Japanese Breakfast had the crowd dancing, jumping and swaying as they shared the band’s enthusiasm on January 18 at Brooklyn Steel. Michelle Zauner’s solo project has developed a fanbase eager to dive into the group’s experimental blend of shoegaze, indie pop and rock. Joined by drummer and producer Craig Hendrix, Deven Craige on bass and her husband Peter Bradley on guitar, this tour features an expanded live ensemble, complete with NYC-based string section Quartet 121, Aaron Rockers on trumpet and Adam Schatz on sax.
Zauner has a persona influenced by Bjork and other animated performers. Walking out in a whimsical white dress with coils of fabric attached, her engaging and infectious attitude transformed the stage into her own personal, musical playground. Kicking off with “Machinist” using modulation effects to augment her voice, the set came alive with colorful lights and large visuals as they went into “In Heaven.”
The band’s energy was dynamic, and Zauner shifted from guitarist to full frontwoman as she sang about lust and indifference to the ethereal, marching groove of “Road Head.” The crowd journeyed from high energy, endorphin-releasing rhythms to the somber admissions of heartache in “Boyish,” a haunting dream-like song, which wouldn’t have been out of place in an episode of Twin Peaks.
When 2016’s Psychopomp was released, Zauner was dealing with the grief of her mother’s death. She continued to channel her thoughts on love, heartbreak and trauma in 2017’s Soft Sounds from Another Planet. At Brooklyn Steel, she gave us her personal story, alongside projected collages of old family photos and videos during a stripped-down acoustic performance of “Till Death.”
The night began with a couple of strong openers. Meg Duffy of Hand Habits played an electric solo set blending vocals, effects and guitar prowess into passionate, sometimes melancholic soundscapes and melodies. Things got moving with Cincinnati-based WHY?, as rapper and singer Yoni Wolf led the band through a tight, eclectic mix of alternative rock and hip hop.
Japanese Breakfast has seen a lot of activity recently including headlining tours, festivals and new releases. The band has also been busy scoring the soundtrack for “Sable,” an upcoming open-world video game, due out later this year. Zauner’s ability to transform her raw emotions into extroverted performances continues to attract and delight new audiences.
On Thursday January 17 The Revivalists closed a sold-out two night run at The Beacon Theatre, bringing that sweet New Orleans soul to Broadway. The high energy critically acclaimed rock band had a packed house on their feet, and in the palm of their hand, as they moved through new and old songs for the entire night. From the first verse of the popular new song , “All My Friends,” the audience was lured to get down with each of the eight band members.
It’s actually hard to believe that everyone in Manhattan didn’t hear this show. Guitarists Zack Feinberg, two-drummer-setup Andrew Campanelli and Paulet “PJ” Howard, pedal steel player Ed Willams, bassist George Gekas, saxophonist Rob Ingraham and keys and trumpet player Michael Girardot incorporated the twang from pedal steel, a rich guitar sound, NOLA style horns to roar a full Rock n Roll sound – shaking the hollowed halls of the Beacon Theatre. The extremely talented lead singer, David Shaw made this sold out audience get out of there seats and sing every lyric at the top of their lungs.
David Shaw is one of the top frontmen in music today; a full package blend of entertainer and musician, with such a powerful voice and meaningful lyrics. He commands and manipulates the audience with ease, having even the casual fan singing their hit song, “Wish I Knew You”. He shined on a cover of The Rolling Stones “Miss You,” adding his own style and sound to the classic. It was a joy to see Shaw perform from a place of joy and share that with a captive audience.
The Revivalists are a hard working band that embody a direction that music deserves to be going in. Selling out two nights at the historic Beacon Theatre proves they are well on there way to achieving that. I highly recommend their new album Take Good Care and really look forward to seeing where this band goes next.
Brooklyn collective Jäh Division has released “Isolation Dub,” a reggae-experimental interpretation of rock band Joy Division’s track from their album Closer. Bred in the shadows of the Brooklyn Bridge, 21st Century DIY musicians merge, including members of the pop group Animal Collective, experimental Brooklyn rockers Oneida and Awesome Color (Brooklyn).
