Dan Lilker is something of a metal legend having been in bands that are household names such as Anthrax and S.O.D while also staying in touch with the local metal scene with bands including Blurring and Nokturnal Hellstorm. When he’s not shredding he’s working at Record Archive. Now he has joined the ranks of Dave Mustaine (Megadeth), Randy Blythe (Lamb of God) and Johan Hegg (Amon Amarth) as a DJ for Gimme Radio, an online 24 hour radio station dedicated to metal, with his show Braindeath.
Jacob Krug: How did you get the job at Gimme Radio?
Dan Lilker: I met the Gimme Radio staff at the second edition of the Decibel [magazine] Metal and Beer Fest back in March in Philadelphia which is Decibel’s home base. I was there with a brewery from Virginia called Adroit Theory with whom I helped brew a nice, hazy New England Double IPA called Personal Coma. At first I did a video interview with the Gimme radio crew, and then they asked me if I’d be interested in being one of their DJs. It sounded like a really cool thing to do since although I’d spent over 30 years playing metal, I’d never done anything like this.
JK: What do you hope to do with your position at Gimme Radio?
DL: I just want to play a bunch of cool stuff that I enjoy personally as well as songs from bands that have been inspirational to my work. Without hopefully sounding too big-headed here, I do realize that there’s a lot of people out there who respect me and the music I’ve made, and I’d like to think that listeners would find my choice of bands/songs interesting in that respect. If I can get people to check out a band they might not be previously familiar with, then that’s the more direct answer to your question I suppose.
JK: With on demand streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music becoming the primary way people consume music what do you think Gimme Radio will accomplish?
DL: These services usually have you search for what you want to hear or provide bland suggestions, while Gimme Radio serves up killer underground metal (as well as more palatable choices depending on the DJ) without requiring input from the listener. You basically sit back and enjoy the ride, and hopefully get turned on to some new bands. We do all the work!
JK: Do you think the concept of Gimme Radio could be applied to other music genres?
DL: Possibly, but I think it would work better with more underground genres like industrial or goth music. Two reasons for this- people who like less-known music are more passionate about following it, and also, mainstream pop music (Dave Matthews, etc.) is already all over “regular” radio, and having a Gimme Radio format for it is almost unnecessary.
JK: Do you think Gimme Radio will be a direct competitor with on demand streaming services such as Apple Music and Spotify?
DL: It’s indeed possible- for one thing it’s free! Also, as I mentioned above, there’s the advantage of the listener not having to search for what they want to hear, which is a great way of being exposed to new bands. But it’s a slightly different format because of that, so it’s almost apples and oranges anyway.
JK: What part of metal’s future do you think Gimme Radio will play?
DL: As more people slowly but surely transition from listening to “hard copies” (vinyl, CDs) of the music they enjoy to online streaming services, Gimme Radio will be there to ensure that the radical underbelly of metal is still strongly represented in this format, so in that respect, they’re just as important as the bands themselves in keeping the flame burning.
JK: You mentioned people moving away from physical media to digital media. What’s your opinion on the revival of cassettes and vinyl? And how underground sub genres like black metal has strong ties to cassettes.
DL: Good point…
Well, perhaps I should have phrased that “as most people transition etc.”. As an employee at a killer record store [Record Archive] I know that vinyl in general is doing really well now, both new and used. Cassettes are also still doing well due to their underground nature, that explains their thriving in black metal, where (like punk) there’s an aversion to corporate industry shit.
Personally, when we have a metal party over at our place we use my wife’s Spotify subscription with our smart TV, maybe just out of laziness, which is probably what a lot of people do. Not to mention that you can hear whatever you want without owning it or digging it out. And using Gimme Radio with “travel speakers” will definitely be happening at the next bash.
For the final installment of Albany’s Alive at Five summer concert series, the rain location at the Corning boat launch played host to local opener The Late Shift and Los Angeles based Indie band Sir Sly. Formed in 2012 by lead singer Landon Jacobs, Haydon Coplen and Jason Suwito, the group played a mix of alt-pop songs off their albums Don’t you worry, Honey and You Haunt me. For their encore, they played “Oh Mama,” a song Landon wrote about his mother who recently died of cancer. Sir Sly will be back in New York, performing at Warsaw in Brooklyn on October 20 with Joywave, and are also on the Austin City Limits Music Festival lineup.
This summer’s concerts have been heating up for sure. Friday July 27 was no different when four time Grammy winner, Pat Benatar and her long time husband/guitarist Neil Giraldo co-headlined the Vine at Del Lago along with another 80’s icon, Rick Springfield.
Pat and Neil have been performing together since 1979 and have been an unstoppable husband and wife team since 1983. Together they have written and produced many gold and platinum and multi-platinum hits including “Hit Me With Your Best Shot”, “Love is a Battlefield”, “We Belong”, and “Invincible”.
