The Bell House in Brooklyn will host Freaks Ball XX on Saturday, February 15. New York City’s Freaks, hosts and internet jam band group, have brought together another all star lineup of supergroups and rising stars in the New York City jam scene.
Artists include The Showdown Kids (Scott Metzger, Katie Jacoby, Simon Kafka), Garcia Peoples, The National Reserve, Karina Rykman/Adam November Duo, and headlining is the live debut of Hawaiii, a new group consisting of Joe Russo, John Shaw and Erik Deutsch. Throughout the night, a light show will be provided by Macrodose.
Proceeds from the event will go towards the Freaks Action Network, which harnesses the “strengths and love of music to make a positive difference in people’s lives.” Tickets for Freaks Ball XX are now on sale.
Phish fired on all cylinders at North Charleston Coliseum, making their seventh visit to the South Carolina venue deliciously-memorable for the sold-out crowd. Bust-out covers, banter, and barely played original tunes elevated the already enticing jam tapestry that this band is known for.
Page McConnell, Jon Fishman and Trey Anastasio sing “Carolina”
The band began the three night run with an acapella “Carolina,” which was last played on 12/30/2016 at Madison Square Garden. “Carolina” was followed by the crowd hyping Phish original, “Party Time.” The bust-outs continued with “Strawberry Letter 23” by Shuggie Otis, marking the fourth time that the band has played this beloved cover. During the second set, the audience was treated to Led Zeppelin’s “No Quarter,” last played 12/29/2018 at Madison Square Garden.
Trey Anastasio was all smiles at North Charleston Coliseum
“I Been Around,” last played at MGM Grand on 11/1/2018, made an appearance, complete with humorous lead in pun. Trey said: “Hey Page, I’ve been wondering. Where have you been anyways?” Page cleverly replied “I’ve been around,” which lead into the song.
Two barely played original tunes graced the set list, including “Destiny Unbound,” last played on 2/23/2019. The encore included an even more rare “Bittersweet Motel,” last played on 7/6/2016.
Phish certainly gave their dedicated fans a reason to travel to the Palmetto State. They are back in action the next two nights at North Charleston Coliseum. Both nights are understandably sold out, however Phish is offering a live webcast of the event. Visit Live Phish to prevent further FOMO on this already legendary run.
Set One: Carolina, Party Time, Strawberry Letter 23 > Undermind, I Been Around > Divided Sky, The Sloth, Destiny Unbound, We Are Come to Outlive Our Brains > My Friend, My Friend[1] > About to Run, The Horse > Silent in the Morning, David Bowie
Set Two: Axilla > Scents and Subtle Sounds > No Quarter > Your Pet Cat, Mercury > Saw It Again > Limb By Limb[2] > The Lizards, Suzy Greenberg
Encore: Bittersweet Motel[3] > Death Don’t Hurt Very Long > Loving Cup
[1] No “Myfe” ending. [2] Unfinished. [3] Lyrics changed to “halfway from Charleston to Pittsburgh.”
Page McConnell got funky at North Charleston Coliseum
Saturday, December 7
Set One: Fluffhead > Ocelot, Nellie Kane > The Dogs > Reba, Halfway to the Moon > Train Song > Guyute, Strange Design, Moonage Daydream
Set Two: The Connection, Mr. Completely > Crosseyed and Painless > Dirt, Cool Amber and Mercury > Split Open and Melt > Crosseyed and Painless > Split Open and Melt, A Life Beyond The Dream > Wilson > The Squirming Coil
Brooklyn-based Turkuaz got their latest Kuadrochrome tour rolling Thursday with a stop in Fairfield, CT. They sold out Fairfield Theatre Company’s Warehouse, and as they are known to do, turned the venue into a funkadelic dance party.
Turkuaz brought a Philadelphia trio by the name of GREAT TIME from to open the evening. GREAT TIME was able to form the crowd early and definitely got them warming up their dance moves for what was to come.
GREAT TIME at FTC Warehouse – Photo by: Chris Sidoruk
By the time Turkuaz hit the stage, the room was packed full and buzzing with energy. Everyone eagerly anticipated what was in store with the new tour. From opener to encore, the band delivered. They brought a 2-hour nonstop mix of new and old tunes with a sprinkling of cover material to which the crowd loved every minute. As far as tour openers go, you couldn’t have asked for much better of a night.
