The Palace Theatre in Albany will welcome the legendary David Byrne in concert this September 9 as part of an extensive world tour. Joining Byrne is a twelve-piece band who will performs songs from his recently released album, American Utopia, classics from his solo career and favorites from his days with Talking Heads. Special guest Tune-Yards will open.
Byrne has called the tour “the most ambitious show I’ve done since the shows that were filmed for Stop Making Sense.” This tour also marks Byrne’s first extensive outing since his 2013 shows with St. Vincent and also his first solo tour since 2009.
Watch “Everybody’s Coming To My House” from The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
Byrne has released American Utopia: Detroit, the music video for “Everybody’s Coming to My House,” from American Utopia, featuring a performance of the song by Detroit School of Arts (DSA) Vocal Jazz Ensemble students. Byrne spoke with Trevor Noah on TheDaily Show about the collaborative video, the experience of making it, and how it ties into the musician’s larger vision of both the new album and his ongoing Reasons to Be Cheerful series, which includes a hub of stories, news and ideas which inspire optimism.
As the Big Dance kicks off (and Syracuse quiets the haters for two more days), we launch into Round 4 of NYS Music’s 2018 March Madness! We started with 64 up and coming artists from across the Empire State and now we have the Elite Eight who are taking part in our friendly tournament-style competition.
These artists who hail from the Empire State are a sampling of the next generation of artists and come from all corners of the state, from Buffalo to Binghamton, Plattsburgh to Patchogue and all points in between. Vote now for your favorites and discover some of the great up and coming music that New York State has to offer!
Elite Eight voting begins at 10AM EST on Thursday, March 15, and closes at midnight on Saturday, March 17. The Final Four begins at 10AM EST on Monday, March 19. Vote now for your favorites and discover some of the great up and coming music that New York State has to offer!
Any good St. Patrick’s Day celebration includes music. Music and the Irish are inseparable. According to the latest U.S. Census, nearly 12 percent of the U.S. population claim some Irish ancestry, a total of 35 million people. A very high percentage of this population is centered in the Northeast U.S., particularly right here in New York State. So, it is only fitting that the day to celebrate the Irish would be rife with music across the state. Naturally, a state with such deep Irish roots celebrates the day with parades following the parade activities, much live music can be found around New York. NYS Music provides you with a listing of some St. Patrick’s Day festivities from the North Country to Long Island, Albany to Buffalo. Whether you crave traditional Irish music, reggae, punk, reggae, rock or blues, we have you covered.
Saratoga singer-songwriter Katie Louise will perform a set at Main Street in Saugerties beginning at 9:30.
Plattsburgh’s seminal venue, the Monopole hosts Burlington’s Jiggawaltz for the funkster’s first appearance at in quite some time at the venue.
Capital District
If you’re in Albany for the St. Patrick’s Day parade, start your day off with a brunch at the Savoy Taproom on Lark. From 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. you can enjoy traditional Irish music from Toss the Feathers while enjoying traditional Irish food.
All day long, the Pearl Street Pub offers live music with DJs at night. Larry Ross gets things rolling followed by an appearance from the City of Albany Pipe Band.
Following the parade, head on down to Paulys Hotel on Central for an after-party with the sometimes punk, sometimes ska, sometimes rap act Smittix with special guest Feral Meryl from 2-6 p.m.
Celtic Hall, located on New Karner Road, hosts its own post-parade party beginning at 5 p.m. The City of Albany Pipe Band continues its busy day with an appearance at Celtic Hall, along with the An Clar Irish Dancers and the popular Celtic-rock band Hair of the Dog. Hair of the Dog has been performing since 1993 and is a regular act at Irish festivals throughout the northeast.
Also in Saratoga, a special night celebrating female voices in Irish music featuring the Grady Girls and Kara Doyle is going down at the legendary Caffe Lena. The kid-friendly event begins at 8 p.m.
Central NY
Funk ‘n Waffles in Syracuse gives St. Patrick’s Day a little zydeco flair with the soulful, funky, blues of hometown boys, Los Blancos, starting at 3:00. Dubbed “The Hardest Working Band in Syracuse,” Los Blancos has a proven track record of packing venues and laying down the funk.