At just about 9 p.m., the seasoned musical veteran performers hit the stage with their band and kicked right off into “All Fired Up”, “We Live For Love”, and “Invincible”. The dynamic duo of Pat and Neil had the sold out audience at Del Lago fired up for sure, as no one was quite sure who would be performing first on the bill, Rick or Pat and Neil.
Their sound was like pure vinyl. If you closed your eyes, it was as good as a recording. Flawless. Pat’s vocals were simply powerfully amazing as she hit all the high notes effortlessly, especially on “We Live For Love. Neil’s guitar work is just plain brilliant. His technique and playing style that has defined the Benatar sound for nearly 40 years remains perfect never missing a lick, bend or nuance.
Their set included a stripped down, acoustic side as well when they performed powerful “Shine” intimately for the audience. “Shine”, released in 2017, was written in support of the women’s rights movement, and the record reflects the Shine Together Movement, which is her voice to hopefully affect positive change in the world and government. This was a beautifully performed acoustic number.
Finishing out the twelve song set, was a very cool rendition of “Heartbreaker” with a few twists thrown in including a medley of Cash’s “Ring of Fire”, Hendrix’s “Purple Haze”, The White Stripes “Seven Nation Army”, and a cool little “Godfather Theme” instrumental.
After nearly forty years of making hit after hit, Pat and Neil have pretty much proved that they are in fact invincible.
Setlist: All Fired Up, We Live for Love, Invincible, Promises in the Dark, We Belong, Disconnected, Hell is for Children, You Better Run, Hit Me With Your Best Shot, Love is a Battlefield (Encore: Shine, Heartbreaker
Acclaimed guitarist Marc Ribot has released “The Militant Ecologist” featuring Meshell Ndegeocello, the latest track off his upcoming Sept. 14 release, Songs of Resistance 1942-2018 on ANTI-Records. Ribot set out to assemble a set of songs that spoke to this political moment with appropriate ambition, passion, and fury, starting at the end of 2016, not just in response to the American elections but to the political trends he was seeing around the world.
“I am alarmed by Trump and the movement he’s part of,” he says. “I’ve spent a good chunk of my life running around the world on tour—I’m kind of an accidental internationalist—and I see that he’s not an isolated phenomenon. And if we don’t deal with what is going on, it is going to deal with us.” In releasing “The Militant Ecologist featuringMeshell Ndegeocello, Ribot repurposes the popular Italian resistance song “Fischia il Vento” (Whistling in the Wind). Renowned punk rock filmmaker Jem Cohen has also directed a video for the song featuring a green-tinged New York City skyline with a flag whipping in the wind.
For their new take, Ribot and Ndegeocello change the male partisan fighter in the original song to a woman fighting to stop global warming. “We changed the gender in our version and the flag at the end is green,” Ribot explained of his and Ndegeocello’s take on the song and visuals. “But Meshell projects the persona of a resistance fighter going on a mission perfectly: ‘strong her heart, and swift her arm to strike.”
The eleven songs on the record include a few original compositions as well as traditional songs that are drawn from World War II anti-Fascist Italian partisans, the U.S. civil rights movement and Mexican protest ballads. It also features a wide range of guest vocalists, including Tom Waits, Steve Earle, Meshell Ndegeocello, Justin Vivian Bond, Fay Victor, Ohene Cornelius and Sam Amidon.
Over a forty-year career, Ribot has released twenty-five albums under his own name and been a beacon of New York’s downtown/experimental music scene, leading a series of bands including Los Cubanos Postizos and Ceramic Dog. Since his work with Tom Waits on 1985’s Rain Dogs album, though, he is best known to the world as a sideman, playing on countless albums by the likes of Elvis Costello, John Mellencamp, Norah Jones, the Black Keys, and Robert Plant and Alison Krauss’ Grammy-winning collaboration Raising Sand.
Along with his musical efforts, Ribot has also been an outspoken activist/community organizer in a number of causes, from affordable housing to musicians’ rights in the digital age. Portions of the album’s proceeds will be donated to The Indivisible Project, an organization that helps individuals resist the Trump agenda via grassroots movements in their local communities.
What started out as a rainy day in Troy led to a beautiful night of music with Rubblebucket, And the Kids, and Onlyness. Rubblebucket band leader Kalmia Traver and Alex Toth lead the group with a mix of dance rhythms with colorful costumes and props. Check out their new album Sun Machine, due out on August 24.
