Singer/Songwriter Sammi Rae Murciano recently debuted the video for her single “Reflection,” a heartfelt track that looks back on her experiences with bullying and her journey towards empowerment. The cinematic video was produced and directed by Nick Terrana and shows Sammi’s struggle as it weaves between depictions of her as both a young girl and teenager, struggling as a victim of bullying and the effects on her self-esteem.
A Long Island native, 17 year old Sammi Rae has been singing for three years, and is inspired by a wide range of talents before her, citing influences from Beyoncé to Demi Lovato, Rihanna, Adele, Dua Lipa and many more. Sammi’s strong and soulful voice is beyond her years and knows that you have to believe in yourself and have confidence to be successful has been her continued mantra, especially showcased on “Reflection,” which was recorded at The Loft Sound Studio with Donnie Klang, a recording artist and winner of MTV’s “Making The Band 4” and artist/engineer Matthew LaPorte.
Murciano’s three song EP “The Story” includes “Reflection” along with “Back to Me,” about wanting to move forward and finding the strength to trust and love again, and “Never Letting Go,” a track she says she wants “to inspire others” continuing “no one should let anyone stop them from doing what they love.”
Murciano shares about the writing behind “Reflection,” “There are many stories you hear about people being bullied and how they resort to harmful and drastic measures which could lead to dangerous outcomes. I had my singing to turn to and it’s only made me stronger. As a way to escape from the feelings of being hurt, bullied, and hated on, I started writing in my journal…which turned into a source for songs that told my story.”
Having performed “Reflection” at the Long Island Coalition Against Bullying’s 2nd Annual Fall Gala, and with the video debut at Patchogue’s 89 North on Saturday, February 17, Murciano will certainly have better days to reflect upon as she continues to help others with her music in 2018.
John Fogerty and ZZ Top join forces for a ‘Blues and Bayous Tour’ this year. These Rock & Roll Hall of Fame legends set off on their epic musical journey in New Jersey in May, with stops in New York at Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh on June 20 and Marvin Sands Theater in Canandaigua on June 23. Tickets go on sale to the general public on March 2 at 10am local time. Presale ticket information can be found on the websites for John Fogerty and ZZ Top.
John Fogerty and ZZ Top Blues and Bayous Tour
May 25 – Atlantic City, NJ – Borgata Spa & Resort – Event Center
May 26 – Holmdel, NJ – P.N.C. Bank Arts Center
May 27 – Uncasville, CT – Mohegan Sun Arena
May 29 – Vienna, VA – Wolf Trap
May 30 – Vienna, VA – Wolf Trap
June 1 – Pensacola, FL – Pensacola Bay Center
June 2 – Clearwater, FL – Coachman Park
June 3 – West Palm Beach,FL – Coral Sky Amphitheater
June 5 – St. Augustine, FL – St. Augustine Amphitheater
June 6 – Atlanta, GA – TBA
June 10 – Oklahoma City, OK – Zoo Amphitheater
June 12 – Chicago, IL – TBA
June 13 – Noblesville, IN – Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center
June 14 – Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center
June 16 – Southaven, MS – BankPlus Amphitheater at Snowden Grove
June 17 – Maryland Heights, MO – Hollywood Casino Amphitheater
June 19 – Youngstown, OH – Covelli Centre June 20 – Wantagh, NY – Northwell Heath at Jones Beach Theater
June 22 – Gilford, NH – Bank of NH Pavillion June 23 – Canandaigua, NY – Marvin Sands Performing Arts Center
June 24 – Camden, NJ – BB&T Pavilion
June 26 – Mt. Pleasant, MI – Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort *with Willie Nelson
June 27 – Detroit, MI – DTE Energy Music Theatre
June 29 – Welch, MN – Treasure Island Resort & Casino
Continuing to carry the torch of the pre-bluegrass brother duet, Del McCoury and David “Dawg” Grisman are teaming up once again in the city where it all began. On Saturday, March 3, Del and Dawg will take the stage at The Egg in Albany to pay homage to the traditional music that continues to hold such high value within the bluegrass community. It goes without question that the roots of bluegrass go right through Del McCoury’s life story, making a few stops with some very interesting and influential people along the way. Interview
Guitarist and singer Del McCoury is one of the few living legends still around to tell the story. He was first introduced to the music of Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs while he was just a young boy. But by the early 1960s, he was joining Bill Monroe’s band, The Blue Grass Boys, and appearing on the Grand Ole Opry. Del’s musical partnerships are numerous throughout the years, but the one with mandolinist David Grisman is very unique and special to fans near and far.
