NYS Music 20​18

Category: Show Reviews

  • Proctors Hosts Beatles Themed Capital Records Live! at GE Theatre

    It was the perfect duo – a collection of the area’s best musicians and the iconic catalog of music from The Beatles –  together at Proctors for Capital Records Live! at the GE Theatre on Friday, March 23.

    Let’s Be Leonard, Wild Adriatic, the Bryan Brundige Collective, Girl Blue, Clear Mind and Eastbound Jesus each played songs from The Beatles (the White Album) and Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Each had liberty to perform its own renditions of songs from both albums. Some tried to capture the song as people remember them, while others added a unique spin to a classic track.

    Capital Records Live

    Highlights from Capital Records Live! included Bryan Brundige Collective’s rendition of “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” Girl Blue welcoming the crowd to sing along to “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” and the gratitude expressed by the audience as Clear Mind introduced a rap spin to the 50-year-old collection of songs.

    The Rochmon Record Club provided Beatles trivia and history with a video presentation. There were moments when members of each band would stop setting up their gear to read along on the large screen behind the stage as everyone learned more about The Fab Four.

    This article was originally published by The Spot 518. is property of Spotlight Newspapers in Albany, N.Y., and appears as a special to NYSmusic. TheSpot518 and NYSmusic work in partnership to provide readers with in-depth coverage on the local music scene in the Capital District and New York state, respectively. For more, visit TheSpot518.com.

  • Squirrel Nut Zippers Prove They are Back and Better Than Ever in Homer

    The ’90s was a decade of maelstrom in the music industry. The decade that saw the death of hair metal also saw the rise of alt-rock, the second wave of ska and the swing revival, among many other genres. It was arguably the most eccentric of all decades in the history of American popular music. One of the bands that hit the big time in this era was Squirrel Nut Zippers, a Chapel Hill, NC band that straddled the line of swing music and New Orleans jazz. Their hit single “Hell” was ubiquitous on alternative radio in 1996.

    Sunday night, the revamped version of Squirrel Nut Zippers rolled into the Center for the Arts of Homer, once the Homer Baptist Church, to hold a Palm Sunday service of their own, rapt with swing music, New Orleans style brass, Klezmer and old school crooning.

    Riding the release of their first album in 18 years, Beasts of Burgundy, the new version of the Zippers provided the near sellout crowd with Vaudeville style entertainment and world class musicianship.

    The band has been revamped after relocating to New Orleans and showcases some of the genre’s best musicians, including Dr. Sick, the spirited fiddler/multi-instrumentalist who stole the show with his outgoing and somewhat suggestive performance. Sick had a local connection to the show, Cortland musician Chris Merkley opened the show in the Community Space at the Center for the Arts of Homer. He documented his connection with Dr. Sick and the Squirrel Nut Zippers in a Facebook post on Friday:

    https://www.facebook.com/cmerkley/posts/10155196362865825

    The Zippers kicked off the show with a rousing rendition of a new song, “Karnival Joe From Kokomo,” a song that would fit right in with the 1996 Zippers’ catalog. The remainder of the night was a mix of old and new songs mixed with many jokes. When attending a Zippers show, you’re not just going to dance, you’re going to laugh your ass off. Between songs, band leader Jimbo Mathus and Dr. Sick riffed off each other with a string of cringe-worthy Dad jokes and bad bird puns that had the audience simultaneously laughing and wincing.

    The highlight of the night was when Mathus introduced the “dancing portion” of the night. Permission was asked for audience members, who had largely been seat-ridden most of the show, to get up and dance for the upcoming section of the show. Mathus often referred to the early Zippers’ catalog as “songs from the past century.” These songs comprised the “dancing portion” of the night and the crowd complied. The band ripped into “Bad Businessman,” “Hell” and the rousing Klezmer-style song “Ghost of Stephen Foster” to finish out their outstanding set.

    The encore consisted of “Axman Jazz,” “Prince Nez,” “Plenty More” and another new song, “Hey Shango!,” a Cuban-style romp from their latest album that led to a Second Line exit for the band. The Second Line wound its way through the audience and made its way to the Community Space, where the band continued playing before settling in for pictures and autographs with fans.

    The Center for the Arts of Homer proved to be a tremendous host for a show like this and the Squirrel Nut Zippers were very grateful for those who attended. And the Zippers proved that original American music is not dead.

