John Mayer chose Albany to open his 2019 tour at the Times Union Center, and a sold-out crowd was there to greet him. Playing two full sets that each could have been stand-alone concerts, Mayer required no opening band for his fans, some of whom held up signs with recommended setlists.
Photo by Jim Gilbert
Mayer casually strode across the neon backlit stage after band members set up, picked up his guitar, and gave the room chills during this heatwave with his easy, bluesy playing. They would play two full songs before Mayer greeted the crowd with a gentle “Good Evening,” and he swapped out his electric guitar for his acoustic one. The stage was bathed in purple light as Mayer responded to a fan holding up requested songs, “You’re going to get your way, well at least half of your requests” he smiled. The crowd was entranced.
There was a mix of old and new songs, songs from Mayer’s earlier career as well as hits from the present. The crowd sang along as he played “Who Says You Can’t Get Stoned” like they were away at a summer camp, except the volume of the singalong was higher.
Photo by Jim Gilbert
Mayer and his band took a few longer breaks between songs, leading one to wonder if this first night together performing brought up some unexpected moments they needed to problem solve. But no problems came through to the crowd; Mayer’s relaxed performance, joined by his very joyful band of 8 musicians, seemed like it was simply a continuation of a longer standing tour.
Mayer announced mid-first set “Hey we’re back everybody” with a big grin and was very chatty with the crowd. He struggled to let go of the fan’s request list, even sharing he has “low-grade guilt” thinking of a fan holding a sign and getting disappointed during his performance. He presented as a giant sweetheart, seeking to please others and humble about his own musical talent. He even gently shifted his setlist to include a fan’s request, stating, “So I did some thinking,” and added “Age of Worry” to the second set to please her.
Photo by Jim Gilbert
Mayer is talented, too, possibly beyond what most folks who listen to him on the radio will realize. He started in Boston’s Berklee School of Music but left the conservatory to begin performing before completing his degree. Mayer pulls melodies out of the guitar like magic; his fingers look incredibly loose as he moves them over the strings, and somehow he brings a great groove line out of the instrument. It looks effortless, but as anyone who has ever played guitar knows, that reflects years of practice.
His lyrics, too, often reflect aching and longing that the timbre of the guitar matches perfectly. Sometimes sounding like bluegrass, other times like pop, and again changing to blues, Mayer’s versatility is constantly pronounced.
Photo by Jim Gilbert
By set two, the laser cut backdrop had added some trees and sun, and some fun (if not irrelevant) visuals played behind the band as they performed “Still Feel Like Your Man.” The dancing panda was completely adorable on the video, bringing a lighter vibe out. He shifted back to blues quickly with “Love is a Verb,” where he stayed for a few more songs.
Mayer can really do anything, and the crowd at the Times Union was swaying with him, mesmerized by not only his talent but the clear talent of fellow guitar player Isiah Sharkey. Sharkey has emerged as a guitar giant in his own right, and many fans were screaming out his name in recognition of his also stunningly riffs on the guitar.
Photo by Jim Gilbert
For many fans, the best song of the night was the raw and brutally honest “In the Blood,” a recent hit by Mayer that asks if we can escape our family of origin or if we are forever slaves to repeat earlier generations’ mistakes. The crowd was clapping and singing along with the lyrics, highlights of which were on the screen overhead. This is a brutal song, if really listened to, and was a truly intense and authentic experience to watch Mayer take so many in the audience on this honest line of inquiry.
Mayer followed with a more upbeat but similarly honest “Waiting on the World to Change.” He thanked the crowd for keeping the songs alive, stating “We only play these songs because you’ve made these great songs.” He spoke about how each song brought him back to earlier days, and noted that songs hold memories for all of us, allowing us to go back and visit our earlier selves.
Photo by Jim Gilbert
Mayer is a thinker, an artist who attempts to reach for joy but isn’t afraid to grind into anxiety, sadness, lost love and the depths of despair. His writing and playing reflect that with integrity, and this resonates with fans who see themselves in that very human and raw experience.
By the close of the concert, Mayer had performed 27 songs, some of which included long jam sessions showcasing the guitar talent he shares with band members. And he never missed a beat.
Photo by Jim Gilbert
Set One: Belief, Love on the Weekend, Who Says, Helpless, Moving On and Getting Over, Something Like Olivia, Edge of Desire, Vultures, Wildfire, I Guess I Just Feel Like
Set Two: The Age of Worry(Acoustic), Emoji of a Wave(Acoustic), Daughters(Acoustic), Something’s Missing(Acoustic)(First verse only), In Your Atmosphere(Acoustic)(First part only), Still Feel Like Your Man, Love Is a Verb, Why Georgia, The Beautiful Ones(Prince cover) (David Ryan Harris solo), Slow Dancing in a Burning Room, Rosie, If I Ever Get Around to Living, In the Blood, Waiting on the World to Change, Gravity
Ticonderoga native Marty Wendell has been a local superstar since the 1960’s, sharing the stage and touring with musical titans such as Carl Perkins, Arlo Guthrie and Johnny Cash. Drawing from a rich and storied career, nearly sixty years in the making, Wendell returns triumphantly in 2019 with Rock and Roll Days: A Celebration of Sun Records – a stalwart tribute to the early days of rock, and ultimately, a retrospective on the music that shaped his own career.
On a surface level, Rock and Roll Days stands as a straightforward rockabilly jaunt, full of groove and levity. The occasional solo troubadour, Wendell comes fully backed by his touring band this time around and delivers a clear, strong and confident performance. Subtitled “A Celebration of Sun Records,” Rock and Roll Days was crafted to pay homage to the legendary record company famously considered to have fostered the early development of Rock and Roll in the Mid to late 1950’s.