Syracuse’s symphony, Symphoria, will perform a pops concert celebrating the Music of the Emerald Isle at the Onondaga County Civic Center beginning at 7:30. Tickets for this special event, which features violinist Maria Kaneko Millar a performer with Riverdance productions on Broadway as well as the touring version, are still available through the Symphoria website. Prices range from free for 18 and under to $38.
Maria Kaneko Millar
EDM jamband, Phasers Engage puts an interesting twist on the day’s festivities, throwing a house party on Tennyson Ave. with free beer for anyone 21 and over. They’ll perform from 1-3 p.m.
If you’re looking for more traditional Irish fare along the lines of the Clancy Brothers, Tommy Makem or the Dubliners, head out to Jake Hafner’s Restaurant & Tavern in North Syracuse for Quigsy and the Bird from 5-9 p.m.
The Syracuse Polish Home hosts its annual parade day corned beef and cabbage dinner with entertainment from 4-9 p.m. Jo Duz provides Irish and folk music from 4-6 p.m. followed by Just Joe from 6-9 p.m.
If you’re out Utica way, Nick Piccininni and Jay Barady of Floodwood are performing at the recently re-vamped John Devereux’s Tavern from noon until 4 p.m.
Piggy Pat’s Smoke and Ale House in Washington Mills, just outside of Utica, is now under new ownership, but that hasn’t changed the music offerings they’ve presented over the years. The Blarney Rebel Band will take the floor from 1-4 p.m. This veteran Celtic band from Utica performs traditional Irish music from pub tunes to sea shanties to moving ballads and rousing rebel songs.
Woodland Farm Brewery in Marcy, just north of Utica, gets the day off to an early start. The local farm brewery opens at 8 a.m. for liquid breakfast and keeps the party going all day, highlighted by bluegrass from Remsen Social Club starting at 1 p.m.
The Continental Kit Band will perform at the 16 Stone Brewpub in Holland Patent. Doors open at noon with Irish stew, Reubens and an almost Irish Red ready for sampling.
If you’re in Rome, Copper City Brewing Company is offering traditional Irish music by Mighty Craic from 1-3 p.m. Mighty Craic is a trio with deep roots in the Central New York Irish scene. This farm brewery will also have a taco truck on hand as well as two Irish beers freshly tapped for the day.
Western NY
Out west, Rochester, as always, has several musical offerings for St. Patrick’s Day. The Crooked North brings its brand of Rust Belt bluegrass to the Little Theatre on East Ave. from 8-10 p.m.
Three Heads Brewing hosts the reggae vibe of Personal Blend from 8-11 p.m. There is a $5 cover charge for one of Rochester’s favorite reggae bands.
The Montage Music Hall has a ’90s night on tap for St. Patrick’s Day. The 8 p.m. show features Pearl Jam tribute act, Given to Fly, R.E.M. tribute act, Dead Letter Office and Flannel Millennium, who covers music from such ’90s alt-rock staples as Stone Temple Pilots, Weezer, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Alice in Chains. Tickets for the show are $20 in advance and available at the Montage website.
Cathie Ryan, the original lead of Irish-American sensation, Cherish the Ladies, joins the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra at Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre for a Celtic Celebration both Friday March 16 and Saturday March 17. The shows begin at 8 p.m. The combination of Ryan’s beautiful voice and sarcastic wit, accompanied by the RPO, promises to be a unique night of music in the Flower City.
The Buffalo Iron Works welcomes Vancouver Celtic rockers, The Town Pants and Whitesboro native Tim Britt with his Tim Britt Band. Syracuse native and Pale Green Stars drummer, Jeff Tripoli, plays drums for the Pants, who also perform at the Smith Opera House in Geneva on March 16. The 9 p.m. Buffalo Iron Works show has a ticket price of $17-22.
NYS Music 87/90 artists, the Intrepid Travelers, return to their home base, the Sportsmens Tavern on Amherst for St. Paddy’s Day for a psychedelic jam session. Doors for the two set show open at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10.