  • Cousin Earth Does St. Patty’s at Scottish Dave’s Pub

    Cousin Earth had everybody shaking their shamrocks last Saturday night at Scottish Dave’s Pub in Clinton, Connecticut. With their signature arsenal of whimsical instruments, the Brooklyn-based band took to the stage in full force… and full green!

    Scottish Dave's PubDrummer Nate Searing set the pace all night with unwavering energy. Corey Feldman plucked his pint-sized Kala U Bass while Joey Calfa served up roaring solos on his electric uke, proving that great things do come in small packages. Tara Lawton and Terry Brennan’s vocals are larger than life, adding catchy and clever lyrics to the band’s memorable melodies. Add to the mix a melodica, slide whistle, vibraslap (a quirky little instrument that brings me straight back to my middle school band days), train whistle, megaphone, and banana shaker, and you have the marvelous musical machine that is Cousin Earth.

    Amidst their original songs, the band enjoyed breathing new life into old favorites, starting off with a nostalgic rendition of “Zelda”, then later resurrecting Natalie Portman’s hilariously raunchy SNL rap, and eventually getting the whole bar clapping and bouncing to Nathanial Rateliff’s “S.O.B.”. Even the bagpipers were getting their jig on.

    The crowd also had first dibs on the band’s new album, Human Music. It’s not set to release online until next month, however the band had the first physical copies on sale at the show. Be on the lookout for the official release on 4/27, and if you’re in NYC, they are throwing an album release party that night at the Bowery Electric.

  • Puttin’ It In The Dumpsta

    On Friday, March 16, Dumpsta phunk made a stop in Williamsburg, Brooklyn for a night of New Orleans funk at the Brooklyn Bowl. They gave fans everything expected in a show from the Nola-funk gurus with a couple of surprises mixed in, including a cover of The Eagles’ hit “Life in the Fast Lane” and a two-song cameo from guitarist Tash Neal. The Dumpstaphunk tour goes through Philly and Richmond before it hits the West Coast.

    Setlist: Make it After All, Let’s Get At It, I Wish You Would, Do You, Street Parade, Life In The Fastlane, Sounds*, United Nation Stomp*, Dumpstamental, Maze, Justice, Up From The Downstroke, Dancin’ To The Truth

    *Featuring Tash Neal

  • Tough Old Bird March Tour Underway: First Stop Rochester

    Tough Old Bird are venturing from their home in the Allegheny region and taking to the road this month and next. The Northeast run began on March 15 at The Bug Jar. Local support for this show came from indie folk duo Bitter Bells and alt-country outfit Brindamor.

    Tough Old Bird
    Tough Old Bird

    Bitter Bells is Ben Proctor and Rita Harris Proctor, who are better known for their work with the band The Crooked North. Songwriter Ben Proctor alternated between guitar and banjo, and they both sang. Their beautifully harmonized vocals resonated as they performed a selection of sad songs, followed by even sadder songs, with themes about loss, like unrequited love, tragedy, and being far from home. The mood was lightened by their playful banter, and a running jest about refraining from banjo jokes.

    Bitter Bells

    Tough Old Bird took the stage next. Hailing from Fillmore, New York, songwriting brothers Matthew and Nathan Corrigan were joined on stage by Jay Corwin on upright bass. From the first strum on the banjo, the music seemed to transport the listener through time and space, and everything from the psychedelic decor on the walls to the digital camera in my hand seemed oddly out of place.

    Tough Old Bird

    Their music taps into the time-honed tradition of roots music, plucking at the heartstrings and reviving forgotten innate rhythms. The intriguing story lines in the lyrics carry listeners on a journey through the instrumental landscape. In addition to a selection of songs they’ve written over the past five years, their set included a stunning rendition of Tom Wait’s “Cold Cold Ground.”

    Tough Old Bird

    This was the first of many dates they have lined up over the next several weeks, as they trek along the Eastern Seaboard and venture into the Midwest. I picked up a copy of their latest CD, Where The Great Beasts Are Buried at the show, but their music can also be bought online.

    Brindamor closed out the night. They brought copies of their brand new CD released that day, and handed out copies throughout the night. The songs on the EP are titled “About You” and “Betsy, Before I Forget,” and they were recorded nearby at 1809 Studios with Dave Drago. That was all I knew about them before the quartet took the stage. Even though we were heading into late hours on a weeknight, I was intrigued and I stuck around a bit later than planned. I’m glad I did. Brindamor’s sound is grand and seems larger than the sum of its four members. The music straddles the lines of indie folk and contemporary alt-country, giving it broad appeal.