McCoury took the time to speak with NYS Music about the history of collaborating with David Grisman, learning from “Father of Bluegrass” Bill Monroe and passing on the bluegrass bug to his children.
Jen Foster: Your show at The Egg on March 3 with Grisman marks the 52nd year that you have been collaborating. How does it feel to still be playing after all these years, and how did it all get started?
Del McCoury: We get along pretty good, we do. I guess I met David in 1963 in New York City. We played that show over there in Troy. That was actually the first time I got to associate with David. It wasn’t too long before he moved out to California. I did a tour of Japan and I was on my way back and we did a show in San Francisco, and then I got to talk a lot with him there too. It was a long spell in there where I didn’t get to see David though.
JF: Both you and David have children who play professionally. How important is it to you that they carry the torch for all the legends who have since passed?
DM: Well you know that’s really a great thing. I never really thought that much about it, but it’s true. A lot of my son’s inspiration came from Bill Monroe. I played a show in New York City, can’t really remember the year. I think Ronnie was 13 or 14, and I took him with me because he had a vacation from school. Bill took a liking to Ronnie. It was Bill’s show and my band played too. So in the green room, Bill put his hat on Ronnie, and put his mandolin on Ronnie’s lap and said, “Go ahead and play me one!” He had been playing fiddle in school and he was doing really great. But he was also in Little League baseball. And he was a really good player. There had come this recital and he didn’t go because he had a baseball game. His teacher was really upset because she said he was her star player. He really started playing mandolin then too. He loved baseball though. But this was the next big thing to happen to him, meeting Bill Monroe. He never really put that mandolin down after that. My other son Rob started playing young. He picked up the banjo when he was about 9 years old. He actually played my banjo from when I played with Bill Monroe. Rob just took to that banjo. And he listened to Earl Scruggs. And I told him, “If you’re going to play banjo, you gotta listen to the greatest guy, Earl Scruggs.” Of course, he already knew that. He also looked up to Sonny Osborne. Who of course, also looked up to Earl. So I guess it all really comes down to lookin’ up to Earl.
JF: What are some of your first memories of playing with Grisman?
DM: I started booking dates in California with my own band, and when I was out there, David started calling me up, and he’d say, “Look, I know you’re going to be out here, why don’t you set aside a little time and come by the studio.” By this time he had his own recording company. “Lets record some stuff,” he said. We would record all night long because that was the only time left in the schedule. We did a lot of recording that way. As soon as he got his label, he had a tape of that show in Troy we first did. He said, “I think we can clean that tape up and make a record of it.” He asked my permission and said he would pay me for my part in it. I said go ahead if you want. He called that record Early Dawg. It was me and David and my brother Jerry. Brother Jerry was playing bass with Red Allen & The Kentuckians which was a hardcore Bluegrass band. And David was playing mandolin with them at the time. So Jerry was our go-between. So it was me and brother Jerry, David and Winnie Winston who played banjo. So all the stuff we did was just the four of us on that gig. We did a tour too one time, sometime in the 80s. He wanted to come east and do a bluegrass tour. He had already been playing and recording jazz, but he wanted to come to the East Coast and do a tour. Me and my band went with David and did a whole bunch of dates. My two sons played with us. David and Ronnie both played mandolin so we had twin mandolins playing with us. It was an interesting tour. I’m sure he’s got that on tape somewhere.