Originally founded in Memphis, TN, Sun Records was the support system that helped launch the careers of Sam Philips, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash, among many others. Like young musicians of the time, it was this monumental moment in music history- the birth of rock and roll- that captured Wendell’s imagination like no other, inspiring him to pursue a career in music that would last the rest of his life. Returning to those early days with song, it is that same feeling of youthful inspiration that Wendell tries to preserve on the new album.
Combining a tasteful blend of new originals and time-honored standards, Rock and Roll Days plays like a love letter. Tracked “old school” in the recording studio (that is to say, live, with the recording musicians all together at the same time), Wendell and his tour band have seen to every detail in creating an album which would speak directly to the history from which is was inspired. The result is something of a sonic scrapbook- a photo album composed of songs in lieu of pictures which serve as aural windows to the past through the scope of one man’s experience. It is a joy to be invited down this hall of memories. Yet we are invited to look forward just as much as we look back thanks to the spattering of new tunes written specifically for the record and the refreshing sincerity of Wendell’s earnest delivery.
As a young man, Marty Wendell first got his start playing for his church congregation in the 1950’s. Cementing his desire to pursue performance, Wendell went on to continue performing all through his college years. Venturing out of upstate New York in the mid 1960’s and heading into Greenwich Village, Wendell began working with producers who brought him into the recording studio for the first time. Here he produced hits such as “Hey Hey Mama,” “An Ode to Burtis Dean,” and “Bring the Circus Back to Town.” Since that time, Wendell has toured with John Anderson, Lacy J. Dalton, The Hager Twins, Bluesman, T. Graham Brown, The Statler Brothers, and The Carter Family. He has produced more than 10 albums to date and is one of a select few artists to have recorded music in Memphis’ historically renowned Sun Studios.
Those previously familiar with his work will delight in the re-recorded rockabilly version of “Hey Hey Mama,” arguably Wendell’s biggest hit and the one that gained him a supporting role on Johnny Cash’s Folsom Prison album tour. Cash had remained a tremendous influence on Wendell throughout his entire life. This sentiment is later addressed during the latter half of the album on the heart felt single “Teardrops of Gold,” which is preceded by the story of how Cash came to Marty Wendell in a dream to inspire the writing of that song. The album then closes with a recorded conversation between Cash and Wendell taken from the Folsom Prison tour in 1968.
With a life-long career to reflect upon, Wendell’s youthful enthusiasm for this music has lost none of its luster in his late adulthood. With timeless authenticity, Rock and Roll Days brings a wholesome and charming facet of one man’s life as a musician, from inspired young man to seasoned veteran, into sparking clarity.
Key Tracks: Rock and Roll Days, Blue Suede Shoes, Hey Hey Mama.
Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks are no strangers to the Rochester area. They’ve both been frequent visitors since their beginnings – forming a mutual love affair with the area’s music fans. Tedeschi Trucks Band have made it a point to stop here on every one of their tours, making Wheels of Soul their fifth area visit in just as many years.
Derek and Susan (and management) have proven themselves to be curators with exceptional taste and vision. Each of their Wheels of Soul tours have come with its own distinct flavor. The lineups have been soulful one year, rocking another, and folky another. Each year their own band fits in with their openers regardless, the ultimate chameleon that can match wits no matter the genre.
This year, rambunctious duo, Shovels and Rope, from Charleston, SC and Country-rock jammers, Blackberry Smoke, out of Atlanta, GA joined the Jacksonville, FL headliners for Southern-fried flavor on stage. The combo cooked-up a succulent, meaty and juicy flare, with a nice crispy exterior.
Playing for a fanbase that knows you inside-and-out leaves little room in the way of surprises. Surprise isn’t really TTB’s game though, and they wowed the judges with pure power and finesse. The band, still twelve-members strong, did bring some fresh meat since we last saw them. Gabe Dixon has taken over on keys and Brandon Boone is now on bass. They also come supporting a new album, Signs. They introduced the crowd to three of the new tracks, “I’m Gonna Be There,” “Hard Case” and “Signs, High Times.” “I’m Gonna Be There” was a clear highlight among those, with a slick and slow building solo that ended with Trucks’ guitar exhibiting its signature growl over the backup singers’ building vocals.
One of the elements of the Wheels of Soul tours that after five years fails to surprise, but nevertheless always wow’s, is when Tedeschi Trucks Band brings out their openers for a guest spot or two. This year Charlie Starr from Blackberry Smoke, plus Michael Trent and Cary Ann Hearst from Shovels and Rope emerged for a cover of Leon Russell’s “Stranger in a Strange Land.” Despite the clear talent both openers exhibited in their sets, this performance didn’t rise to the high expectations of past guest spots.
One of the reasons for Derek and Susan’s strong connection with Rochester is the champion they’ve found in local radio personality Brother Wease. As a thank you for his consistent support, Tedeschi lead a stripped down quartet on an emotional interpretation of John Prine’s “Angels of Montgomery” that she segued into Jerry Garcia’s “Sugaree” as the backing vocalists joined in. A stunning moment to be sure.
Not to be outdone, her husband closed the set in a ball of flames, turning “The Storm” into a full-on “Whipping Post” jam, pushing the set right up to the 11pm curfew. They couldn’t possibly leave this crowd hanging so they risked “getting in big trouble” by coming back out for a quick encore.