This past weekend in Buffalo, NY the second annual Cobblestone Live was put on by the famous venue Buffalo Iron Works. The weather remained sunny for a majority of the weekend, besides a little drizzling for 15 minutes during Saturday afternoon. There were four stages spread across the Cobblestone District, one set up on both Illinois and Columbia St.’s, one inside Iron Works, and one inside Lockhouse Distillery. Some of the food highlights of the weekend were the Lloyd taco truck, Barely Edible crepe truck, and the free tacos from Breezy Burrito Company, although those were VIP-only.
The festival featured both local bands and national bands alike, such as Cold Lazarus, Space Junk, and the ever-growing groove rockers Aqueous for the former, and Andy Frasco & The U.N., Turkuaz, and Los Angeles natives Chicano Batman. The lineup also showcased some international bands, bringing Broken Social Scene and The Sheepdogs down from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. One of the first impressive sets of the weekend came from Madaila, the Burlington-based psych pop group that all were all dressed in the same turquoise t-shirts with an “M” insignia on the front. The band brought their “A” game playing song after song of their upbeat, synth-driven pop. The much talked about Chicano Batman took to the Illinois St. stage next, impressing many festivalgoers with their genre-bending soul music and frequent instrument swaps between band members. It was very clear that frontman Bando Martinez was putting his heart and soul into this performance, leaving a lasting impression on the members of the audience.
Next up were local favorites Aqueous with their first set of the weekend on the Columbia St. stage. The groove rockers busted out covers of both parts of “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots” by famous psychedelic rockers The Flaming Lips, as well as the debut of an original tune, “Say It Again,” which was a highlight in the near-perfect set. Lead guitarist Mike Gantzer also debuted his new Paul Reed Smith guitar at this set, seemingly enjoying the new but familiar sounds he was drawing out of the instrument. Following Aqueous, Brooklyn-based funk group Turkuaz took to Illinois St. with their always-astounding tunes. The band opened with their classic “Chatte Lunatique,” immediately raising the moods of the audience up while telling their bodies to get down. The group also played some of their bigger hits such as “Percy Thrills, The Moon Dog” and “Nightswimming,” which were featured on their recent live release 040717. To close out the first night of the fest, Nashville-based jazz funk band Dynamo took to the stage inside Iron Works and laid down some fiery versions of their original tunes. They had the whole venue packed and grooving, energizing the late night attendees with their funky yet soulful grooves and positive stage presences, especially the captivating Emoni Wilkins on vocals.
Local intellifunk jam group Cold Lazarus kicked off Saturday with a remarkable set on Illinois St., waking up the Cobblestone District with their groovy, reggae infused music. The band started rather recently, just at the beginning of 2017, when guitarist Adam Gould, bassist Gavin Patierni, and drummer Marc Scapelitte came together for a new project, only to find they had instant musical chemistry, later adding keyboardist/saxophonist Drew Minton to the mix. Another local group known as Space Junk took to the Iron Works stage a little later in the afternoon, bringing their jamtronica-esque jams and progressive sound to the venue. Guitarist Matt Fantini and keyboardist Cary Meehan were melodically locked in, while the rhythm section of bassist Will Thompson and drummer Kevin Rogers kept the grooves tight and funky throughout the set. Their set was definitely one of the highlights of the weekend. Down on Columbia St., madman Andy Frasco and his band The U.N. brought their soulful blues rock and bottle of Jameson to Cobblestone, putting on one hell of a show. Frasco made sure to incorporate the audience into the show as much as possible, getting down into the crowd several times throughout the set to have the crowd play a game similar to “follow the leader” a few times, help him crowd surf to his bottle of Jameson, and lift him up in a chair Bar Mitzvah style, dancing around him in a circle. The group brought out Mike Gantzer of Aqueous for an original tune and a brief version of AC/DC’s classic “Thunderstruck,” as well as performing a few instrument swaps that led to a spectacular guitar solo from drummer Andrew Avila.
Aqueous performed their second set of the weekend on the Illinois St. stage on Saturday afternoon, jam-packing the hour and a half with jammed out versions of some heavy hitters, especially their classic “Skyway.” The set also featured a spot on cover of Paul McCartney’s James Bond theme song “Live and Let Die,” which had the crowd rocking out in the warm weather. Following Aqueous were the Canadian The Sheepdogs and Broken Social Scene, on the Columbia and Illinois St. stages respectively. The Sheepdogs featured a classic rock and roll sound, while bringing a bit of Canadian flavor to the music. Their set was comprised of mostly originals, but was closed by a song by “the greatest American rock and roll band,” (their words), “Ramblin’ Man” by the Allman Brothers Band. Broken Social Scene had an indie rock sound and surprised a lot of festivalgoers, rocking out as a collective group of musicians on the Illinois St. stage. Closing out the fest was Michelangelo Carubba’s Birthday Super Jam, which was comprised of Carubba, Mike Gantzer and Dave Loss of Aqueous, Craig Brodhead of Turkuaz, and Freekbass, the internet sensation that has mastered the art of playing bass. The supergroup also featured Shira Elias of Turkuaz and Ernie Chang of Andy Frasco & The U.N. for several songs. The set featured mainly covers, most importantly stellar versions of “Life in the Fast Lane” by The Eagles, “Vultures” by John Mayer, which Carubba surprisingly sang on, prompting Mike Gantzer to complement his voice, and a Freekbass-led version of “Fame” by David Bowie, which was the highlight of the set.