JF: How important is it to you that traditional bluegrass and its history continue to be discussed and admired?
DM: I can use myself as an example. That’s the only thing there was when I was little – Bill Monroe and the traditional sound. Of course, I just took to that sound and always had a band that had the same makeup as that first band I heard: banjo, fiddle, mandolin and guitar. It wasn’t easy, but I wasn’t trying to be a star, you know. I just liked it so much. I was probably pretty fortunate that I got to play with Bill Monroe. It was because of him that I got such an early start. He was the father of bluegrass. And by the way, they didn’t start calling him that until I was with him. Bill’s manager said we needed to promote Bill as something, so he came up with the title “Father of Bluegrass.”
JF: What’s something that you learned from Bill Monroe that you still carry with you?
DM: He wasn’t the best emcee, you know. But he would ask for songs from the audience and ask for requests. And you’re supposed to know these things. And, of course, us young guys didn’t know everything like he did. We might have heard ’em, but we’d never played them before. But I’ll do that too today. I don’t ever have a setlist. He didn’t either. I do that same thing though. I get up and ask for requests from the audience. That’s just what we do. I figure people pay to get in the show, and we shouldn’t do what I want to do. We should do what they want to do because, for the most part, they ask to do the songs we’ve recorded. Once in a while, they’ll ask you to do Rocky Top. And I’ll tell them, I’ll say, “Look, Bobby Osmond is a friend of mine. And he was the first guy to sing that song. He’s the only guy that can sing Rocky Top.”
JF: What do you appreciate most about playing with David Grisman?
DM: We have a good time together. We do have a setlist because we don’t play that many times together. We’re kind of limited because we only have a guitar and mandolin, so it works David pretty hard. If we played more, I’m sure we could go on without a setlist. He’s got Del & Dawg, his sextet and a bluegrass band. We have a good time at each of our shows. We don’t play too much where we get tired of each other, or get in a fightin’ mood, which happens to a lot of guys. It’s so funny, but it does. We just get along though, we understand each other. We’re gettin’ a little age on us now, so we forgive each other for our faults.
Tickets for Saturday’s show are available through The Egg.
Speculation has become fact. Phish is returning to Watkins Glen International for its 11th festival Aug. 17-19. Ticket sale begins March 2 at noon.
Phish last performed at “The Glen” for Magnaball in 2015. You can read NYS Music’s coverage of that sold-out festival here, here and here. Pete Mason re-lived the legendary Drive-In set from Magnaball here.
Ticketing packages include a general admission weekend pass for $250 plus fees. These tickets allow weekend access to the festival grounds and GA campground. Those bringing a vehicle must also purchase a vehicle camping pass.
There is also a Glen Close package, which includes one Glen Close vehicle camping pass (choose car or RV) and two Glen Close weekend passes with the option to purchase an additional Glen Close weekend pass during the purchase process. Pricing for this option begins at $910 plus fees. For more information, visit the festival page.
Phish’s first festival was the groundbreaking Clifford Ball in 1996. Curveball marks the third festival the band has held at Watkins Glen International, following Magnaball and 2011’s Super Ball IX. The rolling hills and central location of this Finger Lakes venue allows for easy travel from many major cities in the northeast.
Tickets are available beginning at noon on Friday, March 2.
New York fans have been buzzing the last couple of days after the mighty Metallica posted a video on social media that said “Monday, Worldwired Tour,” The brief video left fans hoping their city will be part of the the band’s 2018-2019 touring plans.
Rumors started circulating once venues across North America started sharing Metallica’s post hours later. Two of 34 venues that shared Metallica’s video, were located in New York state. One of those venues on the list, had Capital Region metal fans saying “Could this be for real,” when the Times Union Center in Albany shared the band’s post.
