The veteran band treated the loyal Mule faithful to a perfect first set with a vibe and energy feeding off that relaxing beach feeling, on a traditional late June summer evening. Fan favorites “Hammer and Nails,” “Beautifully Broken” and “Birth of The Mule”filled the first set, leaving fans only wanting more. Sadly, after the first two songs of the second set, the show was canceled dues to inclement weather, just about the only thing dampening the spirits of the amazing Gov’t Mule fan base.
Bring On The Music-Live At The Capitol Theatre, a live album and concert film directed by Danny Clinch, was recorded at The Capitol Theatre on April 27 and 28, in 2018. It comes in a multiple variety of digital, CD, DVD, Blu-Ray, and vinyl Packages. It features over two hours of live music, interviews with members of Mule, behind-the-scenes footage, photos shot by Clinch over the years and much more.
Set One: Hammer & Nails, Rocking Horse, Game Face > Mountain Jam > Game Face, Beautifully Broken, Birth of a Mule, I’m A Ram, Broke Down On The Brazos > Tributary Jam
Set Two: Stone Cold Rage, Kind Of A Bird, (Show ended due to inclement weather)
Phish returned to Maine this week for the first time since 2013 for two shows at Darling’s Waterfront Pavilion in Bangor, Maine. The first night saw intense rain descend upon the crowd, with two nearly 20 minute jams from “Down with Disease” and “Simple” in the second set. Night two brought less rain and a hot set 2 trio of “Fuego” -> “Cities” -> “Final Hurrah,” standouts on a summer tour that has nearly reached its midpoint.
Vermont’s jam loving rock band, Phish, graced the stage of the woodsy meets urban Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, MD, as they blazed on their 2019 summer tour. The June 22, 2019 show included a debut from Trey Anastasio side project, Ghosts of the Forest. Phish consists of Trey Anastasio (guitar), Mike Gordon (bass), Page McConnell (keyboard, organ) and Jon Fishman (drums).
MPP is located in the heart of Symphony Woods, a woodland preservation designed by famous architects, Frank Gehry and N. David O’Malley in 1967. It was originally built as a summer stage for the National Symphony Orchestra. The venue has won over popular music acts because of its natural surroundings and excellent sound.
Set one kicked off with “Undermind,” from the album with that name. Two funky fan favorites followed, “Tube,” with a delicious jam from McConnell, and the Son Seals’ cover, “Funky Bitch.” The fire-and-ice jam vehicle “Steam” was up next, followed by phish classics “My Sweet One” and “NICU.”
Phish slowed the set down with the debut of “Friend,” from Anastasio’s side project Ghosts of the Forest. This band was created to play songs honoring Anastasio’s long time friend, Chris Cottrell, who lost his battle with cancer in 2018. Meaningful lyrics pierce hearts: “why do we have to wait until it’s gone to know what love is?”
The boys pressed the gas pedal for “No Men in No Man’s Land,” off their album Big Boat. Classics “The Horse” > “Silent in the Morning,” from the album Rift, had the crowd with arms in the air. Jam monster “David Bowie” was played next, and for the first time in 2019. The set closed out with “Squirming Coil,” from Lawnboy as the sun set behind the venue.
The second set was full of segues and jamming, starting with “Ghost,” from Story of the Ghost. “Ghost” transitioned to the a jam sandwich with high energy “Axilla,” then into new tune, “Set Your Soul Free.” The Pink Floyd-esque “What’s the Use?” and finally “Billy Breathes” followed suit.
“Death Don’t Hurt Very Long,” from their new album Kazvot Vox, started the second segue sequence. The next layer in the jam triffle was “Backwards Down the Numberline” from the 2009 release, Joy. The perennial Phish favorite “Harry Hood” was up next, and Anastasio’s on point guitar work had the crowd feeling good. The boys transitioned into “Rise/Come Together,” another new song. The final layer was the classic “Golgi Apparatus,” ironically last played almost one year ago at Merriweather Post Pavilion.
Phish sent their fans home happy with “Bug” > “Character Zero,” including an electrified closing jam. Phish fans await what night two has in store for them. Tickets are sold out, but can be obtained through CashorTrade.