    Brindamor

    Tough Old Bird’s Upcoming Show Dates:

    MAR 18 – Bourbon & Branch w/ Deep City Healers – Philadelphia, PA

    MAR 19 – PIANOS – New York, NY

    MAR 20 – The Bebop w/ Aaron Wardwell Lindsey Sampson – Boston, MA

    MAR 31 – Hot Mama’s Canteen – Buffalo, NY

    APR 6 – Postcrypt Coffeehouse – Manhattan, NY

    APR 7 – Cafe Veritas – Rochester, NY

    APR 14 – The Geneseo Riviera w/ Straw Hat – Geneseo, NY

    APR 18 – Hotel Crittenden – Coudersport, PA

    APR 19 – The Funhouse At Mr. Smalls – Millvale, PA

    APR 20 – The Listing Loon w/ Warrick & Lowell Moriah Haven – Cincinnati, OH

    APR 21 – Evangeline’s – St Louis, MO

    APR 23 – Blue Canoe – Tupelo, MS

    APR 24 – Alley Cat – Carrollton, GA

    APR 26 – The Grove – Fayetteville, WV

    APR 27 – Twisted Branch Tea Bazaar w/ Jordan Ashby Gio – Charlottesville, VA

    APR 28 – The Purple Fiddle – Thomas, WV

    APR 29 – The Purple Fiddle – Thomas, WV

  • 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.

    Joe Russo's Almost Dead Palace

    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)

  • Albany Hip Hop Outshines Headliner Riff Raff at Jupiter Hall

    Local hip hop acts found their beat at Jupiter Hall in Albany, on March 10, sharing the stage with headliner RiFF RAFF. The evening saw multiple acts from the Capital Region of New York bring short, yet effective sets to the futuristic venue tucked inside Lucky Strike at Crossgates Mall.

    Interestingly, hardcore metal band Misgiver joined the opening acts with a loud, yet memorable performance. Misgiver’s sound is unexpected at a hip hop show, and certainly memorable and surprising. To their credit, it is certainly difficult to perform as an “outlier” at a show, and with a quick set, they showcased their abilities well.

    Along with them, Philly Fine$$e delivered a high strung hip hop set joined by DJ David Acevedo, SwaggyT, and friends. Having streams on songs like “Lonely,” “GUCCI,” and “Like This,” Fine$$e and his fellow performers got the eyes of the crowd in a short amount of time. Their show has entertaining potential, and their music lends itself seamlessly to the club scene and they were received well by the crowd, even in the earlier part of the evening.

    Along with Philly Fine$$e, show attendees dove in for Wavy Cunningham & DJ Mercy, a creative duo who mix wide varieties of samples with old school sounds to create a fun, beach-type atmosphere. Their music is a departure from stereotypical thoughts of hip hop being such a serious matter, and in a lot of ways it has the ability to make the listener smile. The two took the stage with huge smiles and vibed with onlookers. They politely commanded their setlist with no pretense, and just played music for enjoyment. People danced, sang along with tracks such as “Mass Appeal,” and stayed open to newer songs such as “1000 Verses.”

    The more Wavy and Mercy performed, the larger the crowd got, with audience members even asking for an encore. This energy cleared the path for Clear Mind, who also drew a large following. He released his project, “Swords, Metaphors & Pressure Points,” in November of 2017, which included instrumental production by himself as well as a variety of others.

    Clear Mind’s own unique voice is not lost in the wide variety of sounds used in both his live set and his album. His lyrics cover a multitude of modern subjects, including parenthood, love, personal struggles, and more. As many people can relate to these topics, he continued the energy and grew the audience even more. Few artists have the bravery to perform a song acapella — without musical accompaniment — but Clear Mind did, and his seamless infusion of this into his set won him a great deal of respect amongst those unfamiliar with his music.

    He, Wavy Cunningham, and DJ Mercy, all set a tone with their common charismatic approach to the stage — their futures as performers, locally and beyond, carry promise. Likewise, DJ duo, The Dropouts, consisting of Eric Whin and David Acevedo, played music from multiple popular artists such as Post Malone, but infused their own mixes and synth parts, just continuing to excite the crowd with their mastery of modern sounds. Their lightshow and visuals, as well as excited persona added to the mix and certainly won the crowd over.

    But as the cliche goes, all good things must come to an end. Although it is typically expected that the headliners would have more experience and production value, this did not appear to be the case for RiFF RAFF or 2 Stoned. Their respective shows got stolen by all the opening acts. Although both performed with some professional proficiency, neither went above “ just getting the job done.” 