Now that Monday has arrived, everything has been made official. Metallica will make two stops in New York on their upcoming “Worldwired 2018/19” tour, including Oct. 27, at the Key Bank Center in Buffalo, and Oct. 29, at the Times Union Center in Albany. Fan club presale begins Feb. 27 at 9 a.m. local time. Tickets go on sale to the general public March 2.
Look for Metallica to announce around 50 shows to round out the 2018 tour schedule. Frontman James Hetfield admitted in a 2016 interview that, “My body has told me to tell these guys that 50 shows a year is kind of what we can do, so make the best of those. And I think we all kind of agree in that. But 50 shows a year, that’s pretty good. My body can handle that. Body, mind and spirit all need to kind of revitalize themselves at home, and days off for voices — things like that — so 50 shows a year, it goes pretty quick, I’m sure.”
Since their debut in 1981, Metallica has released 10 studio albums, a cover album, four live albums and five EP’s. Their last six studio albums, all debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200. They have sold over 125 million records worldwide, making them one of the most commercially successful bands of all time. Since 1991, the band became the third best-selling artist with over 58 million albums in the U.S. alone. Metallica has released over 37 singles, and won nine Grammy Awards.
“Worldwired” Tour Dates:
Oct. 2 – Kohl Center – Madison, WI
Oct. 4 – Target Center – Minneapolis, MN
Oct. 6 – Pinnacle Bank Arena – Lincoln, NB
Oct. 8 – Alerus Center – Grand Forks, ND
Oct. 11 – Denny Sanford Premier Center – Sioux Falls, SD
Oct. 13 – Bell MTS Place – Winnipeg, MB Canada
Oct. 15 – Sasktel Centre – Saskatoon, SK Canada
Oct. 16 – Wisconsin Entertainment and Sports Center – Milwaukee, WI
Oct. 18 -PPG Paints Arena – Pittsburgh, PA
Oct. 20 – Bryce Jordan Center – State College, PA
Oct. 22 – Spectrum Arena – Charlotte, NC Oct. 27 – KeyBank Center – Buffalo, NY Oct. 29 – Times Union Center – Albany, NY
Nov. 26 – T-Mobile Arena – Las Vegas, NV
Nov. 28 – Taco Bell Arena – Boise, ID
Nov. 30 – Vivnt Smart Home Arena – Salt Lake City, UT
Dec. 2 – Spokane Arena – Spokane, WA
Dec. 5 – Moda Center – Portland, OR
Dec. 7 – Golden 1 Center – Sacramento, CA
Dec. 9 – Save Mart Center – Fresno, CA
Jan. 18 – BOK Center – Tulsa, OK
Jan. 20 – Verizon Center – Little Rock, AR
Jan. 22 – Legacy Arena at the BJCC – Birmingham, AL
Jan. 24 – Bridgestone Arena – Nashville, TN
Jan. 28 – PNC Arena – Raleigh, NC
Jan. 30 – U.S. Bank Arena – Cincinnati, OH
Feb. 1 – Quicken Loans Arena – Cleveland, OH
Feb. 28 – Don Haskins Center -El Paso, TX
March 2 – United Supermarkets Arena – Lubbock, TX
March 4 – Intrust Bank Arena – Wichita, KS
March 6 – Sprint Center – Kansas City, MO
March 9 – KFC Yum! Center – Louisville, KY
March 11 – Bankers Life Fieldhouse – Indianapolis, IN
March 13 – Van Andel Arena – Grand Rapids, Mi
At moe.’s final show of their February tour, the city of Albany had something special on tap to honor the group who called Albany a second home during the 1990s. Mayor Kathy Sheehan was welcomed to the stage by promoter Greg Bell where she recalled seeing moe. at Valentine’s, and issued a Mayoral Proclamation declaring February 24 as moe.day. With band on stage, the audience erupted in delight at the honor bestowed on them by a town ripe with bands following in moe.’s footsteps.