This psychedelic twist comes from Dub Will Tear Us Apart… Again, a deluxe edition remake of their 2004 debut. The bonus release includes the reggae-dub version of “Isolation Dub” from Joy Division classics. Dub Will Tear Us Apart… Again proves the sparse musicianship Jäh Divisionparty of the once on-call-Brooklyn party-band has not only resurfaced, but also evolved to greater heights. Their sound stretches from the north-city to Manchester (UK) with Barry London’s Space Echo tape loop.
The reissue is a deluxe version of the original release, the band’s sole output. Initially a 4-track EP, the record has been expanded to include a fifth Joy Division track (“Isolation”), two unreleased originals from a scrapped album and a bonus 7″ with previously unreleased covers of Desmond Dekker and Jackie Mittoo tracks from the original sessions.
The reissue was recorded on a reel-to-reel tape in a single-day session at the Free 103point9 residential melting pot: a performance space, loft and micro FM radio station with windows overlooking the Williamsburg Bridge. What started as ‘a good smoke and a joke,’ said their original 12 Inch Recording label, quickly opened a wormhole of unreleased music, psychedelic lost-voyages and vintage instruments: including a Radio Shack purchased Moog, trash electronic drums and, of course, lots of delay and reverb.
The Governors Ball Music Festival will hold its 9th event over May 31-June 2, taking place at Randall’s Island Park in New York City. The impressive line up includes Tyler, the Creator, Florence + the Machine, Kacey Musgraves, Charlie XCX, Lil Wayne, The Strokes, Lily Allen, The 1975 and many more.
Starting today you can visit the Governors Ball Music Festival webpage to get special “Announce Day” priced tickets for the event that ends at 11:59 p.m. as well as the full line up for the event. Regular pricing begins at midnight on Jan. 8.
The Governors Ball is a New York grown and cultivated festival that has proven to be one of the country’s most successful festivals in its previous eight years of existence. The festival prides itself on community engagement, working with and donating to numerous non-profits and community groups each year.
We’re all lucky it’s been a pretty mild winter so far this season. Even so, Cousin Earth invited some friends to the Knitting Factory on January 5 for their annual Wintercourse celebration and they brought the heat.
Brooklyn-based outfit Bushicks started the night off strong with their original spread of rock and roll, staying true to the classic genre. Chunky guitar riffs, no-nonsense lyrics, and a hard-hitting rhythm section of John Adamski on drums and Jessica Bogwicz on bass really drive this three-piece. Front-man Jonny Patrizio shredded his way through the ten-song set featuring mostly originals, a song debut, and some special guests. Saxophone player Dan Visintainer lent his horn skills all throughout mid-set on “BioFunk,” “No Goal,” and an ode to the Bushicks music influence in “Rock Rollin’.”
Former Bushicks vocalist David Schnurman aka “David The Goliath” then took the spotlight behind the mic in his first hometown performance back with them for “No Buts About It.” In a triple threat to close out the set, the trio blasted through their very first single “Truffle Shuffle” before debuting a flawless take on the Rush classic “YYZ.” Finally, Joey Calfa of Cousin Earth appeared on stage while SUNY Oneonta professor Mark Pawkett was brought up for a blazing rendition of Frank Zappa’s “Black Napkin.” As the leader of the SUCO (State University College at Oneonta) Frank Zappa ensemble, Pawkett served as a mentor to Patrizio, Calfa and Nate Searing of Cousin Earth, all of whom were enrolled in the Zappa cover band Mothers of Intention. It was an emotional throwback, solidifying Pawkett’s success as a teacher.
Set break music was provided live in the form of a Teddy Midnight DJ set provided by Teddy Midnight bassist Sean Silva, also a student of Mr. Pawkett. In previous years of Wintercourse there has been a comedian MC’ing between bands, but this year, Corey Feldman took the reigns and introduced each band by displaying hilarious photos of their members in front of the stage.
Next up was the incredibly high-energy Funky Dawgz Brass Band of Connecticut. As the rhythm section of tuba and drums laid down the first groove of the set in “I Like It,” the rest of the six-piece horns came out dancing which quickly spread throughout the willing audience. From the bands anthem “Dem Dawgz” to the party track “Beyond the Void,” the Funky Dawgz showcased their infectious mix of NOLA funk, R&B, and twists on classic pop hits. As the crowd inched closer to the stage, an all-out dance party broke out for Michael Jackson’s “Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough” before trumpet player Aaron Eaddy took a turn with vocals on the hip-hop track “Live Ya Life.”