Michael Trent and Cary Ann Hearst
Shovels and Rope drew a great crowd for their early opening set that focused mainly on material from their 2019 release, By Blood. Each played a bevy of instruments, drums, guitars, keys, harmonica, on songs ranging from emotive ballads to fuzzed out rockers. The variety was all held together by their wonderful two-part harmonies and incredible songwriting.
Blackberry Smoke came out guns blazing, whooping up the crowd with their Allmans-esque Southern rock jams and fist pumping country rock numbers. It was a big and dense sound that kept it fun for even the least familiar listener, with a slew of heavy teases and jams that included “Third Stone from the Sun,” “Amazing Grace,” “When the Levee Breaks” and a foreshadowing “Mountain Jam.”
Blackberry Smoke
Setlists:
Tedeschi Trucks Band: I Want More, Don’t Know What It Means, The Letter, I’m Gonna Be There, Hard Case, Border Song, Down in the Flood, Swamp Raga > Midnight in Harlem, Part of Me, Angel From Montgomery > Sugaree, I Pity the Fool, Stranger in a Strange Land (with Charlie Starr, Michael Trent and Cary Ann Hearst), The Storm > Whipping Post.
Encore: Signs, High Times.
Blackberry Smoke: Fire in the Hole, Let It Burn, Believe You Me, Mother Mountain, One Horse Town, Ain’t Much Left of Me.
Shovels and Rope: I’m Coming Out, Hammer, The Devil is All Around, C’mon Utah, Birmingham, Forsaken Blues, Carry Me Home, Mississippi Nuthin’, I Know, The Wire, Hail Hail.
Shovels & RopeMichael Trent and Cary Ann HearstBlackberry SmokeCharlie StarrPaul JacksonRichard TurnerBrit TurnerBrandon StillTedeschi Trucks BandDerek TrucksSusan TedeschiKebbi WilliamsEphraim Owens
Pink Talking Fish just announced their 2019 fall tour which includes festivals, headlining at premier venues, multiple night runs, and a variety of concept shows including the debut of a PTF Kids show. Pink Talking Fish perfectly fuses the sounds of Pink Floyd, Talking Heads and Phish, creating a fresh and exciting experience for fans. The band features Eric Gould on bass, Richard James on keyboards, Zack Burwick on drums and Cal Kehoe on guitar.
Fall tour kicks off Labor Day Weekend on the beach at Ocean Mist in Rhode Island, before other stops like the Umphrey’s McGee after-party in Asbury Park, NJ and Lake George for the Adirondack Music Festival. The band will close out their festival season at the Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival in New Brunswick, Canada. Throughout October, Pink Talking Fish will stay on the East Coast with shows in Washington DC, Virginia, Georgia, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania and a stop at Buffalo Iron Works in Buffalo, NY on October 24. The show in DC will be a special ‘Dark Side of the Moon’ concept where the band will perform the classic album intertwined with Talking Heads and Phish in between the album cuts. The Halloween show, held at The National in Richmond, VA, will create a ‘PTF is Bowie’ experience featuring a fusion of music from Pink Floyd, Talking Heads, Phish, and David Bowie.
November starts off with a three-night run at Sweetwater Music Hall in California, each day will feature a different theme. On Friday November 1, PTF will perform their ‘Animals’ concept, combining Talking Heads and Phish with Pink Floyd’s Animals album, and Saturday night will see a West Coast twist on the band’s ‘PTF is Bowie’ concept. Sunday afternoon, the band will be putting a very special ‘Pink Talking Fish (4 Kids)’ show that will be an interactive experience the whole family can enjoy. Throughout December, PTF will be making stops at Montage Music Hall in Rochester, NY and Beachland Ballroom & Tavern in Columbus, OH before going out to Colorado to close out the tour, and then coming back east to Paradise Rock Club in Boston, MA for New Year’s Eve. See the full list of upcoming shows below.
For more information and tickets, check out the PTF website.
SUMMER TOUR:
July 19 – Bath, NH – Jerry Jam
July 20 – Patchogue, NY – Great South Bay Music Festival
July 24 – Middletown, NY – Orange County Fair
August 2 – Hartford, CT – Infinity Hall
August 3 – Waitsfield, VT – Bear North on Sugarbush Mountain
August 8 – Norwick, NY – NBT Bank Free Thursday Concert Series
August 16 – Long Beach Island, NJ – Bird & Betty’s
August 17 – Bethel, NY – Yasgur’s Woodstock 50th Anniversary Reunion on Yasgur’s Farm
FALL TOUR:
August 29 – Kingston, RI – Ocean Mist
August 30 – Asbury Park, NJ – Wonder Bar for Umphrey’s McGee AfterParty
August 31 – Mason, NH – Marty’s Summer Concert Series
September 1 – Lake George, NY – Adirondack Independence Music Festival
September 13 – Greenfield, MA – Wormtown Music Festival
September 14 – Fredericton, NB Canada – Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival
September 20 – Fairfield, CT – The Warehouse at FTC
September 28 – Hardwick, MA – MTG Pheno Cup Music & Arts Fest
October 11 – Ardmore, PA – Ardmore Music Hall
October 13 – Washington DC – The Hamilton
October 14 – Roanoke, VA – 5 Points Music Sanctuary
October 16 – Nashville, TN – The Basement East
October 17 – Atlanta, GA – The Loft
October 18 – Asheville, NC – Asheville Music Hall
October 19 – Savannah, GA – Southbound Brewing Company
October 20 – Charlotte, NC – The Neighborhood Theatre
October 24 – Buffalo, NY – Buffalo Iron Works
October 25 – Columbus, OH – Woodlands Tavern
October 26 – Pittsburgh, PA – The Rex Theater
October 31 – Richmond, VA – The National
November 1 – Mill Valley, CA – Sweetwater Music Hall
November 2 – Mill Valley, CA – Sweetwater Music Hall
November 3 – Mill Valley, CA – Sweetwater Music Hall – PinkTalking Fish (4 Kids)
November 13 – Raleigh, NC – Lincoln Theatre
November 14 – Charleston, SC – Pour House
November 15 – Tampa, FL – The Orpheum wsg Runaway Gin
November 16 – Fort Lauderdale, FL – Revolution Live wsg Runaway Gin
This past weekend the Levitate Music and Arts Festival held its seventh annual grassroots event in the beautiful small town of Marshfield, Massachusetts. With one of the top lineups of the 2019 Festival season which included Tedeschi Trucks Band, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Damian Marley, Joe Russoâs Almost Dead, Stick Figure, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Sublime with Rome, St Paul & The Broken Bones, and many other top acts in the jam and reggae music communities, it showed why it has become one of New Englandâs premier music festivals.