    Since RiFF RAFF and 2 Stoned are both portrayed in media as flamboyant and defiant, one would have thought their sets would have both been more exciting, but this was not the case. Perhaps this may be seen as a rush to judgment by an unfamiliar viewer, but one would think a performer would want to be as interesting or more, than his backing tracks, lightshow, clothes, and hairstyle, but sadly this was not the case. Overall, the headlining part of the show could have been missed in favor of the energetic opening acts.

  • Joe Russo’s Almost Dead Played Host to a Marathon Party at Syracuse’s Landmark Theatre

    It was a busy Thursday night in Armory Square in Syracuse. The bars and restaurants were filled with revelers, with the overabundant party spilling out into the streets. Did their beloved Orange just win a big game? Not quite. Today’s premiere Grateful Dead cover band, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead (JRAD), was making it’s upstate New York debut at the nearby Landmark Theatre. As the clock struck 8, the streets, bars and restaurants all quickly emptied and quiet returned. For a few hours at least. The party continued, and ramped up into full swing, inside the confines of the historic theater.

    For many it was their first taste of this revelatory refreshing of the catalog left by one of the all-time great American rock bands. Though many others had caught them elsewhere, as this is a band worth traveling for, cover band or no.

    As is usually the case, the band, Joe Russo on drums, Marco Benevento on keys, and for this night on the theater’s baby grand, Tom Hamilton and Scott Metzger on guitars, and Dave Dreiwitz on bass, began the night with a warmup jam. It started quietly, loosely based around Tom Petty’s “Breakdown”, before slowly building in volume and complexity and exploding into “Mississippi Half-Step.” A couple lengthy jams eventually dissolved into a groovy space reminiscent of Led Zeppelin’s “No Quarter” which wound wonderfully into “Estimated Prophet.”

    The Dead’s catalog served as a template, a coloring book for the band to fill in with their own color. But, in the true spirit of the music, they had a liberal and creative way with the colors and styles with which they fill the spaces, frequently and almost by rule coloring outside of the lines. Common traditions are bucked, new ones written. The songs sound like the ones you know and love, but the band quickly jumps ship and bring it to a nebulous no man’s land.

    “Estimated” broke into a weird and wild freeform space where disparate pieces of “China Cat Sunflower” emerged. Like a puzzle, the different pieces fit together and like that the crowd found itself shaking to a new groove. The band could break the songs down into parts, shake them up, all the while mixing in new on-the-spot improvisations along with parts from other songs. Bits and pieces of other songs, some Dead many otherwise, were thrown into the mixer and given a few more good shakes. It made for a dizzying and disorienting musical experience that left listeners blissfully lost in the haze. Depending on how keen one’s ears were they may have heard Herbie Hancock’s “Fat Mama,” “Farmer in the Dell,” Radiohead’s “Airbag,” Harry Belafonte’s “Banana Boat Song,” the Drifters’ “On Broadway” along with the Dead’s “Iko Iko,” “St. Stephen,” “Let It Grow,” and many others jumbled into the pot at various points in the evening.

    The traditional “China > Rider” combination was expectedly untraditional as they stuffed it with “Good Lovin’” and “Cats Under the Stars.” As “I Know You Rider” came to a finish, the band had been playing for 90 minutes straight with nary a second of silence. The first set was all but assumed to be over. Though, Russo, after introducing the band, indicated that because of a strict 11pm curfew they were also going to buck the traditional set break. Benevento jokingly laid atop the piano, almost posing for a painting, though it was the band who needed to get back to their painting. Russo announced “Set Two,” and the band immediately kicked off “Row Jimmy.”

    Without the break available to reorient themselves, the crowd dizzily jumped back into the mix while the band continued their long explorations for another non-stop hour. By the time it was all through, “Saint of Circumstance” was taken the distance and the usual “Scarlet > Fire” was once again untraditionally broken up with Bob Dylan’s “Sylvio.” The band wasn’t above the traditional encore, and a relatively quick “Promised Land” ended the indoor party at the Landmark, 3 hours and thirteen songs later. The quiet streets outside were once again bustling with the giddy energy of the crowd, and so the party continued…

    Setlist:
    Jam> Mississippi Halfstep> Estimated Prophet> China Cat Sunflower> Good Lovin> Cats Under The Stars> I Know You Rider, Row Jimmy> Lost Sailor> Saint Of Circumstance> Scarlet Begonias> Silvio> Fire On The Mountain

    E: Promised Land

  • Mike Gordon Band at the Egg: So Glad We Made It

    Albany gave Mike Gordon Band a warm welcome for their fourth performance at The Egg this past Sunday. With it’s odd shape designed specifically to create incredible acoustics, it is no wonder that a musical genius/eccentric like Gordon has openly expressed his affinity for this venue. The band even featured their first show here in 2011 as a specially released live recording. Since their last visit in 2016, the band has released their fifth studio album, OGOGO. This album was created with the current touring members, featuring Scott Murawski on guitar, John Kimmock on drums, Robert Walter on keys, and Craig Myers on percussion.