Cobblestone Live was a huge success that featured lots of fantastic local, national, and international bands, as well as an alpaca farm that had attendees raving. Hopefully the festival will return in 2019, bringing more music and great food to the residents of Buffalo. Check out the photo gallery below for a taste of what happened over the weekend.
Prior to being Magnified and well before it Curved, it was Super. Phish’s third major festival in New York State, formally known as Superball IX, took place in July of 2011 at the esteemed Watkins Glen International located in Schuyler County. The move to “The Glen” served as a departure from the band’s previous festival locations at abandoned Air Force Bases which hosted the likes of The Clifford Ball and The Great Went and exchanged it for a world class motor speedway that may be most remembered for an event held almost 40 years beforehand.
The Grateful Dead, The Band and The Allman Brothers Band all combined forces in 1973 for an event that drew over 600,000 people to the racetrack for a concert known as Summer Jam, creating traffic and a scene that dwarfed Woodstock in size. That would be the last major concert at Watkins Glen until Phish was able to secure permission to hold Superball IX there and reopen the racetrack grounds for music. Let’s take a look back at some of the things that made Phish’s ninth festival so special. And make sure to also check out our retrospectives on the prior two that also called New York home, The Clifford Ball and Camp Oswego,
To say there was a (beautiful) buzz about Phish in the summer of 2011 is an understatement. Any and all rust in terms of the band’s cohesiveness and ability to communicate instrumentally had been wiped away since their return to the stage in 2009 after a near five-year “break up.” And while 2010’s Festival 8 at Coachella’s home in Indio, CA would technically be their first festival since the reunion, this was their first East Coast festival since coming back, where all the others had been. The buzz only grew louder after the summer tour was kickstarted with 4 notable shows at another legendary New York venue for music in New York – Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, which happens to reside on the grounds of that aforementioned Woodstock festival.
By the beginning of July, with another 15 shows under their belt since Bethel, Phish was ready to end the first leg of their summer tour in style. The village of Watkins Glen rolled out the red carpet for phans and then some with signs welcoming them and deals catered to the Phish crowd as the locals seemed to embrace what was sure to be a brief but powerful economic boon.
Cars and RVs slowly began to line up and soon fill up the festival grounds early Thursday morning in preparation for a full weekend of music. And it was clear Phish management had done their homework and learned from festivals of the past as the entry process was devoid of any of the nightmare-ish traffic jam tales associated with IT (2003) and Coventry (2004). With more vehicle entrances that allowed for a better traffic setup, getting in was a breeze for many. Having great weather all week and a venue that’s capable holding 100,000 NASCAR fans certainly helped as well.
Those that were set up early enough got to hear a pre-festival soundcheck, either within earshot from the stage or via broadcast on The Bunny, Phish’s traditional festival radio station that usually takes over a local FM radio transmission for the weekend. A light, whimsical sound check featuring songs like “Sleep Again” and “Ginseng Sullivan” displayed the band’s looseness and featured of plenty of improvisation to help whet the collective appetite for the weekend.
DAY 1
By the time Friday afternoon rolled around, everyone had gotten a good chance to stroll about the festival grounds and see all the art exhibits and other general weirdness displayed everywhere. Various sculptures and small buildings greeted patrons as they made their way closer to the stage and the plethora of food and beer vendors lined up aside it.
The first set of the weekend was fairly straightforward albeit with a powerful “Possum” that began the festivities, followed by a unique “Peaches en Regalia” > “Moma Dance” combination. Towards the end of the set, “Wolfman’s Brother” delivered a slow but funky groove that steadily grew in intensity and served as the first signs of heavy jamming. But the highlight of the set, for many, was the unexpected bustout of “Life on Mars?,” a David Bowie cover that hadn’t been played since 2003, or 175 shows to be exact. Lots of fans were finally able to take this one off of their respective “unseen” lists as the band played it before a gorgeous New York summer sunset.