Brooklyn group Cousin Earth will hold their 9th annual Wintercourse on Saturday, January 4 at Knitting Factory. Joining the show will be The Breakfast, Of Clocks and Clouds and Medusa’s Disco. Check out last year’s Wintercourse event and NYS’ coverage here, and check out footage below.
A one-night-only “music and comedy festival,” was created nine years ago by Corey J. Feldman of Cousin Earth. It has since evolved to focus mainly on the music, though comedy is always present. This year’s festivities will be hosted by stand-up comedian and SiriusXM radio personality, Brett Siddell; and feature performances by Medusa’s Disco, Of Clocks And Clouds, The Breakfast (featuring members of Kung Fu,) and of course, Brooklyn’s own Cousin Earth.
The evening of music kicks off on Saturday, January 4 at The Knitting Factory (361 Metropolitan Ave.) Doors are at 7:30pm and the music kicks off at 8pm. The show is 21+ and ID will be required. Tickets are $15 in advance or $18 at the door and can be purchased online.
“I’m proud that we’ve kept this party going for nine years. It feels like a real tradition,” says Corey J.Feldman, ukulele bassist for Cousin Earth. “It keeps getting better and better every year. The band and I are really looking forward to this one.”
Over the past nine years, Wintercourse has gravitated towards focusing more on music and has featured performances by acts such as Bella’s Bartok, Funky Dawgz Brass Band, The Reformed Whores, Space Bacon, Chromatropic, Teddy Midnight, The Matty Carl Project, Mercury Landing, Stevie and The Lion and many others.
The songbook of Jerry Garcia will once again fill the halls of The Capitol Theatre, with ‘Home for the Holidays,’ on December 13 and 14.
The two nights will feature Melvin Seals, Oteil Burbridge, Tom Hamilton, Duane Trucks, Jacklyn LaBranch, and Lady Chi joining together on stage and bringing the community together as they celebrate what would have been Garcia’s 77th year. Spread a little holiday cheer with the Garcia Family at a special party in Garcia’s featuring DJ Jerrbrother of the Garcia’s Forest at LOCKN’. More info can be found here.
Like a great sandwich of leftovers from Turkey Day, the Vermont-based band Twiddle served up two nights of their homegrown musical jam at The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY. Dubbed “Frendsgiving” by the band, the weekend show is now becoming an annual event, this being the third time around.
Twiddle
With the theme of “Frendsgiving,” a portion of each night’s door sales was donated to the non-profit organization White Light Foundation. The foundation, run completely by volunteers, assists various charitable organizations and community causes. WLF describes itself as “founded on the principles of community, love, generosity, and passion” and is inspired by the music of Twiddle.
Aqueous
I caught the second night of this two-night run which had Aqueous, who played both nights, opening the show. They kicked out a blistering 45-minute set, including a cover of Vampire Weekends “Sunshine,” stoking the house’s appetite for the main course. Twiddle took the stage to cheers from the crowd, serving up two sets of nonstop music to the delight of all. The second set opened up with “Latin Tang” which had Mike Gantzer and David Loss of Aqueous joining the band and taking the show to the next level .
Mike Gantzer and David Loss of Aqueous w/Twiddle
With this being the beginning of the holiday season, the band gifted the audience with two new songs: “Mistakes,” which closed out the first set, and “Just Gravy” which was featured in the latter part of the second. “Lost in the Cold,” from Plump, took it home as the encore for the night. To make the evening complete, before the band left the stage they had the entire house join them for one big “family” picture to cap off the holiday weekend.
Aqueous Set List
On The Edge, Kitty Chaser (Explosions), Come and Go, The Median, Sunflower, Skyway
Twiddle Set List
Set I Orlando’s, Jamflowman, Gatsby the Great, Hattigan Mcrat, Orlando’s, BeeHop, Carter Candlestick, Mistakes
Set IILatin Tang, The Box, Zelda Theme, The Box, Syncopated Healing, Machine FRENDS Theme, Just Gravy, Gatsby the Great (Ending)
December is here, and that means Phish’s annual four night run at Madison Square Garden is right around the corner. And with those four nights of Phish come… Phish after-parties! CEG Presents has put together an incredible slate of post-shows that you’ll be looking to check out after emptying out on 7th and 8th Avenues following Phish. See below for details on all the great shows you’ll find starting late, December 28-30, plus a special NYE show from The New Mastersounds!