    Mike Gordon Band at the EggThe band opened the show this Sunday with a clean start, playing OGOGO’s ninth track, “Stealing Jamaica,” showing us that the band has had plenty of time over this past tour to get properly dialed in. With these “psychotropically transform(ative)” sounds reverberating throughout the room, we are instantly reminded of just how incredible the acoustics in this room truly are. This song featured a tight jam that included “Waking Up Dead” teases before coming to a slow and steady halt, leading us into the haunting intro to this familiar tune. Written by Gordon and Murawski, this was the only Gordon original to land a spot on Phish’s latest studio album, Big Boat, released in 2016. This featured a dark and funky jam that led the band into the Leo Kottke original “Noon to Noon,” which Mike Gordon Band debuted at the tour opener in Seattle. Kottke has collaborated with Gordon in the past on the two studio albums Clone and Sixty-Six Steps, and Gordon has recently revealed that a third album is in the works. This tune kicked into high gear and could be considered the heavy hitter of the first set, causing the room to heat up and make Gordon shed his scarf.

    After a brief acknowledgment of the crowd, the band played the Max Creek original “Cruel World,” which has been a part of the bands repertoire since 2003. This included “Steps” teases coming from Gordon before a seamless transition into this tune, which was the first single released off OGOGO.  A definite crowd pleaser, it is no wonder why the band repeated this song for the third time in the past three consecutive shows this weekend. The song featured a heavy organ jam from Walter, during which Murawski switched guitars to match Gordon’s luminescent Moire bass.

    Mike Gordon Band at the EggGordon gave a shout out to local friends and family, expressing gratitude for being so close to home this past run. The band then closed the set with a cover of Tower of Power’s “You Strike My Main Nerve” off the album Bump City, a track which has stayed in rotation since the band started touring in January.

    Set two Gordon came out scarf-less with guns blazing, opening with the West African influenced song “Angatta,” featuring Myers on the Ngoni. With it’s upbeat, exotic tempo, the crowd is given a natural boost of energy and reminds us that Gordon has a world of influences outside of the jam world. Next, they played OGOGO’s seventh track, “Up and Down,” which featured an upbeat jam that kept the energy in the room lively. The band stopped before playing “Pendulum,” also off OGOGO. Consistent with the theme of the album, these two tracks are a reflection of of the ebb and flow of life, our ability to see the light and do our best while also inevitably having darker moments, and tonight’s jam within this song was a perfect interpretation of that concept. With a catchy, bouncy swing, the band brings us to a point where it feels like the Egg itself is a spaceship getting ready for take off, before landing gracefully back into familiar, lighthearted territory. Gordon’s words couldn’t seem more authentic while singing the lyrics, “thankful that I have reentered this room with all this vibrating gear.”

    “Peel” came next, the Overstep original that has been in rotation since it’s release in 2014. This led into a jam layered with ominous sound effects, leading us from another dark and haunting jam into an irresistibly danceable beat. This was followed by a cover of Tame Impala’s “Mind Mischief,” a song which has been a reoccurring favorite for MGB since the debut of their own version in 2017. This transitioned back into the familiar territory of “Crazy Sometimes,” which is one of two OGOGO tunes that Phish has borrowed in 2017, (the other being “Marissa,” played once in Pittsburgh this past summer). This heavy jam featured teases from The Guess Who’s original “American Woman,” before transitioning into another Overstep original, “Say Something” to close the second set.

    The band came back for an encore, playing Spencer Davis Group’s “Gimme Some Lovin’,” which left everyone in the crowd singing along with a final burst of energy, reminding us that we are “so glad we made it.” From the quality of this show, it is safe to say that Gordon will be planning another visit here in the near future.