The BrokenHearted – Tom Petty tribute band, has a goal to produce the “vibe” of a Tom Petty show. Johnny insists he is not Tom Petty, but rather a really big fan who loves the music. I believe many will disagree when Johnny takes the stage. The best part is, the band members seem to be having a blast up there on stage. They seem to be the best of friends. As a band they want you to enjoy the performance. They are entertainers. They promise you a good time. If you’re a Petty fan, and who isn’t, you will enjoy the show.
What do you do if you are a superfan, and you have talent? Well, you start a tribute band of course, which all began in 2007 when Johnny Clifford had an idea – something he was thinking about for a while. His friend, Philip Bacon, was in a Neil Young tribute band and mentioned The Hudson River Music Hall, was hosting other tribute bands. This suggestion planted the seed. Johnny didn’t believe he could get other musicians to be onboard, since a band starting from scratch, with no immediate financial gains is not the easiest sales pitch, but it worked and a mad adventure began.
Johnny Clifford of The BrokenHearted
Johnny Clifford has been a Tom Petty fan since the early ’80s. He loved the songs and appreciated Tom Petty’s brash confidence, stage presence and overall vibe. When Clifford was asked, Why Petty?, he responded: “The Heartbreakers are my kind of band. Mike Campbell has been his lead guitarist since the beginning. Mike has such a great tone and always plays just the right part for the song. (Mike Campbell is currently on tour with Fleetwood Mac). I hung on to The Heartbreakers like I was clinging to a life raft.”
James Cappello The BrokenHearted – Bass/backing vocals
Although none of the early bands Clifford played in were Petty tributes, the bands covered much of Petty’s early material. It wasn’t long before Johnny became known for singing and performing Petty tunes. So a tribute really does make sense for him. He states he is not acting, but for the most part, he is just being Johnny. After four decades he still loves the music and Heartbreakers are still his favorite.
Frank Affinito – Drum/backing vocals
Johnny Clifford’s voice is eerily similar to Petty. His on-stage presence is spot on. The Broken Hearted- Tom Petty Tribute band, will bring you back to the days when Tom was speaking (singing) for the Average Person. Expressing things in love, relationships, and life, that most of us find difficult to communicate. He touched our inner soul, he just had an easy way of telling stories. He somehow found the words to express the feelings within every one of us.
Philip Bacon
The setting was the beautifully renovated Strand, in Hudson Falls, NY on July 12, 2019. The crowd started to enter and were treated to a wonderful performance by Kelly and Son. Father, Shawn Kelly, and Son, Josh Kelly, are an acoustic/electric duo. Their wide range of songs and comedic interaction left the crowd mesmerized, not knowing what to expect. Shawns deep-toned voice, with a hint of Kris Kristofferson, crooned songs and mixed with a quick wit and laughs, blended well with Josh’s full-toned voice as they had an eclectic mix from The Beatles and Mumford and Sons to original songs.
Kelly and Son’s Setlist: Ho Hey (Lumineers), Rocky Raccoon (The Beatles), Mad World (Tears for Fears), Breathe/Welcome to the Machine (Pink Floyd), No Vacancy (Original), Forever (Mumford and Sons), Scientist/Zombie (Coldplay/Cranberries), Dear Prudence/Awake my Soul (Mumford and Sons).
Shawn KellyShawn and Josh Kelly of Kelly and Son
Now, was time for the main event. The Show was originally going to be two full sets, however, no break was taken, and the band just forged on pounding one fantastic tune after another. At one point, Clifford reached into a trunk and pulled the famous Mad Hatter Hat out- the crowd loved it! The fans knew what to expect- They knew Clifford and the band would not disappoint. The first few strums and everyone knew the opening song, “I Need to Know,” where the upbeat selection set the stage for the remaining songs. Even though it was a long set, the crowd wanted more, and begged. The band obliged with a fantastic rendition of “Kings Highway”
Setlist: I Need To Know, Don’t Do Me Like That, Mary Janes Last Dance, You Wreck Me, Learning to Fly, You and Me, Won’t Back Down, Breakdown, Listen to Her Heart, Walls, Don’t Come Around Here No More, Here Comes My Girl, Handle Me With Care, Rock & Roll Star, Feel a Whole Lot Better, Free Fallin’, The Waiting, Face in the Crowd, Yer So Bad, You Don’t Know How it Feels, Refugee, Runnin Down a Dream, American Girl.