Downstate
Larry Kirwan of Black 47 brings his St. Patrick’s Day show to YMCA Boulton Center for the Performing Arts in Bay Shore. Aside from fronting the politically reactive New York-based band Black 47, Irish expatriate Kirwan hosts the show Celtic Crush for Sirius XM. He’ll be joined by Deni Bonet (violin), Coty Cockrell (keyboards), Thomas Hamlin (drums), Rene Hart (double bass), Andrew Sharp (Uilleann pipes). The band will be releasing a new single for the occasion, a remake David Bowie’s “Heroes” from a Belfast perspective. Tickets for the 8 p.m. show are $47.
Legendary Queens punks, Murphy’s Law will perform at the Brooklyn Bazzar with Drunken Rampage, Moral Panic and Runny. The 7 p.m. show costs $17 and tickets are available through Ticketweb.
Needless to say, there is no shortage of live music available to music fans across the Empire State on St. Patrick’s Day no matter what your taste. This is but a snapshot of all that is happening across the state on one day. If your area wasn’t covered by this piece, leave us a message, comment or tweet us @NYStateMusic. NYS Music’s mission is to expose ALL of New York’s musicians, venues and scenes and with your help, we can do just that. Now take this list and get out and enjoy some music!
Varying iterations of rock will grace the stage at Saranac Brewery in Utica, NY this summer, including Dirty Heads, Dispatch and Taking Back Sunday.
Reggae rockers Dirty Heads will swing by Sunday, June 10, supported by Iration, The Movement and Pacific Dub. One dollar of every ticket sold along this tour will be donated to the Natural Resources Defense Council, which works to bring awareness to environmental issues and affect impactful change. Doors open at 6 p.m. Show starts at 7 p.m.
Tickets go on sale Friday, March 16 at 10 a.m. through Ticketfly or Creative Concerts.
Indie rockers Dispatch will play Sunday, July 15 along with songstress and environmental activist Raye Zaragoza.
Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and the show starts at 6:30 p.m. This is an all ages show.
Tickets are on sale now at Ticketfly, Creative Concerts, the Brewery Shop, and at the Sound Garden in Armory Square.
Emo rockers Taking Back Sunday will hit the stage Saturday, July 28. Although they will be sharing the stage with Coheed and Cambria for most of their summer tour, they will be performing solo at Saranac. Doors open at 7 p.m. Show begins at 8 p.m. Get tickets through Ticketfly or Creative Concerts.
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.
The 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.
Gordon 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.
The Second Annual Cobblestone Live Music & Arts Festival will be held on July 27 and 28, 2018 in the heart of the historic Cobblestone district in downtown Buffalo. This year’s festival will include two outdoor main stages located on Illinois and Columbia streets, a stage inside Buffalo Iron Works, an electronic music stage/lounge inside Lockhouse Distillery & Bar, and an acoustic stage on South Park Avenue. Headlining acts include Broken Social Scene, The Sheepdogs, Turkuaz, Aqueous, Chicano Batman, Golf Clap, Andy Frasco & the U.N., Michelangelo Carruba Super Jam, Ratboys, Dynamo, Madaila, & more.
Over the last decade, the historic Cobblestone district has become a breeding ground for live music and entertainment. Cobblestone Live is a single neighborhood of bars, restaurants, and venues coming together to put on a two-day festival which will continue to grow to a national sized festival in the years to come.
This year’s highlights will include more than 30 artists and bands across 5 stages, festival games and activities for all ages, local food trucks and vendors, beer, wine, cider, & beverage tents, VIP tickets including exclusive VIP areas and additional perks, and festival drink menu from Lockhouse Distillery & Bar and Buffalo Iron Works.
“Cobblestone Live Music & Arts Festival is set to be an incredibly special event for Buffalo as we return for our second year,” noted Josh Holtzman, General Manager of Buffalo Iron Works and one of the planners of Cobblestone Live. “With more stages, larger acts and a greater festival experience, Cobblestone Live will certainly leave it’s mark not only on Buffalo but the music industry as a whole. In addition, our entire organization is thrilled to be working with the Child Advocacy Center of WNY as our beneficiary. Child abuse is a real problem in today’s society and we can’t think of a better cause to get behind.”