    Mike Gordon Band at The Egg, March 11, 2018

    Setlist via Phish.net

    Set 1: Stealing Jamaica, Waking Up Dead, Noon to Noon, Cruel World > Steps, You Strike My Main Nerve

    Set 2: Angatta, Up And Down, The Pendulum, Peel, Mind Mischief > Crazy Sometimes > Say Something

    Encore: Gimme Some Lovin’

  • David Byrne Continues American Utopia Tour In Kingston, NY

    David Byrne brought his American Utopia Tour to Kingston at the Ulster Performing Arts Center on Saturday, March 10. This was the 6th show on his new tour, which he claimed would be “the most ambitious show I’ve done since the shows that were filmed for Stop Making Sense.” David hired 11 other musicians to create this performance which would “allow everyone to be mobile on an empty stage”. The lack of wires (and lack of shoes) enabled David to create a performance unlike anything he has attempted before.

    Audience members entered the venue to see a single table on stage with a model of the human brain atop it. The borders of the stage area were lined with a lightweight, semi-opaque chain which allowed the performers to move through it with ease while also perfectly casting shadows onto it. While not yet apparent, the stage design and lack of wires would allow the performers to move freely about the stage in a way not seen in traditional concerts.

    The show started with “Here,” the final track on David’s new album, American Utopia. This was followed by the 2002 track “Lazy,” which he co-wrote with the English House duo X-Press 2. This upbeat change from the first song got the crowd excited as he went into his first Talking Heads cover of the night. The audience all stood at once as the opening beats of “I Zimbra” began to take hold. All six of the percussionists picked by Byrne brought this song to life as they moved back and forth on stage with the tempo and dazzled the crowd with their syncopated melody.

    The Talking Heads songs continued as David led the band into “Slippery People,” which features an interesting vocal breakdown towards the end of the song. The covers continued with “I Should Watch TV,” a song featured on the collaboration between David and St Vincent from 2012. As the lights turned red and the performers got into a single line on stage, “Dogs Mind” changed the mood of the show. Three of the drummers moved their instruments up and down to the tempo as the performers slowly moved closer to the stage during this moving piece.

    Continuing with tracks from his new release, David took his performers into “Everybody’s Coming to My House” before bringing the crowd to their feet with “This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody).” He continued to delight the audience with his classic gyrations as he brought the band into “Once In A Lifetime”. David kept one drummer on stage to perform with him during “Doing The Right Thing.” While performing this new track, the other percussionists were almost hidden behind the edges of the stage, as their instruments were the only thing visible to the crowd.

    Before continuing, David told the crowd that they were going to play a song by a “man who goes by the name of Fatboy Slim, who made a wonderful video for this song.” The crowd was delighted as he went into “Toe Jam” before introducing the band to everyone. The Talking Heads classics continued with “Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On).” This upbeat gem ended with the stage lights turning off, and when they turned on, each member of the band was lying on stage except for the keyboardist. David stood up as the song began and the rest of the band slowly followed him one-by-one. The highlight of this track was the band dancing silently before the final chorus ended the song.

    “Bullet” was one of the most intriguing tracks of the evening. A single lamp containing a naked bulb was brought on stage. This prop contained the only wire to grace the stage all evening and David used this single light source to play with the shadows forming on the back of the stage. The band walked in a clockwise circle around Byrne as he described a bullet slowly entering a body in detail. By the end of the song, he was the only remaining person on stage as the band had been slowly exiting. The circular theme continued with “Everyday is a Miracle” as the band stood in a circle. David faced the audience as the band faced inward until halfway through the song when he moved into the circle, starting a mini conga-line on stage. This silly but upbeat track ended with a patiently executed trust fall before going into the 2001 crowd favorite “Like Humans Do”.

    David continued to play with the lights during the hit song “Blind.” This song featured a single light at the front of the stage which cast an enormous shadow of David. The band proceeded to move around in such a way as to exaggerate their shadows on the backdrop and this continued until an incredibly funky drum solo ended the song. The set concluded with the Talking Heads highest-charting single “Burning Down The House.” The energy of the entire show culminated in this performance and the applause was deafening as the band left the stage.

    Another Fatboy Slim collaboration started the first encore as David Byrne came out to “Dancing Together” from their musical Here Lies Love. The Talking Heads classic “The Great Curve” finished up the encore with a scorching guitar solo from Angie Swan at the end. To everyone’s surprise, David and the band came out without their grey suit jackets to perform Janelle Monoe’s “Hell You Talmbout.” David and company put all of their might into this rousing encore and there was an apparent sense of satisfaction in performing this for the Kingston audience. David ended the show in his usual fashion by saying, “thank you” in a way that only he can.