Set 1: Undermind, Tube, Funky Bitch, Steam > My Sweet One > NICU, Friend[1], No Men In No Man’s Land > The Horse > Silent in the Morning, David Bowie, The Squirming Coil.
Set 2: Ghost > Axilla > Set Your Soul Free > What’s the Use? > Billy Breathes, Death Don’t Hurt Very Long > Backwards Down the Number Line > Harry Hood > Rise/Come Together > Golgi Apparatus.
We have all been there; a concert you simply cannot refuse. A 220-dollar concert ticket followed by 100-dollars in fees, nearly a 50 percent up charge. It’s your favorite band, a no-holds-barred night out, but at what cost. The next few gigs you land 60-80 dollar tickets purchased from an online-fan-page-stranger. They even let you PayPal them after you got through the doors. As diehard fans, and musicians ourselves, we don’t want to be exploited; we want an exciting live music experience. Since we still yearn for human connection and tangible experiences transcending all sound – again, CashorTrade delivers.
We linger on this narrative because it is overwhelmingly real. You have already lived through it, overpaying, or missed out from an absurd standing room ticket. CashorTrade, an online ticket exchange and social platform for pure music junkies, is growing rapidly to bring real fans tickets at face value.
The Vermont co-founders and brothers, Dusty and Brando Rich, have bred CashorTrade from of their passion of live music, as well as disgust in oversaturated and overpriced tickets. Their story begins with a failed attempt to acquire Phish tickets at Hampton Coliseum in Vermont after the bands five year hiatus. It was Phish’s first performance since Coventry on August 15, 2004. The band started with “Fluffhead,” which was not played since 2000 (phish.net), but it should not merit a four-figure ticket price.
“What got us the most, was seeing the tickets listed for two – thousand – dollars a piece,” said Brando Rich. “When Phish stopped touring in 2004, Stubhub was created, and Facebook… The dawn of peer to peer ticketing platforms. A lot had changed, and five years later [2009] things are up and running… It has taken what used to happen in brick and mortar box offices to the extreme and ruined it for fans.”
CashorTrade has become a social network that allows people to have friends, share photos and connect with one another. It makes trading with people you know, love and trust that much easier. The Rich brothers have plans on building that further because “we want to better connect friends who have tickets they need. And, for fans to know about shows they are attending or interested in attending,” which is tailored to each specific user-profile.
The dawn of the internet had changed the concert experience, for better and worse. When it comes to ticket consumption Brando stresses that not all ticket company owners are fans. “I would go as far as saying that most are not fans. In the end, what my brother and I created is most helpful to fans because we are fans. We grew up loving live music – every ounce of it.”
“We would do whatever we could to get to the next show, fighting to make burritos in the lot, to make money [for our next tickets]. Your community feeds you, clothes you and it becomes your life.”
This lifestyle shows through the organic growth in the company, nearing a quarter-million users across 20 countries. CashorTrade is growing at 3,000 new users per month, and expanding. With closed first round investors, direct artist-partnerships, festival partnerships and a growing online platform, CashorTrade is on the rise. Fees diminished to ten-percent or less keeps the pressure off your wallet and draws focus to the music and those enjoying it.
Yesterday, June 12 at 2 p.m. EST, CashorTrade officially partnered proudly with Phish’s official charitable outreach, The WaterWheel Foundation – then again, it all began with Phish. Since 1997, WaterWheel’s outreach aides social and environmental efforts throughout each tour stop, notably local efforts in CashorTrade stomping-grounds: Vermont. Fans selling Phish tickets can opt to donate their profits directly to WaterWheel, while buyers will be charged CashorTrade’s transparent credit card fee (3%). Likewise, 100 percent of those ticket revenues go directly to WaterWheel, who has raised millions for more than 425 groups.
CashorTrade is closing in on their community, helping tickets stay in the hands of a tight-knit, music loving, and sustaining populous. They provide a platform where we can do it safely, carefree, and now, feel good by effortlessly giving back. Fans now have control and positive choice.
https://youtu.be/s3kpeoeNDXo
“We recently partnered with Billy Strings, an up-and-coming bluegrass guitarist, who is an amazing prodigy. I love his vibe and he really seems like the perfect fit for CashorTrade – so we are very excited to become his dedicated reseller.” Likewise, the company has paired with the killer, nationally touring act, Twiddle, said Rich. “They are selling out shows left and right; and they’re from Vermont, so that was a natural fit.”