A portion of the proceeds of this year’s festival will go to the Child Advocacy Center (CAC), a one-of-a-kind service in Erie County which brings together local law enforcement agencies, mental health services, child protection, medical services, and the District Attorney’s Office under one roof to investigate, treat and support victims of child sexual abuse and severe physical abuse. The Child Advocacy Center ensures that these young victims and their caregivers receive immediate, effective and sensitive support. Nationally, Child Advocacy Centers and their multidisciplinary teams have improved conviction rates for perpetrators of child abuse by up to 94%.
Festival gates will open at 4pm on Friday, July 27th and at 1pm on Saturday, July 28th. Full festival passes will be $45 presale/$60 walk up, single day pases are $25 presale/$30 walk up. VIP packages will be available for $100. Late night only passes will be announced as the festival approaches. Tickets are available immediately at www.cobblestonelive.com.
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.
New York based dance rock band Echo Black recently released the official music video for their single, “DAWN,” an evocative and visceral song with an arena sound and dark imagery.
“DAWN” was directed by Chris Newhard and appears on the October 2017 debut album of the same name. Echo Black says of the single, “DAWN is introspective. It is theatrical, it is angry, it is mournful, it is joyous, and it is rebellious. We do our best to take into account all of our musical tastes when we write; DAWN is our coming of age story and is, justifiably, chock full of emotions, varied genres, and passion.”
The Turn It To Eleven Tour, with City of the Weak
4/07 @ The Drunk Horse Pub – Fayetteville, NC
4/19 @ The Blue Note – Tampa, FL
4/10 @ The Haven Lounge – Winter Park, FL
4/11 @ Rack’Em Spirits & Times – Cape Coral, FL
4/13 @ Carts, Bikers, & Babes Rally – Houston, TX
4/14 @ The Zone – Abilene, TX
4/15 @ Boozers Rockbar – Corpus Christie, TX
4/16 @ The Rail Club – Fort Worth, TX
4/17 @ Red Brick Bar – Norman, OK
4/18 @ Hero’s – Fort Smith, AR
4/19 @ Aftershock Live – Merriam, KS
4/20 @ The Phoenix Lounge – Sioux Falls, SD
4/21 @ Lifers – Algona, IA
4/24 @ Bayso’s – Grayson, KY
4/26 @ Hijynx – Fort Atkinson, WI
4/27 @ The Music Factory w/ Super Bob – Battle Creek, MI
4/28 @ Ground Floor 2.0 – Williamsport, PA
4/29 @ Therapy Cafe – Dayton, OH 4/30 @ Mohawk Place – Buffalo, NY
5/2 @ Asbury Park Music Foundation – Asbury Park, New Jersey
5/3 @ Voltage Lounge – Philadelphia, PA 5/4 @ The Knitting Factory – New York, NY
5/5 @ 37th and Zen – Norfolk, VA
Joe Russo’s Almost Dead (JRAD) brought their three-night run at Brooklyn Bowl to an end on March 10. JRAD filled the Williamsburg venue with deep jams and surprises from start to finish, from opening with a JRAD debut cover of The Rolling Stones’ “The Last Time,” to finishing the second set with a “Throwing Stones” that went into two other debut covers, Led Zepplin’s “Good Times Bad Times” and The Band’s “Chest Fever,” before coming to an end.
They mixed in some fun teases of songs like Radiohead’s “Myxomatosis,” WOLF!’s “Fastso’s Last Stand” and there may have been a few “Terrapin Station” riffs tossed around at points as well. Topping the whole Brooklyn run off was a “One More Saturday Night” encore that left a capacity crowd calling for more. It’s official, Brooklyn Bowl no longer has a roof. Marco Benevento, Tom Hamilton, Scott Metzger, Dave Dreiwitz and Joe Russo have blown it clean off. Again.
Set List
Set 1: The Last Time> Shakedown Street> The Other One> Mission in the Rain> Crazy Fingers> Truckin’
Set 2: Slipknot!> Foolish Heart> Help on the Way> Slipknot!> I Need A Miracle> Franklin’s Tower> Throwing Stones> Good Times, Bad Times> Throwing Stones> Chest Fever> Throwing Stones Reprise
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
The 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.
Gordon 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.
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.
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.