After being handed a ‘Rob. Strong’ banner, moe. dove into the first of two firey sets with a “Rebubula” intro fakeout that dove into “Buster” on a dime, and followed with back to back ~12 minute versions of heavy hitters “Haze” and “Y.O.Y.” and the second version of “Who You Calling Scared?” which debuted in Portland a week earlier. “Akimbo” and “Rise” sustained the energy of the set ahead of the only cover of the weekend run, “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed,” with Chuck and Al trading off throughout.
“Stranger Than Fiction” led the way in Set 2 with a hefty and fluid “Faker” and “CalifornIA” that followed. Jim Loughlin then dove into “Farmer Ben” and a rage rocker “Don’t Fuck with Flo” kept Loughlin in the spotlight on vibraphone, as well as in “McBain,” the ninth of ten 10+ minute songs played this evening alone (there were 7 the night prior). After a potential segue towards “George,” moe. opted to wrap up the show the way they started and swung for the fences with “Rebubula” to the intense delight of the crowd. Returning to the stage following a balloon drop, Al Schnier thanked the crowd and the city of Albany and led the band in “Letter Home,” wrapping up the run on a heartfelt note and giving time for the kids to keep dancing long after the show on South Pearl Street.
Setlist
Soundcheck: Johnny Lineup, Who You Calling Scared? – Listen here.
Set 1: Rebubula > Buster > Haze > Y.O.Y. > Who You Calling Scared?, Akimbo > Rise > In Memory of Elizabeth Reed*
Set 2: Stranger Than Fiction, Faker > CalifornIA > Farmer Ben > Don’t Fuck With Flo > Faker, McBain, Rebubula
Going to the mall on a Friday night seems something a bunch of teenagers might do. Friday, February 23 saw a slew of twenty and thirty-somethings take over Crossgates Mall in Albany. The relatively new Jupiter Hall, located toward the back of Lucky Strike Social, has been bringing a variety of great concerts to the area and they might have outdone themselves with Deer Tick.
Deer Tick’s “Twice Is Nice” tour is highlighting an acoustic set and an electric set. This allows the band to explore their wide variety of influences from folk to rock and from country to blues. It’s a special treat for the dedicated fans that want to hear over two hours of music from the incredibly talented group from Rhode Island.
Deer Tick (John McCauley, Ian O’Neil, Chris Ryan and Dennis Ryan) brought along a friend for the Albany show, the Catskills’ very own James Felice jumped in on keys and accordion adding to the energy of the evening.
The tour heads out west and back in New York for shows at The Haunt in Ithaca (March 3) and the Lost Horizon in Syracuse (March 4). The band will be taking the tour overseas to Australia and will be back in the states in April for the Rhythm and Blooms Festival in Knoxville and then another stretch of dates throughout the south.
moe. returned to The Palace Theatre in Albany on Feb. 23 for the first time since New Years Eve 2015 and brought along Buffalo’s Aqueous, giving fans a look at the past, present and future of the New York State jam scene.
Looking to the future of the scene, look no further than Aqueous, one of the success stories coming out of Western New York. The versatile foursome set a standard for touring bands who are just getting their start or waiting for their big break out of the clubs and into the national scene. They kicked off the night shortly after doors and proceeded to give the Albany audience a five-song set. Guitarist Mike Gantzer noted they only had 15 minutes left, and that meant there was time for one more song, and with that dove into the proggy “Triangle,” which had hints of Umphrey’s McGee but still the classic Aqueous tightness throughout.
moe. stepped out with bright lights shining behind creating a silhouette during the accelerating instrumental “Jazz Wank” and instead of the usual “Buster,” “Skrunk” followed and bled into “Down Boy” with Chuck and Rob creating a vocal segue over the end of “Skrunk” with the first verse of lyrics. 15 minutes of a Chuck-led jam later, “Down Boy” moved into a high energy “Tailspin.” The new “I Can Never Remember” was the only breather in a firey first set, with “Blue Jeans Pizza” jumping the tempo back up and giving the crowd chills when Rob hit the high note. The highlight among a packed first set was Mike Gantzer of Aqueous coming out for “Waiting for the Punchline,” with Al taking the lead on the jam before turning Mike loose on the audience who greeted his moment in the spotlight with intense cheers to end the set.