Encore: Kings Highway
Clifford, Cappello, Affinito and Donnelly make a great team. True fans, enjoying what they are doing. After so many years, most bands would appear to just be going through the motions, you don’t get that feeling here. There is a comradery, band of brothers so-to-speak. These guys love what they do, and it shows throughout their performance.
If you have not experienced this band yet, be sure to catch them at these upcoming shows:
Sat. July 20 – Powers Park Concert Series – Troy, NY 6:00 PM Friday July 26 – Putnam Place – Saratoga Springs, NY 9:30 PM Sat. August 10 – The Eddies – Gloversville NY 2:40 PM
During my formative years, I would look to my father for insight, knowledge and direction, trying to absorb as much as humanly possible. When I caught Devon Allman (son of Gregg Allman) and Duane Betts (son of Dickey Betts) fronting the newly formed Allman Betts Band at the Wall Street Theater in Norwalk, Connecticut, I surmised that these sons of rock, had absorbed much too.
Already with established musical careers, the coalescing of their talents began in December 2017 at an event organized by Devon, honoring the music and memory of his late father. In 2018, Betts started opening for The Devon Allman project and joining Devon on stage for a few Allman tunes as part of the show. Realizing that something viable was in their midst, the two started writing together and the seeds of the Allman Betts Band were sown. Later that year, with songs penned, the pair headed to the famed Muscle Shoals Sound Studio. Their efforts resulted in the band’s debut album, Down to the River. Then, on March 27, 2019, fifty years and one day from the first time the Allman Brothers Band played together in Jacksonville Florida, the Allman Betts Band kicked off their inaugural tour at New York’s Brooklyn Bowl.
Devon Allman, Duane Betts
Walking in the intimate Wall Street Theatre, you felt the buzz, in anticipation of hearing this new band. JD Simo, (who sat in with the Allman Betts band for a song) opened the show. This three piece from Nashville cranked out a powerful set of rock and blues tunes, priming the pump for what was to come. Devon, Duane and band (Berry Duane Oakley – bass, vocals; Johnny Stachela – guitar, vocals; John Ginty – keyboards; R Scott Bryan – percussion, vocals; John Lum – drums) took the stage and did not hold back. A night filled with songs from Down to the River augmented with Allman Brothers tunes and a few covers thrown in for good measure. Throughout the night Duane and Johnny Stachela lit up the stage with blistering guitar solos. The rest of the band was right there with them flowing with every twist, turn, and bend. Mid set, Devon took center stage with his Linhof T-style electric guitar in hand, and led the band through a searing version of Prince’s “Purple Rain.” Set audibles where being called and every song was like gasoline being poured on an open fire. Yeah, the Allman Betts band are for real.
The day before the show, I spoke with Duane Betts by phone from East Hampton, N.Y where the band was playing a sold out show at the Guild Hall. We started our conversation talking about the debut album, which had been released the prior week.
Mickey Deneher: Congrats on Down to the River Debuting #1 on the iTunes Rock chart. You guys have to be feeling really good about that.
Duane Betts: Yeah we’re really jazzed up about that. We put a lot of hard work into it and everybody did their job. The people came out and showed their support and interest. It made us feel really good. It’s something we look forward to building on.
You are basically capturing a moment of a band coming together and getting a live performance from one of the first times they ever played together and played that song.
Duane Betts
MD: I know that you and Devon were working with (songwriter) Stoll Vaughn for the album. Was there an even balance in the writing process or was it ‘hey I got an idea and I throw it out to you?’ How did you guys approach that?
DB: Some of the ideas were brought in. There’d be a little spark and then we’d go from there. There were a couple of things that we started from scratch together. It just depends on the tune. But it was all very collaborative. Certain people maybe contributed more in a lyrical sense to certain songs and less in the musical sense or vice versa. A lot of the tunes were: once you come up with a feeling, an idea, then all the songs kind of have to be part of a thread and tell the same story. Not that every song is talking about the same thing, but they fit together well and live together well.
The majority of it was written by myself and Devon and Stoll together. The three of us. There’s a cover on there, Tom Petty’s “Southern Accents.” There is a song written by a dear friend of mine that passed away (who) I was in a band with in my early twenties. His name is Chris Williams. He was the son of the great song writher Jerry Lynn Williams who wrote a lot of stuff for Clapton, B.B. King, Bonnie Raitt and people like that. He passed away in a car accident. But I love that song so I started playing that and we decided to use that song on the record. That’s “Autumn Breeze.” There was a song written by Cisco Adler (Down to the River), where Devon added a verse, and we worked that up. That covers the gamut.
Allman Betts Band
MD: Right out of the gate “All Night” (the first single) and “Shinin’”are straight away fun jam tunes. Then you get in to “Down to the River,” “Autumn Breeze,” “Southern Accents” and “Long Gone” – there’s a different groove to them. It’s awareness and personal insight.
DB: Yeah all those tunes just fit together. We had more tunes to choose from, but those are just the ones that ended on it and that live together. It’s always fun to write. We look forward to building on that body of work.
MD: You go into the studio, the songs were written. Did they evolve during the recording sessions or stay true to what you brought in?
DB: Some of these tunes we’d never played together. Last year as The Devon Allman Project with special guest Duane Betts, we had started playing a couple of them, maybe two or three of them. There were some that were brought in that we had never played and we worked them up in the studio. You play them a few times, start getting it good, and then you get a take, and there you have it. You’re basically listening to maybe the fifth or six time we’d ever played it. Now there are other tunes like “Autumn Breeze” we had played. “All Night” we had been playing. So some of it we had been playing and some of it we hadn’t played till we were in the studio.