Each member of the band was given time to shine as they traded solos throughout the hour long set, mixed vocal melodies with horn parts, and hyped up the crowd. Taking advantage of the welcoming listeners, saxophonist Tommy Weeks hopped off stage and weaved his way through the crowd during a peaking solo. The Funky Dawgz didn’t let up once, keeping the crowd moving and energy way up as they closed the set with “Love Don’t Cost A Thing.”
After a short break, the night’s hosts “Cousin Earth” quickly set up and opened their Wintercourse set with the Queen staple “Bohemian Rhapsody,” highlighting newest member Melissa Goscinski’s beautiful falsetto, much to the delight of everyone in the room. With their unique ukulele arrangements and stage antics, Cousin Earth provided a set full of surprises. “When The Dinosaurs Come Back From Outer Space” saw the appearance of a dancing dinosaur in the crowd before they launched everyone back into the stratosphere with the dance track “Super Fun Laser Beams.” The funky “Alive,” from the recently released album Human Music, paved the way for former vocalist Tara Lawton to come out and rejoin the group on Aretha Franklin’s “Rock Steady.”
The whole Cousin Earth family was in high spirits, joyously singing and dancing together before breaking out into an rocking “Outrage” by Soulive which saw Calfa trade his ukulele for an electric guitar. Continuing in their space-themed tradition, a new song was offered in “Please Don’t Kill Us,” a humorous plead to extraterrestrials to spare planet Earth. “Soft Shell Crab Nebula” took things up one last notch before The Beatles’ “Helter Skelter” ended the nearly 80-minute set and brought us all home.
Shortly after midnight, and with the crowd still eager for more, Bella’s Bartok gladly provided. Bassist Dan Niederhouser noted the Massachusetts band’s love of playing in New York City and it was obvious the feeling was mutual with the Brooklyn crowd. Kicking off with “The Strigoi Waltz,” the six-piece band of gypsy-rockers captivated the audience with their speakeasy attire and lively stage presence. It was a fitting set for the late night crowd as fans sang along and swung to “Frankenstein’s Monster” and “The Fiddler and The Devil” as if they were suddenly transported to a dance saloon, if there ever were such a thing.
Toward the middle of the set in “Satan’s Song” the band had already weaved their way through a genre bending selection of original material, commanding the music like a witchdoctor. Singer Asher Putnam hypnotized the venue during the circusy “Masquerade” and joyously lead the Beetlejuice-infused dance party on stage through “Creepster,” “Bones,” and “Zora.” With such unique theatrics and an array of influence, it’s difficult to describe Bella’s Bartok other than completely original. They have managed to take Eastern European folk sensibilities and mix them with Americana, pop, and punk traits, all while keeping the vibe fun and joyful.
The crowd was left fulfilled and spent as the 8th year of Wintercourse proved Cousin Earth knows how to throw a post-New Year’s party. Going on almost a decade for this event, one thing is certain: everyone loves having Wintercourse.
On December 30 at the brand new Sony Hall in Times Square, Ghost Light continued their New Years run with a sold out show, capping off an amazing 2018 for this brand new super group.
Consisting of Tom Hamilton, Holly Bowling, Raina Mullen, Steve Lyons, and Scotty Zwang, these amazing musicians have a clear ambition to take their original songs as far as possible in the realm of improvisation, with each musician bringing their own style to the table. With a brand new album out and a full year of shows and festivals under their belt, Ghost Light is in for a bigger 2019.
For the past four years Phish has ended the year with a run of shows at the historic Madison Square Garden, and from these shows an impressive lineup of late night collaborations has kept the masses entertained into the early hours of the next day. On December 29, saxophonic pioneer Skerik was joined by the talented Billy Martin of Medeski Martin Wood, Ghost Note’s MonoNeon and Wilcoâs Nels Cline at the brand new Times Square music venue Sony Hall.