7/1/11 Set 1: Possum, Peaches en Regalia > Moma Dance, Torn and Frayed > NICU > Bathtub Gin, Life on Mars?, My Friend,My Friend, Wolfman’s Brother, Roses are Free > Funky Bitch, Quinn the Eskimo
Friday’s second set opener was a harbinger of things to come as the band opened up with a dark, foreboding ambient second jam for several minutes before bursting into the Talking Heads’ “Crosseyed and Painless” which later gave way to the anthemic “Chalkdust Torture.” Later on, another precursor of future events unfolded in the form of an extended spacey jam emanating from “Simple” that oozed eerie and ominous tones.
But you don’t have to take my word for it. Here’s pro shot footage of Superball’s “Simple” and the ensuing “Bug” that features a powerful jam on the back end.
https://vimeo.com/25908783
7/1/11 Set 2: Jam > Crosseyed and Painless > Chalkdust Torture, Sand > The Wedge, Mike’s Song > Simple > Bug > The Horse > Silent in the Morning > Weekapaug Groove, Joy > Character Zero
Encore: Show of Life
DAY 2
Saturday brought with it three sets of music and and a sweltering heat to deal with for the opening one in the afternoon. Water and shade were at a premium as the sun beat down on a crowd estimated to be close to 30,000 – a far cry from the population of Summer Jam. This also meant Superball IX would be one of the lighter attended Phish festivals when compared to ones from the past that drew 60,000 or more. But all this did was make for a pleasant experience all weekend as lines for vendors were more than manageable and everyone was able to move around (and dance) freely.
Those that did get up to get down that Saturday afternoon did so under a scorching sun and to another first set with some unique song selections. The show officially started with a rip roaring “Tube” that immediately prompted an all out beach ball frenzy in the crowd. Seemingly thousands of beach balls of various colors and sizes bounced around happily while Phish while began the day’s festivities and gazed at a sea of super balls.
Here’s some great fan shot footage of the opener and the ensuing “Kill Devil Falls” that puts you right in the middle of the maddness.
The rest of the first set was business as usual with staples like “Lawn Boy ” and “Divided Sky” being delivered in addition to “Cities,” another commonly played Talking Heads cover. But this set strayed off the beaten path a little in the form of two songs the band had never played before. The first of which was “Susskind Hotel” which came on the heels of the reverb ending of “46 Days.” Devoted fans recognized this as a song concocted and played by bassist Mike Gordon with his side project, but this was a debut for Phish. Then, after what appeared to be the fairly standard “Suzy Greenberg” set closer replete with a finishing flurry on piano from Page McConnell, the band stayed on stage for one last song, a completely unexpected cover of The Rolling Stones’ “Monkey Man,” as seen on the album Sticky Fingers and immortalized by the move Goodfellas.
7/2/11 Set 1: Tube, Kill Devil Falls > Ocelot, Lawn Boy, Divided Sky, Boogie On Reggae Woman > Camel Walk, Cities > Poor Heart > 46 Days > Susskind Hotel , When the Circus Comes, Timber Ho! > Back on the Train > Suzy Greenberg, Monkey Man
Those looking for an added challenge in the hazy, humid Saturday heat had their chance to do so courtesy of the second ever Runaway Jim 5K Road Race that took place right on the race track. It was quite a scene to behold as small groups of quasi-serious runners bobbed and weaved around others decked out in costumes and clearly there just for the experience. Fittingly, the second set of the day opened with “Runaway Jim” and the band took the opportunity to bring the winners of the race up on stage for a brief trophy presentation. Immediately after that, it was back to business and the band finished up the song and plowed through another set of fan favorites that included numbers like “Axilla,” “Stash” and “The Mango Song.” One of the more poignant moments of the set was the performance of “Scents and Subtle Sounds,” still a fairly new song at that time and only played once before since the band’s reunification in 2009. An emotionally charged jam lifted the crowd up before another appropriately titled song “Run Like an Antelope” closed out the set.
7//2/11 Set 2: Runaway Jim > McGrupp and the Watchful Hosemasters, Axilla > Birds of a Feather, Stash, Sample in a Jar, Heavy Things > Horn > It’s Ice > The Mango Song > Rift > Scents and Subtle Sounds, Run Like an Antelope
art by John Warner
Phish had one more (announced) set scheduled for the evening and rolled out a doozy. With another cover to open, this time TV on the Radio’s “Golden Age,” it soon began a chain of progression that delivered both classic originals and other covers that the band has made their own over time. And it didn’t stop until the set was completed. From traditional behemoths like “Piper” and “Tweezer” that showcased Trey Anastasio’s inspiring guitar work to a rousing cover of The Beatles’ “A Day in the Life” to close it, this set offered up a little bit of everything as each song flowed effortlessly into the next.