John Medeski and Billy Martin (Medeski Martin and Wood) will come together with Scott Metzger (JRAD) and Nels Cline (Wilco) for the first time, one night only, for an evening of improvisational music after Phish performs at Madison Square Garden on December 28.
An eclectic jam/funk band, infusing deep psychedelic grooves with improvisational techniques. The ambitiously crafted keyboard mastery, expressive saxophone and immaculate guitar shredding meld into a dynamic fusion. Lean more about The New Motif.
Pink Talking Fish provides their own original musical concept by combining the songbooks of Pink Floyd, Talking Heads and Phish to create a unique experience for live music fans. The band has added to this concept over the years by adding a 4th Act such as David Bowie, Grateful Dead, Michael Jackson and more. They have also performed complete albums while intertwining songs from the other 2 Acts into the mix. On December 29 at Gramercy Theatre, PTF will unleash one of the most exciting concepts to date: Pink Talking Fish Are Beastie Boys! This will be a fusion of Pink Floyd, Talking Heads, Phish AND Beastie Boys.
Joining the band will be DJ Logic, who will be assuming the duties of Mix Master Mike and also adding his flavor to songs from the other 3 Acts. PTF will also be performing ‘Dark Side Of The Moon’ for a NYC Phish After-Party on December 28th, also at Gramercy Theatre. This will be a full rendition of the Pink Floyd album with Phish and Talking Heads songs intertwined through the album cuts.
Anybody who’s seen Marco Benevento perform will attest, with eyes closed, smile wide across his face and fingers free-flowing across the keys, he’s a satellite to the muse. With a devout and growing fan-base, Benevento is an artist whose story is only beginning to unfold..
– Sunday December 29 – Hill Country
The music of The Grateful Dead transcends time, age and space. Their high energy, soul-touching jams, and family-like environment were central to the counter-culture experience. Over the past 19 years Dead Sessions has grown to become one of the favorite Grateful Dead experiences in the Northeast. Playing since 1998, the collective is known for their authentic but unique renditions of Grateful Dead classics, thick with spiritual connectivity and heartfelt jams that make the most jaded Deadhead rejoice. Dead Sessions is composed of a rotating cast of musicians throughout the country, but the roots of origin are easily traced to the Green Mountain State. With an unmasked joy that pours off the stage and blurs any boundaries with their audience, the Sessions are beloved by all from the casual fan to the dedicated Terrapin warrior.
Monday December 30 – (le) poisson rouge
On December 30, Greenwich Village venue (le) poisson rouge will host Electric In The Village: Ryley Walker, Chris Forsyth, and Garcia Peoples. Guitarist/songwriter Chris Forsyth got his start in Brooklyn’s experimental circles in the early 2000’s, and as the bandleader of Chris Forsyth & the Solar Motel Band, channeled both the psychedelic jamming of the Grateful Dead and the precision of art-punk guitar acts like Television. Illinois-based fingerstyle guitarist and singer-songwriter Ryley Walker adds new flavor to the series; his music has been described as fingerstyle ballads, psychedelic waltzes, and raga-inspired blues. Garcia Peoples is the Brooklyn Sextet blasting through residencies and new songs and sessions and collaborations, leaving a trail of live tapes in their wake, and scaling ever upwards.
– Tuesday December 31, 2018 – Gramercy Theatre
The New Mastersounds have been delighting audiences with their infectious brand of funky soul-jazz since they formed in Leeds in 1999. For the first five years of the band’s career they were regulars at the Jazz Café in London, before they began to turn heads on the funk scene in the US, where guitarist/producer/bandleader Eddie Roberts now lives. For over a decade they have been a staple act of the late-night scene during New Orleans’ annual Jazz Fest.
Though they have collaborated over the years with such musical luminaries as Maceo Parker, Fred Wesley, Corinne Bailey Rae, Art Neville, Bernard Purdie and Lou Donaldson, they are at their best on stage as a tightly-packed quartet – bass, drums, guitar and keyboards – firing scorching grooves off each other and feeding on the energy of the dancers in the front row.