A two hour-plus set of improv showcased these talented musicians and their unique styles. Nels Clineâs Guitar worked beautifully with the sounds of Skerikâs Electronic Sax, and bassist MonoNeon settled in nicely with the style of the great Billy Martin.
The Marcus King Band played their last two shows of 2018 as openers for As the Crow Flies at The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester. Playing to a full house, the band’s set featured songs from their latest release Carolina Confessions, released on October 5th, an album which has found itself on many best of lists for 2018.
In addition to Marcus King on lead guitar and vocals, the group includes drummer Jack Ryan, bass player Stephen Campbell, trumpeter/trombonist Justin Johnson, saxophone player Dean Mitchell and keyboard player DeShawn “D’Vibes” Alexander. Special thanks to Jeff Raspe and 90.5 The Night for logistical assistance with this shoot.
Phish has now celebrated 10 New Year’s Eves since their return in 2009, with eight of those year-end shows taking place at Madison Square Garden. For their ‘Tin’ anniversary, Phish once again brought out a full production from David Gallo design set to the tunes “Mercury” and “Say it to Me S.A.N.T.O.S.,” wrapping up four jam-filled nights in a silver bow to bring us into 2019.
Over those four nights, Phish performed cohesive sets that flowed from one show to the next, with each night seeming to pick up where the previous night left off. With exclamation points throughout the shows and jams moving smoothly from one song to the next, the run featured some of Phish’s best New Years run jamming inside Madison Square Garden since their first New Years in 1995. New Years Eve 2018 marked 60 shows at the World’s Most Famous Arena, with only Elton John and Billy Joel having more performances in their careers.
Phish loves bringing things full circle, and while the disappointment of a cancelled Curveball festival last August was a low point for fans, the New Year’s celebration took the music that arose from the ashes of Curveball and brought it front and center on the 31st. Kazvot Växt songs were performed each night of the run to much audience approval, with four songs held back for the final show of 2018, notably the fan favorite “Say it to Me S.A.N.T.O.S.” The Halloween performance as Kazvot Växt should be looked upon as a turning point for Phish, as this new album/identity has been received better than any other album or new material since their return. For the band to put Curveball in their rearview and move forward with such impressive and well-received material is but one small example of their ability to evolve over time while testing out new ideas and territory with caution thrown to the wind. Performing a Kazvot song right after midnight solidified the new material’s place firmly in the Phish catalog, and we will surely see these songs in rotation moving into this summer, as well as Mexico next month.
A dozen songs were played in Set 1, with notable sequences including “Steam > Chalk Dust Torture > What’s the Use?” and Trey’s ‘favorite’ song (as Fishman put it) “Ass Handed” which was followed by a fiery “Run Like an Antelope.” This was your standard ‘warm up’ set on New Years, where the hits keep coming and the jams are few, although “Sand” did stand out as the longest song of the set. Set 2 found the deep jams per usual, with an 18-minute “Down with Disease” kicking the set off and after a randomly placed “Farmhouse,” a near 18 minute “Seven Below” followed, for the jam of the night that ebbed and flowed through psychedelic and arena rock sections and finally band and audience interplay in the ‘woo-ing’ that Trey seems to love engaging in with the fans.
A “Harry Hood” that stopped after the second section of the composition was halted unexpectedly for a “Passing Through” that split “Hood,” but fell short of the Halloween version where the fans sang along with the ‘Way-o Way-o’ callback. The band clearly was hoping to bridge the fans singing ‘Way-o Way-o’ into the return to “Hood,” which ended up being more of a surprise since some fans (ahem) forgot they hadn’t finished “Hood” and brought it to a triumphant close. Regardless, the second set was the set of the night and had fans sweating as the clock ticked past 11pm and we headed into the final Phish of 2018 and first of 2019.
For the New Years gag, Phish took a combination of two past gags – “Steam” (2011) and “Petrichor” (2016) but with visuals that engaged the entire arena, including lights, balloons, streamers, smoke, acrobats, stage dancers, inflated foods and Trey and Mike in silver space suits. With the opening notes of “Mercury,” the silver balloons that hung from the ceiling connected to the semi-recent composition that Trey had found new life in during the summer of 2018, with improvisation taking the song well past the 20-minute mark on multiple occasions, and making a believer out of many fans.