“Partnerships are exciting, becoming an artists’ dedicated reseller is something we have always dreamed of doing,” said Rich. Additional partnerships with WaterWheel, Summer Camp Music Festival, Disc Jam and Osiris’ The Drop Podcast are just the beginning for CashorTrade. There is a lot of power in the fans.
According to their website, festivals are life changing moments. For Brando there are too many to count by hand, but the first Clifford Ball in 1996 holds a special place in his heart.
Phish played their first time at the former Plattsburgh Air Force Base. “My parents had just dropped me off my first year of college at Johnson State in Vermont. I got settled and drove straight to Plattsburgh, NY. It was the – most – amazing – three days of my life, having never seen so many people. It was something like experiencing a Woodstock-esque festival, with jam-packed streets, mayhem and three miles of party. That was pretty life changing, to see a plane fly overhead with Phish lyrics – and to think – what an extravaganza this is.”
Become a gold member and receive text/email alerts when what you want is posted. cashortrade.org/gold
Earlier this month, Fever Dolls released their third single, “Mrs. Carver.” Similar to their previous two releases, this song was accompanied by a thematically sound music video. However, it would be a disservice to simply call this visual component a music video, as its narration and storytelling resembles elements of a short film. Just like “Gennifer Flowers” and “Adline,” there are greater cinematic influences at play here that work together with the lyrics to ultimately enhance the listener’s experience.
NYS Music had the pleasure of asking Renn Mulloy and Evan Allis of Fever Dolls questions regarding their creative vision and how visual media has influenced their music.
Sammy Steiner: Who are some of your biggest musical influences? How have they influenced your work?
Evan & Renn: Our biggest influences are people that play no-frills, hook-driven pop music. We love Motown, new wave, and 70’s FM radio, and see ourselves in that tradition. We’re musical populists. We write choruses you can sing with your friends.
SS: What (or who) excites you within the realm of music right now?
E&R: RKS, Lizzo, Kacey Musgraves, Billie Eilish…people that transcend genres and think about their music as a fully immersive experience for their fans. That excites and inspires us. We’re noticing more bands that aren’t afraid to draw from pop music, write big choruses, or make the spectacle an equally important part of the live experience. We feel like there’s a better responsiveness to our type of band than there was a couple of years ago.
SS: Lyrically speaking – do you draw on influences from your personal lives or through the lives of others?
E&R: At first our songs were mostly autobiographical and confessional, but recently I’ve started writing more about made-up people. In general, I think I’m probably a better storyteller than a protagonist, and find that writing songs about fictional characters allows me to write about a wider array of subjects than when I was starting out and only writing about my own love life. Moreover, since we always wanted to be a theatrical band, it feels more in line with our vision to play ballads and story songs.
SS: Do you think the average person’s relationship with music has changed with the rise of visual storytelling? What role has the convergence of visual media had on your creative process and ability to tell a story?
E&R: It definitely seems that for a lot of people hearing a song by itself isn’t enough anymore. Why stimulate one sense when TV stimulates two! Even Spotify now incorporates video into the platforms of their top tier artists, with these slightly ridiculous 20 second loops of animation or video. For the record, this seems to be about as cool as the iTunes equalizer button, but the point is people are excited by the relationship between audio and visuals, and want more music that speaks to them in that way.
Speaking as a member of this generation, I think television is the greatest art form ever invented, and it invades every part of my life and thought process. I constantly find myself reducing complicated life situations to derivative story arcs, and the personalities of people in my life to those of their most similar TV character. It makes living easy. Even when I write songs, I find my brain responds to what I’m writing by concocting scenes from fictional movies that play out in my head over the melodies. For a long time this seemed crazy, but now we try to lean into these associations and embrace the ways in which our band’s music inspires images and non-musical stories for us. We feel like the output makes sense to our audience’s listening experience, and has been more authentic and reflective of the way people in our generation’s brains work.
SS: With an album on the way, what are your goals for the upcoming year?