“Down to the River ” Allman Betts Band album artwork
MD: Fresh stuff, experiencing it and making it happen. That’s got to be exciting – putting it together like that.
DB: Yeah. It’s a different experience. You are getting a kind of vulnerability that you wouldn’t get if you had worked it all out. You are basically capturing a moment of a band coming together and getting a live performance from one of the first times they ever played together and played that song. So that’s what unique about it. “Long Gone” is one of my personal favorites. It’s powerful and has a timeless kind of quality to it. It’s really cool and we look forward to getting it out there to more people and it’ll keep growing. Slow and steady wins the race.
MD: “Long Gone” is a great way to close out the album too.
DB: Yeah I think so. That was a good one. Good way to end.
MD: You recorded at Muscle Shoals, in one big room.
DB: Yeah that’s the way it is. The amps were isolated, the guitar amps were. Yeah we were all in a room. We could all basically see each other.
MD: What was that vibe like? It’s like the place to record.
DB: Yeah it was really cool. Really down home vibe. I really wanted it to come out good. Get good live performances. When you’re on stage and your not thinking about it and you don’t know you are being recorded it’s one thing, but when your in the studio and the drummer is around the corner, and you have head phones and all that stuff, you kind of wonder sometimes man I hope we can get a really good one. But we did really well. The vibe at the studio is everything. There’s all the records that have been recorded there. You’re in Alabama, you’re in a kind of semi-remote place in Alabama. It just kind of reeks of vibe, you know. It couldn’t be any more like down home and like real.
MD: And then you did it right after Thanksgiving, so you got to work off all that food that you ate. (Laughing)
DB: Yeah exactly. (Laughing)
There’s always jams man. We jam a ton. We are big on that. You just have to come see the show.
Duane Betts
MD: You guys are a new band. People always say about a new band they sound like this band or some name comes up. I’m sure people may have been thinking Allman Brothers 2.0 – Allman Brothers; the next generation. Influence is there, but I hear the band’s own voice coming through. Was that a conscious effort or was it a natural occurrence?
DB: We’re defiantly not trying to be the Allman Brothers, I can tell you that. There’re certain songs that require we approach it in a very musical manor. That’s just an obvious influence, because we want to approach it in a kind of elegant musical manor. Like “Autumn Breeze,” with twin guitars. Yeah there is defiantly an Allman Brothers influence there. But there are also other influences everywhere too. I think that the more stuff we do, the wider variety of influences you’ll hear. For this one, I hear Stones from the Mick Taylor era, Sticky Fingers, that style. I hear some Neil Young sounding stuff on “Long Gone.” There’s Derek and the Dominos, there’s other influences there. We have a ton of influences.
MD: And you have to draw from that. That is how you came up playing. You were influenced by those people.
DB: Yeah, that’s just what we come from. And the influence is there. There’s no doubt and we’re not trying to hide the influence.
Berry Duane Oakley, Devon Allman, John Lum, Duane Betts
MD: Lets talk about the tour. Three months in, how are those songs feeling live?
DB: We just started playing a few of them, because we didn’t want to play the whole record before the record was out. “Long Gone” has been amazing. We’ve been playing “All Night,” “Melodies are Memories,” and “Good Old Days.” We’ve been playing a few of them for quite a while and they have been feeling pretty good for a while now. We did “Southern Accents” last night. I don’t play on that, so I didn’t do it (laughing). Devon and Johnny and John Ginty did “Southern Accents” so that one was really cool. But “Long Gone” is really a stand out for all of us. We think that’s like a really poignant, serious tune that has some real credibility.
MD: And you guys have some great players talking about John and Johnny. Are you guys now indulging, some jams happening in the set these days?
DB: There’s always jams man. We jam a ton. We are big on that. You just have to come see the show.
MD: Allman Brothers songs are part of the set.
DB: A few.
MD: How do you pick them, what to play?
DB: The ones we enjoy playing, the ones that have a reaction. The combination of those two things. Just ones that aren’t obvious. We play a bunch of them. We’ll play enough. Were obviously not going to go out there and do half Allman Brothers. We’re not a tribute band. But we enjoy playing a few. We might do three or four. It just depends on the night. Sometimes we do a sit down acoustic thing and if we do that your going to hear some stuff that you won’t hear if we stand up all night. Just depends on the venue. There’s one or two you can pretty much guarantee hearing every night.
Duane Betts, Johnny Stachela
MD: I take for granted that you and Devon have known each other your entire lives. In the back of you mind do you think this band was inevitable? It was going to happen some time, some place?
DB: No. No. I don’t. I think (it was) just timing. We were doing some stuff, then that wasn’t happening. It just felt right to do it because it meant something. We didn’t agree to do the band when we agreed to go on tour together last summer (The Devon Allman Project with special guest Duane Betts). It was more for us to kind of just feel it out, put our toes in the water. It was a really good opportunity for me to promote my solo release as an opening act. Then I would sit in. At a certain point, we were like yeah. Then (thinking) maybe after we’re comfortable for a month or two, maybe we’ll sit down and write some tunes and just see what happens.
If it didn’t work out, if we weren’t really feeling it, we don’t have to do anything beyond that. But we did feel it. So that’s why there is a band. We really locked into a vision and an idea and agreed on everything. Then we built the band and we brought Stoll in to help organize and write with us. Once the ball got rolling it just felt really good. That’s why you go to the next phase, which is actually putting the band together and recording a record. But yeah, it wasn’t inevitable.