Set 2 began with the Sticks and Stones era “Deep This Time” and “New York City,” followed by a break for tuning that led to Al and Rob riffing on an ‘Albany Song’ made up on the spot. “What Can I Say” was a lighthearted break in the action but from here the jamming went deep. “Hi and Lo” built the foundation for the next hour that built with a Latin-tinged “Montego,” a marvelous “Captain America,” and a 26 minute version of “She” that was at times loose and spacey and somehow found its way into “Happy Hour Hero.” The encore of “Downward Dog” closed the night at nearly 1 in the morning, with one more night in store on Saturday. Tickets are available here.
Aqueous setlist: Aldehyde > Skyway, Strange Times > Marty, Triangle
moe. Setlist: Set One: Jazz Wank > Skrunk > Down Boy > Tailspin, I Can Never Remember > Blue Jeans Pizza > Waiting For The Punchline* Set Two: Deep This Time > New York City, Albany Song^, What Can I Say, Hi & Lo > Montego, Captain America > She > Happy Hour Hero Encore: Downward Facing Dog
* with Mike Gantzer of Aqueous on guitar
^ ‘debut’, made up on spot
Juicy Connotation is the latest band to be featured on the interview/concert series Rochester Indie Musician Spotlight. The five piece group blends funk, jazz, Latin and rock to create what they identify as “juice funk.” In this episode, they speak with the show’s host Dan Gross about their origin, the magic behind the making of their material, and their upcoming self-titled album.
Upcoming Rochester Indie Musician Spotlight featured artists for Season 5 include Tough Old Bird, Hannah PK, Vanishing Sun, Grand Canyon Rescue Episode, Seth Faergolzia, and Jimmy Highsmith Jr.
For more about Juicy Connotation and Rochester Indie Musician Spotlight, read the NYS Music feature. For the latest news and access to dozens of episodes, visit Dan Gross Music and Journalism.
It was a cold and snowy night on Saturday, February 17th, outside Albany’s Parish Public House, but inside you could feel the heat with a packed house that was ready for a heavy dose of deep fried funk served up by Vicious Jimmy and special guest Morris Code. It was apparent that Vicious Jimmy’s two year hiatus from playing did not detract from their fans coming out and supporting the band. This type of fan support could be due to the fact that the lineup of the band features all Albany natives, including Tom “TK” Kretzler on guitar/lead vocal, Tim Fiato Jr. on keyboards, Jeff Jukes on Bass, Gary Nowik on drums/percussion and newcomer to the band, Jason “JY” Young on lead guitar/backup vocal.
Vicious Jimmy was formed back in 2009 and released their single LP Relatively Dangerous in 2012. The band has had a few lineup changes over the years, but with the welcomed addition of Young to the band’s roster this past year, the band has developed a new energy in their playing and showmanship. JY is no newbie, he has been a mainstay in the local musical scene for years with his long time work in the acoustic duo Yellow Dog, which just celebrated their 25th year playing together. Kretzler and Young met at a party and when JY listened to their music, he knew he wanted to be part of the band.
Vicious Jimmy took the stage first, which initially seemed strange to me, but when I asked about the band opening the show bassist Jeff Jukes stated jokingly, “Our fans like to be home before midnight so they can get their sleep”. He was alluding to the fact that the audience that came out for Vicious Jimmy was primarily comprised of their Generation X contemporaries, who are now well into their late 40’s.