E&R: We’re sitting on a ton of recorded material that we’d like to release in the next year. The hold up is that I’m not a very capable engineer — but I’m getting better at asking for help and relinquishing control. The goal for the upcoming year, beyond the album, would be to release most or all of what we’re recording right now. We’re especially excited about a collection of songs and videos we’re working on about different criminals throughout American history that we’re calling, Only When Its Dark Out.
Be sure to follow Fever Dolls onFacebook for updates regarding new music.
Over Memorial Day weekend the city of Boston hosted the 10th Boston Calling Music Festival, located on Harvard University’s amazing campus. The Harvard athletic complex is beautiful and gave some luxury to the festival experience, where each stage was constructed on the Astro turf fields. There was a three-stage setup with the two main stages next to each other, separated by a replica Green Monster that read: “You Are Our People” across the top.
Each day was filled with great acts and music fans with a great energy. Here are some of the best things we saw during this festival weekend:
Brandi Carlile
She greeted her audience, “Hello Rock n Roll People.” She plugged in and was off, on one the best sets of the weekend. Highlights included opening song, “Hold Out Your Hand,” which every fan in attendance was singing word for word. Amazing covers of “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You” and Joni Mitchell’s “A Case of You” followed. Brandi and her band put on one of the most special sets.
Anderson .Paak and The Free Nationals
From the moment his drum set rose from the bottom of the stage, .Paak and his band brought funk and soul to the main stage the second night with their amazing songs and musicianship. Anderson .Paak and The Free Nationals are one of the top live music acts doing it right now; it’s amazing to see the growth and following that has already surrounded theses musicians. The highlight of the set was the guest appearance by Lil Nas X, and the duet of “Old Town Road”
Travis Scott
Music festival performances are special, you want to see and artist give their all and hold nothing back – that’s where Travis Scott delivers. His live show was top notch, out-of-control fun. The stage was adorned with a fifty-foot teddy bear, timely pyro technics, and amazing visuals and lights that covered everything on the stage. His stage presences and hype helped make this performance one for the Boston Calling history books.
Tame Impala
Kevin Parker informed the audience that he recently fell off a roof during a photo shoot and was taking lots of pain meds. That being said, it had little to no effect on Tame Impala’s headlining set Saturday night. The sets was like a slow burning fire, slowly progressing until an explosion. It was the bands hit song, “Elephant.” Confetti, smoke and lasers took over the crowd, as this song flipped everyone from a calm somber mood, to 150 MPH hauling down the highway. Impala knows how to entertain a festival crowd, period, allowing them to deliver one of the best sets of the weekend.
Twenty-One Pilots
Prior to this festival there was a lot of hype about Twenty One Pilots being a headliner. The magic of live music, proof you can’t judge a book by its cover surpassed the hype, tenfold. This was more than just a set of music it was a full stage show, opening with a knight igniting a car on stage to start the set, confetti and fire, and a cinematic storytelling element.
Over all, the 10th edition of Boston Calling Music Festival was a success. Music fans were treated to an amazing weekend with clear weather and one of the most eclectic lineups for the 2019 festival season. Great food and that ‘home team comradery’ within the heart of Boston, made this year’s festival one to remember. We are looking forward to what comes next for this premier music festival.
Tanglewood, the famed summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra since 1937, launches the Tanglewood Learning Institute, and a dazzling array of concerts for their summer season, which runs from June 15 through Labor Day weekend. Tanglewood is located in the Berkshire Hills, between Stockbridge and Lenox, MA. This summer includes a lot of debuts, as well as returning acts for Tanglewood.
The season starts off with Popular Artist Series throughout the month of June, including performances from Postmodern Jukebox, Josh Groban, James Taylor and Earth, Wind & Fire. Then, starting on July 5, the Tanglewood will be home to BSO’s Music Director, Andris Nelsons, for 14 orchestra programs. The BSO and Andris Nelsons will open the orchestra’s summer season with Mahler’s Symphony No. 5 and Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 22, with Emanuel Ax as soloist.
Other highlights from the season include a one-night-only performance of Bach Cello Suites by Yo-Yo Ma and three performances from The Boston Pops celebrating the music of John Williams. One of these performances being Star Wars: A New Hope, which includes a showing of the classic 1977 film, with the Boston Pops Orchestra performing Mr. Williams’ iconic score. For a complete list of events this summer at the Tanglewood and ticket information click here.