Before the show I attended, I met a man who brought his young son, five or six years old, with him to the show. This was his son’s first concert. He was so stoked that this was his first. It got me thinking of two other fathers, who I am certain, feel that same joy about their son’s rock ‘n roll dreams.
When I was very small, before I learn to talk. My father held my hand and his, And showed me how to walk. And sometimes I would cry, or sometimes I would fall, But always he was there for me, to help me thru it all
In My Father’s Footsteps – Terry Jacks
Devon Allman, Duane BettsJohn Ginty, Berry Duane Oakley, Duane Betts, John Lum, Johnny Stachela , R Scott BryonDevon AllmanJohnny Stachela , R Scott Bryan, Duane Betts, Devon Allman, John Lum, Berry Duane Oakley, John GintyDevon Allman, Johnny StachelaBerry Duane Oakley, Devon Allman, Duane Betts, Johnny Stachela, R Scott BryanDuane BettsDevon Allman, Duane BettsBerry Duane Oakley, Devon AllmanDevon Allman, JD Simo, Duane BettsBerry Duane Oakley, Devon AllmanJohn GintyBerry Duane Oakley, Devon Allman, Duane BettsDevon AllmanJohn Lum, Devon Allman, Duane Betts, Johnny Stachela, R Scott BryanDuane Betts
Frightened Rabbit’s Tiny Changes released on July 12 pays tribute to the former frontman, Scott Hutchison. The album is a collection of covers off their 2008 album, Midnight Organ Fight, which marked the band’s breakthrough into the music scene. Originally, Tiny Changes was meant to be a celebration of the ten year anniversary of Midnight Organ Fight, to be released in 2018. The project was Scott’s, and upon his passing it was shelved until this year. It has now taken on a new meaning for the band.
The title for the album comes from a lyric in the song “Heads Roll Off” in which Hutchison sang, “While I’m alive, I’ll make tiny changes to Earth.” It’s a fitting title for a work made to remember a man who did exactly that.
Whether Scott was aware of his reach, his songs impacted many. Hutchison’s lyrics were always honest and raw, not hiding from the rough emotions stirred up by depression and his own thoughts on suicide. His voice was unmistakable, unique in its rolling Scottish tones and humble sound. Scott had a way of always singing from deep within himself as if he were imploring you for forgiveness for the flaws that come with being human. Even in his final tweets under the moniker of his solo project, Owl John, Scott asked people to “Be so good to everyone you love. It’s not a given. I’m so annoyed that it’s not. I don’t live by that standard and it kills me. Please, hug your loved ones.”
Tiny Changes is also the name of the charity started by Scott’s family, created with a goal to raise awareness about mental health issues amongst young people. To donate to the charity please go here.
Listening to the album Tiny Changes is incredibly cathartic. Each song is a loving memorial to a man who was cherished. The artists took it on themselves to produce a work that carried a tenderness to compliment the sincerity of Scott’s original vocals.
It’s hard to escape the echoes of Scott’s voice while listening to the album. Even while hearing the covers, his voice still lingers at the edges, vulnerable and raw.
The album begins with Biffy Clyro’s cover of “The Modern Leper.” Biffy Clyro is a fellow Scottish band who Frightened Rabbit originally toured with in 2008, around the release of Midnight Organ Fight. In the album liner, Grant Hutchinson, Scott’s brother, says that Biffy Clyro “gave us inspiration and motivation to be as true to ourselves as we could but still aspire to be as big as we hoped we could be.”
The song, originally performed with gentle honesty, takes on a harder edge. There are moments of softness when Simon Neil’s vocals are just a quietly spoken plea, but these moments are broken by the jagged rhythms of the guitars. When talking about the song itself, Biffy Clyro comment that “There are very few songs I wish I’d written: ‘The Modern Leper’ is most definitely one of them.” It’s easy to understand why. The lyrics are brutally sincere, speaking to all the times a person has felt too inadequate for the person they love, too crippled by their own faults and unable to believe that someone would still find value in them. Despite the disbelief throughout the song, there is an ending note of hope, a promise to start over, beginning with a simple conversation about their day.
Another particular track that stands out is Benjamin Gibbard’s cover of “Keep Yourself Warm.” In the original version, the song builds, progressing in momentum until the music stills, and you are left with Scott’s voice. It’s as if he’s teaching a lesson. As Scott sings, “It takes more than fucking someone to keep yourself warm” it is almost as if he has come to the realization himself. The naked reality of the lyrics contrasts against the music which comes across as almost upbeat and hopeful.
Gibbard approaches the song through a haunting distance as if he is transmitting from afar. His words are slightly obscured, only bringing about clarity at the same point in Scott’s version where the music stills. Once more the song crescendos and crashes into you with a wave of emotion. Gibbard found this song particularly striking because he, “…had never heard anyone write about the ugly side of sex with such brutal honesty…”
This album is meant to be played on long winding car rides into the night with someone you care about.
When Frightened Rabbit released their album Midnight Organ Fight, they were unaware of the presence it would have on the indie music scene. There was something about the juxtaposition of the hopeful upbeat progressions of the music and the seriousness of the lyrics that struck the heartstrings of listeners. Tiny Changes speaks more to the nature of the lyrics, the singers’ are voices softer, and the songs take on an entirely different tone than they had before. Scott’s raw nature, his willingness to be vulnerable with the world left a mark with his fans. Tiny Changes serves as a loving memorial and a bittersweet reminder of what has been lost.