Phish geared up for two nights at Dunkin’ Donuts Center in Providence, RI to cap the month of November. It was long overdue, nine years since Phish had performed DDC. Even more thrilling than the Phish stage presence at Dunkin’, both dates directly infected the community with musical-euphoria, as were fans Friday and Saturday night. Phish, along with the Mockingbird Foundation have donated a $1,500 in tour grants to New Urban Arts in Providence.
Friday 11/29/2019
Set 1: First Tube, The Final Hurrah > NICU, Steam > Scent of a Mule, Bye Bye Foot, No Men In No Man’s Land, Gumbo> My Soul, Maybe[1], Sand > Fire.
Set 2: 46 Days > Back on the Train > Plasma > Farmhouse, Light -> Plasma Reprise > Birds of a Feather, Joy, Simple -> Set Your Soul Free -> Plasma Reprise, Walk Away.
Encore: Meatstick > Sleep, Driver, Bug.
[1] Phish debut.
Saturday 11/30/2019
SET 1: Turtle in the Clouds, Punch You in the Eye > Llama, Meat, The Old Home Place, Lawn Boy, I Didn’t Know, Maze, Horn, Gotta Jibboo > Stash -> Plasma Reprise > Golgi Apparatus.
SET 2: Bathtub Gin > Alaska > What’s the Use? > Piper > Golden Age -> Plasma Reprise > Harry Hood.
Encore: Big Black Furry Creature from Mars > Kung > Wombat, Possum > Plasma Reprise.
A first of its kind show, Jam Just Happened will bring together the intimacy of a podcast and the uniqueness of a live music experience. The first live performance is set for Friday, December 6, at Nublu NYC. The show will feature guitarist Scott Metzger, drummer Adam Chase, keyboard player Aron Magner, and bass player Jay White.
The musicians will bring each of their individual styles together to create something entirely unique for a small audience. A podcast companion will be released after the show. This event is presented by Osiris Media and nugs.net, and will be emceed by Tom Marshall.
The fans voted, and Joe Russo’s Almost Dead delivered a dream setlist at the Brooklyn Bowl on Monday, November 25. “Make Democracy Rad Again” was a benefit for HeadCount included selfie moments as well as plenty of goodies for those who signed up to vote or showed support for democracy. The biggest treat was the incredible setlist played to a packed house.
If you aren’t familiar with the group, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead offer a fresh take on the music of the Grateful Dead. The band consists of Joe Russo (Drums), Dave Dreiwitz (bass), Marco Benevento (keyboards), Scott Metzger (guitar/vocals), and Tom Hamilton (guitar/vocals). They are known to sell out venues within minutes and offer experimental takes on classic tunes.
HeadCount is dedicated to registering new voters through music. Joe Russo and Marco Benevento were part of the first HeadCount benefit back in 2004, making Joe Russo’s Almost Dead an easy candidate for the first of many benefit shows between HeadCount and the Brooklyn Bowl. Brooklyn Bowl owner Pete Shapiro was recently named Chair of the Board of Directors at the non-profit. The band has also outgrown this venue, which made this pairing more enticing. According to HeadCount’s twitter, the benefit successfully generated $150,000.
In order to uphold one of HeadCount’s missions, democratic participation, the set list was voted on by those attending the show. The results included heavy hitters, starting with a full suite of “Terrapin Station,” “Eyes of the World,” “The Eleven,” and “Franklin’s Tower.” Notable favorites like “Fire on the Mountain,” and “Help on the Way” didn’t get enough votes to make the cut, however, two stellar non-Dead tunes made the cut, including “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed” by the Allman Brothers and “Atlantic City” by Bruce Springsteen.
After this incredible show of dynamic improvisation and fan favorites, it’s easy to see why this band quietly sells out venues. They are back on the road in 2020, kicking the year off at The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY. Head on over to the band’s tour page for more details before the tickets are gone.
Setlist: Joe Russo’s Almost Dead Headcount Benefit at Brooklyn Bowl, Monday, November 25, 2019
Set One: Althea > The Eleven > Viola Lee Blues > Franklin’s Tower, Atlantic City > Reuben & Cerise > Eyes Of The World > In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed
Set Two: St. Stephen > Scarlet Begonias > Dark Star > Terrapin Station Suite > Shakedown Street > Throwing Stones > Another Brick In The Wall Part 2 jam > Throwing Stones