The band started their set with a “Black White Black” jam which is strictly an instrumental led off by Tim Fiato’s funky keyboards which was slowly picked up by the rest of the band, leading them straight into “Intro,” a mainstay in the band’s set list. This number set the groove for the evening while, at the same time, musically introducing the band members to the crowd in a very Vicious Jimmy deep fried, funky way. Next up was “Ape City” which showcases the comical and irreverent lyrics that makes VJ’s music so much fun to listen to. During the break between songs, guitarist Young called for the audience not to be shy and to come up towards the stage and dance. After a brief tune up, Vicious Jimmy went into their classic song “Donkey” and kept the pressure up on the audience with their lyrical chant, “Get Your Ass Grooving”. The crowd still seemed reluctant at first, but after a few more funky licks from the boys, they finally started to loosen up and dancing started to break out right up by the stage. Vicious Jimmy showed that they came to play. During the number “Underground,” when Kretzeler and Young went into a complicated extended guitar solo, the two guitarists harmonized expertly together, creating a jam that was a personal highlight of the show.
Another high point of the night’s set was Fiato’s artful keyboard solo that was an intro into “Dr. Selkirkian,” a song that eerily depicts a menacing physician living in the tiny town of Selkirk which is located just south of Albany. VJ finished their set strong, performing fan favorite “Liquor,” but instead of playing the number as it is on Relatively Dangerous, they broke the piece up into three pieces in a variant style labeled as “Liquor in Three Jiggers.” The first part being the bluesy “Who’s Drinking?,” in which Kretzler polls the audience from the stage on what type of alcohol they were partaking in. The second “Jigger” was the more traditional “Liquor” that featured the band’s signature funky sound. The third and final movement was straight out of the Blues Brothers/Sam and Dave soul review routine. The boys sped up the tempo of the last movement, while Kretzler, in true Elwood Blues style, thanked everyone for coming out in the crummy weather and pleaded to the crowd to drive safely home and to remember to be good to one another. The set wrapped up with the band leaving the audience craving more of Vicious Jimmy’s down home, deep fried funk.
After a brief pause in the action, while the bands transitioned their gear, it was Morris Code’s turn to take the stage. The Albany 5-piece is comprised of band members Conor Donovan on vocals, Jesse Rawson on guitar, Daniel Milici on keyboard, Dan Walker on drums, and Kyle Salcedo on bass. Walker was not available for the gig so Vicious Jimmy’s drummer Gary Nowik was gracious enough to fill in for him for the performance. The band came out strong with a Morris Code original, “Take Over.” The sound of the band was much harder than Vicious Jimmy and lent itself more to hard rock than funk. The band also did a few covers and featured a mash-up of The Allman Brothers’ classic “Midnight Rider,” Lorde’s “Royals” and finally Lynyrd Skynyrd’s rock anthem “Sweet Home Alabama.” While you might think that this would not be a good combination of songs to work with musically, all in all, it really seemed to work. It became apparent that the crowd was thinning out and became much younger. Morris Code went on to play more original material including “Snake Charmer” and “Cafe Berlin,” both of which were featured on the band’s 2015 LP Decrypted. A personal highlight of the set was an interesting version of Radio Head’s “Creep” which featured Rawson on both electric guitar and trombone.
SETLISTS:
Vicious Jimmy: Black White Black Jam, Intro, Ape City, Donkey, Good For You, Blackhouse, Underground, Hard Boiled, Dr Selkirkian, Stiff Arm, Liquor in Three Jiggers: • Who’s Drinking? • Liquor
Morris Code: Take Over, Only Me To Blame, Midnight Rider/Royals/Sweet Home Alabama, No Turning Back, Charades, Hysteria, Snake Charmer, Creep, Cafe Berlin Watching Stars, Joker And The Thief, Don’t Count Me Out
JF: Both you and David have children who play professionally. How important is it to you that they carry the torch for all the legends who have since passed?
JF: What are some of your first memories of playing with Grisman?
Phish last performed at “The Glen” for Magnaball in 2015. You can read NYS Music’s coverage of that sold-out festival 