After a few minutes of the composition, aerial dancers were lifted above the front of the stage, releasing silver streamers that poured down in front of the stage, the silver strands of mercury shining bright with floating lights pouring out smoke that decorated the space behind them, building towards the midnight peak. As a recording counted down from 30 seconds, the acrobats climbed into their nets and were dropped to the stage one by one for the final 10 seconds of 2018, and with that, “Auld Lang Syne” was played and thousands of balloons and silver streamers poured from the ceiling, and MSG being filled with Mercury-colored Silver Grandeur.
As the first song after midnight, Phish opted for the popular Kazvot Växt tune “Say it to Me S.A.N.T.O.S.” after “Auld Lang Syne,” a sing along with amazing energy – the crowd echoing ‘Say it to me S.A.N.T.O.S.’ and ‘This is what space smells like/you will always remember where you were” – gave chills both then and on subsequent relistens. While Trey and Mike were lifted up into the air throughout the song, the stage was then peppered with various pool-floats that represented various things that space could smell like, plus googly eyes for added ‘space’ effect. Trey meanwhile was running around the stage with his wireless guitar that found him playing “S.A.N.T.O.S.” to those behind the stage with cheers, smiles and tears aimed right at the Bad Lieutenant, who looked nothing short of elated. The energy of the rest of the night flowed in the form of “Simple” which was cut short for “Saw it Again” and “Limb by Limb,” and a combo of Lou Reed’s “Rock and Roll” > “Suzy Greenberg” lifted the crowd up one final time to close out the first set of 2019. With more than 20 minutes left, fans wondered what was in store – “You Enjoy Myself,” or perhaps “Fluffhead” were on every fans wishlist, but the fan favorite of them all, “The Lizards” would be the first part of this encore, with another rocker in “Character Zero” following for a climax of pure energy.
Phish has made their mark on Madison Square Garden and set the standard for performances on New Years Eve. Here’s to Phish finding even more inventive ways to engage their fans and continue their storied career into its 36th year in 2019.
Set 1: The Moma Dance, Stray Dog, 555, Sand, Lawn Boy, Steam > Chalk Dust Torture > What’s the Use? > Play by Play, Waste, Ass Handed, Run Like an Antelope
Set 2: Down with Disease[1] > Farmhouse > Seven Below > Twist > Harry Hood > Passing Through, Harry Hood
Set 3: Mercury[1] > Auld Lang Syne, Say it to Me S.A.N.T.O.S., Simple, Saw It Again > Limb By Limb > Rock and Roll > Suzy Greenberg
WNY’s Carpool and Syracuse’s Lily Grave are heading out on a weekender this month – hitting Buffalo, Rochester, Asbury, NJ and Brooklyn. They start off with an intimate show in Buffalo on January 16 before hitting their familiar stomping grounds at Bug Jar in Rochester on January 17. From there, they head to Asbury Park Brewery for a show on January 18 before wrapping it up at Bushwick Public House in Brooklyn on January 20.
Carpool recently released I Think Everyone’s A Cop, a follow-up to 2017’s I Still Blame Everything Else. In an interview with NYS Music, lead vocalist and guitarist Chris Colasanto said the latest collection of songs “is about complacency, substance abuse and relationships – like you’re stuck in a stagnant state of molasses.”
Lily Grave also had a new release in 2018, entitled Absurd Faces.
Jan. 16 – house show w/ Ghostpool & Previous Love – Buffalo, NY Jan. 17 – Bug Jar – w/ California Cousins – Rochester, NY Jan. 18 – Asbury Park Brewery w/ Toy Cars, ManDancing, and Prim – Asbury, NJ Jan. 20 – Bushwick Public House w/ Cold Wrecks, & Common Sage – Brooklyn, NY
The band’s energy was dynamic, and Zauner shifted from guitarist to full frontwoman as she sang about lust and indifference to the ethereal, marching groove of “Road Head.” The crowd journeyed from high energy, endorphin-releasing rhythms to the somber admissions of heartache in “Boyish,” a haunting dream-like song, which wouldn’t have been out of place in an episode of Twin Peaks.