7/2/11 Set 3: Golden Age > Prince Caspian > Piper > Tweezer > Julius > Backwards Down the Number Line > Twist > Also Sprach Zarathurstra > Harry Hood > Cavern > Golgi Apparatus > A Day in the Life
Encore: Loving Cup > Tweezer Reprise
Afterwards, most folks headed back to their respective campsites both with the glow of having experiences three great sets of music and wonderment as to whether there would be another “secret” set like in previous East Coast festivals. Harkening back to the unannounced performance on a flatbed truck rolling through The Clifford Ball grounds, Phish has typically pulled out some sort of surprise during the course of a festival. One of the defining moments of IT in 2003 was an unannounced “Tower Jam” that saw the band play at the top of an abandoned control tower in the control room while lights and acrobatic dancers graced the outside of the tower.
That performance was solely advertised by word of mouth and rumors that began to slowly spread and there was a large portion of the festival that never heard about it until the next day, sadly.. This was also 2003, well before the power of social media could be harnessed in a mobile setting like it is today. 2011 offered more help in this aspect as Twitter and other social media platforms spread hearsay much more efficiently. And by the end of night most people were sure Phish was going to do something, just not what it was.
The Vermont foursome did not disappoint as randomly, around 1 in the morning, strange sounds started to emanate from one of the buildings that had been erected in the “square” area to resemble a self-storage facility, near all the other art installations. As weird tones and noises grew in frequency, it quickly became evident that everyone’s suspiciions were being confirmed and this was the “secret set.” What followed for the next hour or so was a giant, spacey jam that most people jenjoyed either sitting or laying on the ground. Opaque windows and heavy backlighting meant you could only see the sillhouettes of each band member, adding to the mystique. Heavy theremin playing from McConnell and strange ambient collective jamming soon gave way to the oddest “Sleeping Monkey” ever performed by the group and just like that another Phish legend had been created – The Storage Jam.
DAY 3
By Sunday, even though it was only the third performance day of the festival, Superballers had been treated to essentially three shows already with 6 sets of music in the last two days. But with everyone off for the 4th of July the following day, the party vibe was still strong as everyone geared up for the last two sets of the weekend. This general;mood was affirmed with a show opening “Soul Shakedown Party,” a classic Bob Marley song. There was also another longtime fan favorite brought back from the abyss with “The Curtain” and its first performance since September of 2000.
A “Col. Forbin’s Ascent” > “Fly Famous Mockingbird” satisfied the Gamehendge crowd and referenced yesterday’s late night audio exploration. Shockingly, one of the true highlights of the set and that day’s music overall was a song that usually doesn’t generate such shockwaves. But a truly unique performance of the song “Mound” blew the doors off of all its previous versions thanks to a ferocious Anastasio guitar solo towards the end of song that had never appeared in that spot before, and hasn’t been seen again since.
Arguably, the greatest “Mound” ever:
7/3/12 Set 1: Soul Shakedown Party > AC/DC Bag > The Curtain > Colonel Forbin’s Ascent > Fly Famous Mockingbird > Destiny Unbound > Big Black Furry Creature from Mars, Wilson > Mound, A Song I Heard the Ocean Sing, Time Loves a Hero, Reba > David Bowie
With one last set to play with, Phish let it all hang out with yet another set featuring some memorable cover selections. In a nod to the name of the festival, the last set of the weekend started with a rendition of AC/DC’s “Big Balls,” another first timer in the now expansive Phish catalog of songs. The quirky cover quickly gave way to much more customary second set jam vehicles, the first of which was “Down with Disease” which produced a soaring, rhythmic jam spearheaded by tenacious work on the drums by Jon Fishman and corresponding bass from Gordon. As the jam began to slow in intensity and increase in ambience, familiar notes played on the electric piano signaled another fantastic cover choice – the second ever performance of Led Zepellin’s “No Quarter.”
More traditional second set jam vehicles followed in the likes of “Ghost” and an impressively extended “Light.” And perhaps no sequence summed up the weekend better than a driving and powerful “Waves” jam that soared high before dissolving into spaciness and turning into the instrumental “What’s the Use?” At the end of the final set of the weekend, Phish paid tribute to America with an a capella rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner. The band collectively expressed their sincere thanks to all those who helped produce and set up Superball IX before a “First Tube” encore laden with fireworks put a bow on everything.
7/3/12 Set 2: Big Balls > Down with Disease > No Quarter > Party Time, Ghost > Gotta Jibboo > Light, Waves > What’s the Use? > Meatstick > Stealing Time From the Faulty Plan, The Star Spangled Banner
Encore: First Tube
We hope you enjoyed this look back at some of the pictures, videos and moments that made Superball so special. Stay tuned to NYSMusic.com for more NY Phish festival retrospectives as we tackle Magnaball next, the sequel to Superball that was held at the same venue four years later. This is all in preparation for Curveball, the upcoming third Phish festival, also being held at Watkins Glen International, taking place August 17-19,
And here’s one last video, taken and posted by contributing photographer Jacob Silco, that shows a little bit of everything from the fun that was Superball IX.