Rising to increased popularity with her recent Grammy win, Brandi Carlile has been selling out acoustic shows up and down the east coast this spring. Saturday’s show at the Shelburne Museum in Vermont was no exception. Hundreds of fans filled the open-air amphitheater, ignoring the forecasted weather warnings of lightning storms and surrounding the stage as the technicians brushed sheets of water off the rubber stage.
Photo by Jim Gilbert
Brandi and the twins would inevitably have to cancel this concert after performing a mere three acoustic songs due to safety concerns. But frankly, their performance, while uplifting and inspiring as always, was only half of this concert experience. The mood of the fans, drenched in rain and mud, huddled in the cold for hours, was brighter than any sunshine hiding behind the clouds. Strangers at 6 pm when the gates opened, the fans quickly bonded, sharing ponchos with strangers, supporting children so they had space to dance, and even covering our concert photographer with an umbrella to protect his gear.
Brandy Clark, the sultry country opener who crooned about divorce, breaking stereotypes of “good girls,” and even smoking weed, was a well thought out choice for the Brandi Carlile fans. Ms. Clark’s real-speak poetry and sexy voice quieted the shivering fans, her music temporarily distracting them from their discomfort. She appeared completely unmoved by the rains that came in sideways toward her while singing. Her voice was a balance between graceful beauty and gritty truths, leading this writer to check her out immediately after on Spotify to hear more.
Between sets, fans began to worry about the weather. It appeared to be worsening, and while the concert was advertised “rain or shine,” there was awareness that the electrical equipment on stage was drenched by the soaking deluge.
Photo by Jim Gilbert
But Brandi and the twins didn’t disappoint. They took the stage with acoustic guitars and stomped wooden boxes for percussion, as plastic covering protected the drums. Starting with “Follow,” Brandi thanked the fans for staying in the pouring cold rain. She remarked, “This is simply amazing to see everyone here.”
And everyone did seem to be there. The fans were overflowing the venue, filling every open grassy area (and the muddy ones too). The trio shifted the song list to accommodate their acoustic sound, bringing great joy to fans who are familiar with older Brandi Carlile albums.
But sadly after the third song, Brandi announced lightning strikes were too close, and the concert would have to be cancelled. The stage was quickly cleared, and fans ran out through hurricane like rains and winds to safely evacuate the space.
Photo by Jim Gilbert
Shorter than expected, but as authentically Brandi Carlile an experience as one might hope for, Shelburne Museum offered a perfect setting for kindness, acoustic music, poetry, and even some dancing in a hurricane. Brandi Carlile concerts – even when cut short – are worth braving any storm.
Note: Higher Ground Music announced that ticket holders will receive refunds. Tickets purchased online through Ticketfly will be refunded automatically; otherwise, fans need to visit their point of purchase for the refund.
“We’re having sooooooo much friggin’ fun on this little run of shows!” quipped Marco Benevento in an Instagram post on the afternoon of May 3. Later that night, the sentiment became overtly obvious as Benevento and Co. brought their colorfully energetic mix of pop and rock to Jersey City. White Eagle Hall, an historic venue is situated in the Village neighborhood of downtown Jersey City, welcomed every note as if it knew Marco came home to play.
Providing a short opening set was New York City native Andrew Fox, a solo singer/producer with a small assembly of toys and knobs but a large sweeping psychedelic soul. Warming up the Jersey crowd with a selection of songs from his recently debuted EP Shock by Shock, Fox sang passionately over a mix of deep bumping bass and sinking synthesizer leads. The live performance of these tracks varies slightly as Fox mixes, filters, and plays keys. A stand out was the funky “John / Candy,” featuring a pop laced guitar riff and chopping snare claps.
In a nod to the oh so obvious theme of welcoming that encompasses Benevento and crew, Fox mentioned that the two had in fact only first met in person just prior to the show. It was just a few weeks ago that Benevento reached out to Fox via the internet and asked him to tag along for a few shows. This speaks volumes to Marco’s openness to opportunity and appreciation.
