffalo, especially if they come on a weekend night.

    The crowd exploded as the band picked up their instruments and created an airy soundscape as guitar player Brian Moss weaved delicate jazz licks over the building sound. Drummer/percussionist Cameron Laforest began to speed things up as the band followed and pushed their way to an intense bliss peak. Just the first song in and it was obvious they were here to make a statement as the song “The Postman” transformed again into an alien-funk abduction. Keyboard player Andrew “Red” Johnson pushed the jam further and further as they built a detached groove with all members contributing, careful not to step on each other’s toes. Endlessly rising, the high energy jam reached a sensational zenith and on the turn of a dime, was brought back to the instrumental verse accompanied by a roar from the crowd.

    “Backdoor Funk” followed the impressive opening number with a dirty, shadow-like aura as bass player Jordan Fairless took first swing at the vocals. The dark funk number saw Johnson layering vibrant chords while Moss bent his strings like he was breaking a chicken’s neck. The lights, controlled by lighting director Ben Factor, spun with the out of control jam and strapped the audience onto an out of control merry-go-round whirling through multiple dimensions. Eventually the ride stopped, and thankfully there were no casualties (though one girl did have to be taken out for an unrelated matter…), as the band fell back into the final verse.

    A bubbly rendition of “The Remedy” came next and gave the crowd a chance to catch their breath as they floated down the smooth river of sound the band conceived. The frothy raft ride didn’t last long however, as the band brought the jam into pure chaos to finish the number. A familiar rendition of the Grateful Dead’s “Feel Like a Stranger” came next and featured the crowd singing along with the chorus. However, with Spafford nothing is truly without their own personal touch as though the solo was kept within the realm of song, the band created a distinct jungle of madness that would have made even Garcia nod his head with approval.

    The rock-infused ska number “Diana” brought out the rowdiness of the crowd once again before the band went into their last number of the set, “People.” They took their time building the jam in “People” as all four members communicated well with each other. They built the jam to reach the sky, and within a matter of seconds dropped it to a pit of nothingness. One of the major strengths of the band is their control of tempo and dynamics, and they demonstrated that impeccably. As they worked their way down, every member of the band left the stage leaving Johnson alone to deliver an eloquent outro solo, thus leaving “People” unfinished at set break.

    When the band came back for the second set, the crowd was even more unruly than before. They picked up right where they left off and began the second set at the solo of “People.” If there’s a better way to start a set then the middle of an intense bliss peak I’d like to hear it. “Plans” came next and displayed their diverse influences with a Latin-inspired groove. That did not last long, however, as “Plans” saw some of the most impressive jamming of the night. It jumped from high-speed guitar solo, with Moss’s fingers moving so fast it was as if he would have imploded had he stopped, to a slow, spacey crowd-teasing vamp, and eventually made its way to a tribal drum inspired, high tempo space freak-out which left everyone in their room both amused and disoriented.

    The band played around with tempo once again as they continuously shifted the speed of the funky “Virtual Bean Dip.” The groove shifted from an passionate peak to a quiet lullaby, back up the roller coaster to a boiling hallucinogenic realm as multi-colored prison spotlights bounced around the stage. Out of the delirium came the chipper “Galisted Way,” which gave the crowd another chance to gain their bearings. They kept the positive vibes going with “Crazy,” a song that is reminiscent of being at a waterfall on a summer day. Light-hearted as it may be, the solo by Moss lead to a confetti-cannon explosion of sound before they ended the final verse on another high note.

    The last song of the set, and second cover of the night, Tears for Fear’s “Mad World” featured some of the most exciting moments of the night. The song proper was a time capsule back to the eighties, complete with sweaty men with bad dance moves, until the fat bass line hooked up with the increasing robot noises spewing out of the guitar and worked their way into a more futuristic boogie. As the rattling guitar pulled away from the ‘80s dance number the band once again connected to build tension. The more they built it up the more it felt like they were filling a balloon, and everyone held their breath until it popped. After overfilling two times over, the band finally released, and the crowd was ecstatic. The set was over, but no one was quite ready to leave.

    As the crowd cheered for more, the band left the stage for only a couple of seconds before ending the night on the high-energy, short singalong “Salamander Song.” The band thanked the crowd, but the yells and cheers made it obvious who was truly thankful after that performance.

    Setlist: 

    I: The Postman, Backdoor Funk, The Remedy, Feel Like a Stranger[1], Diana, People[2]

    II: People[3], Plans, Virtual Bean Dip > Galisteo Way, Crazy, Mad World[4]

    E: Salamander Song

    Notes:
    [1] Grateful Dead cover
    [2]Unfinished – Red Outro
    [3] Ending Only
    [4] Tears for Fears Cover