As with every year, the beautiful summer months have flown by so far and here at New York State Music, we are determined to make sure you make the most out of the sunshine left. If you are looking to pack the whole month of August with unforgettable live music performance at great venues throughout New York, look no further than this cheat-sheet of all the upcoming action.
Buffalo – Nietzche’s
Nietzche’s has been beating those Monday blues all summer long by making Happy Hour a lot more jazzy for Buffalo. If you have not made your way to Jazz Happy Hour this summer, be sure to get there before August is over.
August 6th – Well-rounded vocalist Kristen Smigielski will be treating the crowd at the first Happy Hour of the month to her true forte: jazz. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to see one of Buffalo’s best. Event link.
August 13th – No strangers to the New York State jazz scene, Dejesus and Warne Trio will be bringing their bluesy jazz style on the second Monday of the month. Event link.
August 20th – Buffalo-based songwriter and musician, Adam Bronstein, will be making his way back to Nietzche’s and taking over Jazz Happy Hour on the 20th. Event link.
August 27th – To end a summer full of the happiest of Mondays ,The Duo+ will be providing food for the soul in the form of their powerful performances of classics and new takes on old jazz standards. Event link.
Syracuse – Funk ‘N Waffles
August 2nd – All the way from Portland, Oregon, do not miss your opportunity to spend the night listening to the rock and roll stylings of singer/songwriter, Jerry Joseph, as he performs with special guest Charley Orlando. Event link.
August 3rd – Brooklyn-based Americana and alternative country band, Yarn, has brought crowds from far and wide to their shows and will be treating Syracuse to experience their music with special guest Old Dear Ensemble. Event link.
August 8th – For a night full of smiles and good vibes, Kendall Street Company will be stopping by on their Summer Tour at Funk ‘N Waffles along with Vintage Pretty. For fans of psychedelic, alternative and jam rock music and beyond, this show is sure to be a can’t miss event. Event link.
August 9th – Handmade Moments will be bringing their rich, musical flavor of alternative folk music, paired with the diversely beautiful, “no rules,” sounds of the up and coming duo, Dizzy Heart. Event link.
August 10th – There is nothing quite like a good night full of good ole Americana music, especially when it is delivered from Upstate New York favorite group, The Old Main. Did we mention it’s free? Event link.
August 11th – Brutal By Design presents a night full of hot hip hop featuring Diabolic, Reef The Lost Gauze, as well as Syracuse-based musician, Timothy J. Event link.
August 14th – The New Daze is reuniting for one night and one night only to revive their “organic psychedelic rage,’ for all those who have missed it so much. Make sure to make it out for this electrified performance as they are joined by Kansas Wine. Event link.
August 16th – Delivering the sounds of the South right to your friendly neighborhood Upstate New York venue is just what The Prestage Brothers Band will be doing on the 16th of August. Event link.
August 23rd – It is bound to be a packed night of out of this world music as alternative blues group, Late Earth, performs accompanied by the experimental sounds of The U.S. Americans, as well as Cosmonaut Radio.Event link.
August 25th – Brownskin Band and Joe Driscoll will be taking over Syracuse’s Funk ‘N Waffles for a night that honors American folk in the funkiest way possible. Event link.
August 29th – Mungo’s List covers it all and is sure to have a sound that will please fans of every genre from jam, to jazz, to soul, to maybe more niche interests such as “spacey,” music as well as, “spooky,” music. 6-piece funk band, Butter, will also be coming along to ensure that the funk is spread as much as possible to attendees of this sure to be memorable show. Event link.
August 30th – Pop-driven, but diversely inspired group Major Player will be returning to their roots in Syracuse to perform in the place where their stellar sounds were born. Event link.
August 31st – To end out an incredible month at Funk ‘N Waffles, Danielle Ponder & The Tomorrow People will be performing music that is sure to make you think, feel, and most importantly, dance. They will be joined by Candian funk, rock and soul group, After Funk. End your month with a bang and come enjoy the sounds of these two powerhouse groups! Event link.
Rochester – Funk ‘N Waffles
August 1st – Starting off month of August at Rochester’s Funk ‘N Waffles on a funky note will be groups Stig and Fakaui on the 1st. Event link.
August 2nd – If you just cannot wait until Yarn and Old Deer Ensemble play Syracuse’s Funk ‘N Waffles on the 3rd or, better yet, just want to see them twice, come on out for their performance in Rochester the night before! Event link.
August 3rd – Sonic Garden, Buffalo’s own authentic Grateful Dead tribute band, will be playing the DSO After Party. Come out to celebrate the music of an incredible band as this talented group of musicians revive all your favorites. Event link.