After a short break, the headliners appeared to an uproarious applause and took a moment to settle in before jumping right into “Free Us All.” Immediately, the rainbow lights began to blanket the room as the crowd swayed in delight. The trio continued on through a mix of old tunes like “All The Other Dreams,” “Greenpoint,” and “Dropkick.” Still, there was room for a new song debut and announcement that a to-be-titled album is on the way, due out in September.
Dressed in silver sequin jackets and white tees reading “We’re using time for fun” (a song committed to tape on 2007’s Live At Tonic) the trio of Benevento, David Butler and Karina Rykman held on to their smiles as much they did the groove for 2 hours straight. There is an incredible enthusiasm in this group that creates an energy so palpable it’s hard to not participate in the celebration. Marco takes every opportunity available to thank the audience, thank his bandmates, and relish in the feel-good momentum that makes their performances uniquely positive.
The mid-section of the set brought more from the recent The Story of Fred Short record with the zany “I Can’t See The Light,” a soaring “Stay In Line,” and the bouncy “Walking With Tyrone.” Benevento jumped back and forth between center stage to dance around and sing and then again to his piano rig just in time to walk up and down a solo.
Just after Rykman removed her jacket, but not the smile, Benevento made banter by recalling a previous show where the crowd roared for 10 minutes when he announced the bassist by name. The audience took this obvious cue and cheered ever more loudly as Marco clapped and yelled “KARINAAA” into the mic. It was a cheerful moment that shined a happily embarrassing spotlight on the youngest band member just before she took a distortedly delayed bass solo. This paved the way for the crowd-pleasing cover of the Butthole Surfers 90’s hit “Pepper,” led by Rykman on vocals.
As is with most musicians, this band and Benevento, especially as the songwriter, gets as much out of sharing in the music as they do playing it. This was evident through the entire set but was most clear when the trio “answered the call” to play “The Real Morning Party,” an infectious pop number that had the entire crowd gleefully singing along to the melodic hook. As the audience bounced up and down in enjoyment, it was hard to tell whether the ground was shaking because of the dancing or because of the powerful rhythm section and soulful jamming.
After one last thank you, the party was brought to a close with the aptly titled finale “At The Show.” Members of the audience were still humming the vocal melody as the three band mates took their final bow at center stage.
Marco Benevento tour continues on May 10 in Washington D.C. with Andrew Fox.
*Setlist was not written down and songs were being called out by Marco. The following list was provided by management:
Free Us All, All The Other Dreams, Solid Gold, Dropkick, Greenpoint, Send Me On A Rocket, Walking With Tyrone, Live a Certain Life, Stay In Line, I Can’t See The Light, Follow The Arrow, Pepper, Witches of Ulster, The Real Morning Party, Oh Baby Can’t You See, At The Show
Beginning tomorrow, keyboard maestro, Marco Benevento, will kick off a string of 10 summer tour dates with room for more to be added along the way. The experimental rock and jazz pianist will play two dates before hitting White Eagle Hall in Jersey City on Friday, May 3, where NYS Music will be there to catch the set in full review.
Armed with the rhythm section of Karina Rykman on bass, drummer David Butler, and a smile from ear to ear, every one of the trio’s gigs is a celebratory event. With appearances already booked at Mountain Jam and Levitate Music and Arts Festival, Benevento’s summer is sure to be as colorful as the stained striped suits he likes to wear on stage.
A taste of live Benevento
Ahead of the first release under his birth-name, New York City native Andrew Fox has been enlisted to bring his soulful psych-pop blend to both the Jersey City and Washington D.C. dates as the opening act. Be sure to check out Shock By Shock, on streaming platforms now.
Andrew Fox Debut Shock by ShockMarco Benevento
Tour Dates:
May 1 – Wilkes-Barre, PA – River Street Jazz Cafe May 2 – Ardmore, PA – The Ardmore Music Hall May 3 – Jersey City, NJ – White Eagle Hall w/ Andrew Fox May 4 – Greenfield, MA – Hawks & Reed Performing Arts Center May 10 – Washington, DC – Pearl Street Warehouse w/ Andrew Fox May 11 – Harrisburg, PA – The Abbey (Free) June 13 – Bethel, NY – Mountain Jam June 26 – Brooklyn, NY – Industry City July 13 – Marshfield, MA – Levitate Music & Arts Festival August 7 – Big Indian, NY – Full Moon Resort