Key Tracks: The Modern Leper, Old Old Fashioned, Bright Pink Bookmark
Blues Traveler, moe. and G. Love all have a long history of sharing the stage together, with the most recent of course being this past spring when Traveler’s John Popper joined moe. at The Beacon Theatre. To hype ourselves up for what should surely be a memorable summer ahead, we’re looking back to a few older collaboration moe.ments.
Coming off hot from a big weekend at their inaugural self-hosted festival moe.down, moe. will be jumping right into their 2019 summer tour with no rest. As fans already know, the All Roads Runaround Tour will see moe. join musical friends, Blues Traveler, for its entirety, as well as special guest, G. Love and Special Sauce, for a number of shows.
The Electric Factory 2002:
Since Blues Traveler and moe. will be playing a collaboration set each show this summer, first up on this list is a whole set of moe. and John Popper jams from 2002! At a famous show at The Electric Factory, the buffalo jamband invited Popper to throw down on the entire second set, and the harmonica wizard lent his chops to one big song after the next, like Buster, Rebubula, AND Recreational Chemistry. Listen to this show here!
Bonnaroo 2003:
Nothing fits the feeling of summertime outside quite like a big, rolling “Bring It Back Home” from moe. Right after a nice Father’s Day message from Chuck Garvey, John Popper gives this fun version some sharp harp shredding.
Summercamp 2008:
John Popper isn’t the only one to have shredded some harmonica in a moe. set! Back in 2008, at the eighth annual Summercamp Music Festival, G. Love joined moe. for a rowdy, party-ready version of the band’s “St. Augustine.”
Red Rocks 2013:
Even better than big Bonnaroo? moe. and Blues Traveler jammed together at the one and only Red Rocks Amphitheater in 2013, and Popper ripped it up beside the band on their classic rocker “Plane Crash,.” This version also featured Traveler keyboardist Ben Wilson. Take a listen to this one for some harmonica and dual guitar trade-off heat!
Tickets for shows on the All Roads Runaround Tour are on sale now. head to moe.’s website for more information.
It was a humid Friday night in Saratoga Springs, where people of all ages were buzzing in anticipation for a throwback experience from singer/songwriter Jackson Browne at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center. “Have you seen him before?” was one of the questions floating around the amphitheater and the responses varied from person to person. Many different dates of shows spanning from the early ’70s and onward came from the mouths of dedicated fans, proving the long-lasting impact Browne has had in his career. The show started right on time at 7:30 p.m. with the Brooklyn-born indie pop band Lucius.
Photography: Carl Scheffel
Lucius opened the show with a chilling a capella rendition of “A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes” with the women fronting the band wearing matching red ponchos and body glitter on their faces and palms. Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig stood around one microphone at center stage facing each other and immediately caught the attention of the crowd with their powerhouse harmonies. Though the stage setup allowed for the singers to be intimate and have a clear way to communicate cues for each other, it took away from the audience engagement and closed off a relationship fans desire from a live performance. The one microphone did aide the duo in creating a fading or floating audio and visual effect during their last song “Woman” which played with the depth of the dynamics of the song nicely. The show heavily featured the two fronting ladies, however, the group consisted of three other band members playing their share of instruments, swapping between percussion and guitar frequently. Jackson Browne joined them in the middle of their half hour set to perform “Willin’,” entrancing the amphitheater with their three-part harmonies. Lucius released a compilation album of their back catalog, new songs, and a duet with Roger Waters in 2018 called Nudes.
Loud cheers from women and men alike echoed through the walls of SPAC when Jackson Browne and his band took the stage to close out the show with an impressive two hour set. Browne’s performance was filled with many of his classics that were easy to sing and dance along to even if you didn’t know the words. “Take It Easy,” which Browne co-wrote with The Eagles, was the second song in the more than 20-song set and it brought everyone to their feet. Browne’s easy-going vibe on stage seemed to take the edge off the heat and provided a relaxing atmosphere after the excitement of the 4th of July the day before. Browne joked about his age after there was a guitar mix up, saying to the stagehand, “I think you brought me the wrong guitar,” followed by the stagehand coming back out with the supposed right guitar and a sense of confusion. After a few seconds of conversation and bending down to read the setlist, Browne admitted that he was wrong and that he should have brought his glasses with him on stage. Many of Jackson Browne’s songs relate to immigration and issues that America deals with today. He played songs such as “Walls and Doors” that was written by Cuban singer/songwriter Carlos Varela and “Lives in the Balance” which were both in reference to South America and its culture. “Lives in the Balance” featured a very soulful performance from one of Browne’s backup singers, Chavonne Stewart, whose beautiful voice brought new life to an old classic. Lucius came out to help Browne on the last four songs and it was the perfect climax of vocal harmony and instrumental genius. The two acts were clearly very close and the respect and love for one another made for a really enjoyable performance.
Photography: Carl Scheffel
Lucius setlist: A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes (Ilene Woods cover), Tempest, Right Down the Line (Gerry Rafferty cover), Something About You, Go Home, Turn It Around, Willin’ (Little Feat cover), Two of Us On the Run, Woman
Jackson Browne setlist: I’m Alive, Take It Easy, The Pretender, Enough of the Night, The Long Way Around, Tender Is the Night, You Love the Thunder, These Days, Mohammed Radio (Warren Zevon cover), The Dreamer, Lives in the Balance, Walls and Doors (Carlos Varela cover), Doctor My Eyes, Somebody’s Baby, I’ll Do Anything, In the Shape of a Heart, Running on Empty, Dusty Trails (Lucius cover), City of Immigrants (Steve Earle cover), I Am a Patriot (Little Steven cover) Encore: The Waiting (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers cover)