August 8th – Kris Lager Band will be bringing revivalist rock and heavy soul to Rochester with special guest and Rochester-native group Stationary Escape Pod, who will be performing their blend of Americana, progressive rock, blues and more. Event link.
August 9th – After the Kendall Street Company shows off their psychedelic funk with special guest Vintage Pretty in Syracuse, the next stop of their tour will be Rochester on the 9th. Don’t miss out on another opportunity to catch these two incredible acts! Event link.
August 11th – Rochester Black Pride is proud to be bringing you Summer Nights: Starring Trina at the Music Hall. Trina is one of the most consistent and praised female rappers and will be performing her music that not only has been enjoyed by so many, but has done so much to change the world of hip hop. Don’t miss this opportunity to see her live! Event link.
August 23rd – Nth Power will be bringing a spiritual, powerful, soulful and goose bump worthy performance with Quintuple and it is sure to be an uplifting experience you do not want to miss. Event link.
August 14th – She is Detroit’s Queen of the Blues and she is coming to Rochester to show Upstate New York just why. Make sure to come experience Thornetta Davis live for an unforgettable and funky performance. Event link.
August 18th – It is never a bad time for a Chicago Blues kind of night, and that is just what Frank Bang and The Cook County Kings will be providing on the 18th. Event link.
August 22nd – Joe Marcinek All Star Super Jam is every last bit of fun that it sounds like it will be. As every one of their performances features different artists, this Rochester show will include Alan Evans of Soulive, Steve Molitz of Particle and members Freekbass. Event link.
August 28th – To bring a healthy dose of reggae and blues for the month, Aaron Kamm and the One Drops will be performing with special guest Delilah Jones. Event link.
August 29th – Continuing the reggae into the following night with a mix of R&B will be Mutlu, who will be coming through on his The Almost Famous Tour, with special guest and pop artist, Wes Williams. Event link.
August 31st – The grand finale to such a grand month full of great performances will be brought to you by Kevin Kinsella. Come out for the last night of August and enjoy his acoustic soul and reggae sounds. Event link.
Turkuaz drummer and Buffalo native, Michelangelo Carubba joins host Andy Hogan at Cobblestone Live to discuss growing up in Buffalo, time spent at Berklee School of Music, life on the road with Turkuaz, and the experiences that shaped his career in music. Tune in on Simplecast.
Jacob Krug: How did you get the job at Gimme Radio?
Cars and RVs slowly began to line up and soon fill up the festival grounds early Thursday morning in preparation for a full weekend of music. And it was clear Phish management had done their homework and learned from festivals of the past as the entry process was devoid of any of the nightmare-ish traffic jam tales associated with IT (2003) and Coventry (2004). With more vehicle entrances that allowed for a better traffic setup, getting in was a breeze for many. Having great weather all week and a venue that’s capable holding 100,000 NASCAR fans certainly helped as well.
Those that did get up to get down that Saturday afternoon did so under a scorching sun and to another first set with some unique song selections. The show officially started with a rip roaring “Tube” that immediately prompted an all out beach ball frenzy in the crowd. Seemingly thousands of beach balls of various colors and sizes bounced around happily while Phish while began the day’s festivities and gazed at a sea of super balls.
Those looking for an added challenge in the hazy, humid Saturday heat had their chance to do so courtesy of the second ever Runaway Jim 5K Road Race that took place right on the race track. It was quite a scene to behold as small groups of quasi-serious runners bobbed and weaved around others decked out in costumes and clearly there just for the experience. Fittingly, the second set of the day opened with “Runaway Jim” and the band took the opportunity to bring the winners of the race up on stage for a brief trophy presentation. Immediately after that, it was back to business and the band finished up the song and plowed through another set of fan favorites that included numbers like “Axilla,” “Stash” and “The Mango Song.” One of the more poignant moments of the set was the performance of “Scents and Subtle Sounds,” still a fairly new song at that time and only played once before since the band’s reunification in 2009. An emotionally charged jam lifted the crowd up before another appropriately titled song “Run Like an Antelope” closed out the set.
That performance was solely advertised by word of mouth and rumors that began to slowly spread and there was a large portion of the festival that never heard about it until the next day, sadly.. This was also 2003, well before the power of social media could be harnessed in a mobile setting like it is today. 2011 offered more help in this aspect as Twitter and other social media platforms spread hearsay much more efficiently. And by the end of night most people were sure Phish was going to do something, just not what it was.
August 2nd – All the way from Portland, Oregon, do not miss your opportunity to spend the night listening to the rock and roll stylings of singer/songwriter, Jerry Joseph, as he performs with special guest Charley Orlando. 
