Just as Phishmas at YEMSG got underway last night, so too did after party season. Night one’s offerings were numerous, highlighted by the one-off supergroup of John Medeski (keys), Billy Martin (drums), Scott Metzger (guitar, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead), and Nels Cline (guitar, Wilco) at Sony Hall. Not to discount the draws of Metzger and Cline, but MMW’s acid jazz has been intertwined with the Phish scene since 1995 and this highly anticipated show would eventually sell out in the hours before its 1:00 am start, leaving many fans outside on the sidewalk.
Sony Hall occupies the footprint of The Diamond Horseshoe, a celebrated and historic Times Square dinner theater with a standing room capacity of 1,000. The room is trimmed with gold paint, coffered ceilings and a disco ball, and lounge seating around the perimeter, lending to its historic feel. The room sounded great, although overcrowding was a serious deterrent for many.
Medeski, Cline, Metzger, and Martin were arranged audience left to right respectively, and began their two hour improvisational journey just before 1:00 a.m. Medeski would contribute the evening’s bass lines on his keys, as he and Martin provided the anchoring rhythm section for guitarists Cline and Metzger to explore in, on, and around. There were gorgeous moments of Metzger shred amidst a backdrop of effects heavy psychedelic exploration from Cline. The tempo was deliberate and purposeful and, coupled with the intense crowding, didn’t create much of a dancing atmosphere. At times the music felt almost transcendent, as Medeski and Martin created an ambient space for guitarists Metzger and Cline to play, their guitar work totally dictated by the tempo and beat of the drums and keys.
These musicians clearly enjoyed playing with one another as they treated those who braved the crowds and the late hours to a two hour set of improvisation that ended at 3:00 a.m. Sony Hall will host after shows on nights two and three as well, with Star Kitchen on 12/29 and Ghost Note plays Prince on 12/30.
December is here, and that means Phish’s annual four night run at Madison Square Garden is right around the corner. And with those four nights of Phish come… Phish after-parties! CEG Presents has put together an incredible slate of post-shows that you’ll be looking to check out after emptying out on 7th and 8th Avenues following Phish. See below for details on all the great shows you’ll find starting late, December 28-30, plus a special NYE show from The New Mastersounds!
John Medeski and Billy Martin (Medeski Martin and Wood) will come together with Scott Metzger (JRAD) and Nels Cline (Wilco) for the first time, one night only, for an evening of improvisational music after Phish performs at Madison Square Garden on December 28.
An eclectic jam/funk band, infusing deep psychedelic grooves with improvisational techniques. The ambitiously crafted keyboard mastery, expressive saxophone and immaculate guitar shredding meld into a dynamic fusion. Lean more about The New Motif.
Pink Talking Fish provides their own original musical concept by combining the songbooks of Pink Floyd, Talking Heads and Phish to create a unique experience for live music fans. The band has added to this concept over the years by adding a 4th Act such as David Bowie, Grateful Dead, Michael Jackson and more. They have also performed complete albums while intertwining songs from the other 2 Acts into the mix. On December 29 at Gramercy Theatre, PTF will unleash one of the most exciting concepts to date: Pink Talking Fish Are Beastie Boys! This will be a fusion of Pink Floyd, Talking Heads, Phish AND Beastie Boys.
Joining the band will be DJ Logic, who will be assuming the duties of Mix Master Mike and also adding his flavor to songs from the other 3 Acts. PTF will also be performing ‘Dark Side Of The Moon’ for a NYC Phish After-Party on December 28th, also at Gramercy Theatre. This will be a full rendition of the Pink Floyd album with Phish and Talking Heads songs intertwined through the album cuts.
Anybody who’s seen Marco Benevento perform will attest, with eyes closed, smile wide across his face and fingers free-flowing across the keys, he’s a satellite to the muse. With a devout and growing fan-base, Benevento is an artist whose story is only beginning to unfold..
– Sunday December 29 – Hill Country
The music of The Grateful Dead transcends time, age and space. Their high energy, soul-touching jams, and family-like environment were central to the counter-culture experience. Over the past 19 years Dead Sessions has grown to become one of the favorite Grateful Dead experiences in the Northeast. Playing since 1998, the collective is known for their authentic but unique renditions of Grateful Dead classics, thick with spiritual connectivity and heartfelt jams that make the most jaded Deadhead rejoice. Dead Sessions is composed of a rotating cast of musicians throughout the country, but the roots of origin are easily traced to the Green Mountain State. With an unmasked joy that pours off the stage and blurs any boundaries with their audience, the Sessions are beloved by all from the casual fan to the dedicated Terrapin warrior.
Monday December 30 – (le) poisson rouge
On December 30, Greenwich Village venue (le) poisson rouge will host Electric In The Village: Ryley Walker, Chris Forsyth, and Garcia Peoples. Guitarist/songwriter Chris Forsyth got his start in Brooklyn’s experimental circles in the early 2000’s, and as the bandleader of Chris Forsyth & the Solar Motel Band, channeled both the psychedelic jamming of the Grateful Dead and the precision of art-punk guitar acts like Television. Illinois-based fingerstyle guitarist and singer-songwriter Ryley Walker adds new flavor to the series; his music has been described as fingerstyle ballads, psychedelic waltzes, and raga-inspired blues. Garcia Peoples is the Brooklyn Sextet blasting through residencies and new songs and sessions and collaborations, leaving a trail of live tapes in their wake, and scaling ever upwards.
– Tuesday December 31, 2018 – Gramercy Theatre
The New Mastersounds have been delighting audiences with their infectious brand of funky soul-jazz since they formed in Leeds in 1999. For the first five years of the band’s career they were regulars at the Jazz Café in London, before they began to turn heads on the funk scene in the US, where guitarist/producer/bandleader Eddie Roberts now lives. For over a decade they have been a staple act of the late-night scene during New Orleans’ annual Jazz Fest.
Though they have collaborated over the years with such musical luminaries as Maceo Parker, Fred Wesley, Corinne Bailey Rae, Art Neville, Bernard Purdie and Lou Donaldson, they are at their best on stage as a tightly-packed quartet – bass, drums, guitar and keyboards – firing scorching grooves off each other and feeding on the energy of the dancers in the front row.
Ghost Note, the acclaimed jazz, hip-hop, funk and world-fusion outfit will gather a few talented friends for a very special tribute to Prince at Sony Hall on Monday, December 30 for a late-night show following Phish’s performance at Madison Square Garden.
Former Prince collaborators MonoNeon (bass), saxophonist Sylvester Onyejiaka (saxophone) and Dominique Xavier Taplin (keys) have made sure the Purple One’s pedigree is always well-represented with Ghost-Note. For this guest-filled, late-night Ghost-Note & Friends Play Prince blowout, the insanely gifted outfit led by percussionists Nate Werth and Robert Sput Searight (Snarky Puppy) will dive headfirst into the beloved Prince catalog to help NYC party like it’s (almost) 2020.
Joining Ghost-Note as the “Friends” portion of the bill will be Trey Anastasio Band trumpeter/vocalist Jennifer Hartswick (Trey Anastasio Band), D’Angelo and The Vanguard singers Rojo “REDD” Lavoe and Ahrel Lumzy, and Cory Henry/Childish Gambino vocal collaborator STOUT. Hartswick will be pulling double-duty during the Phish run, as the TAB trumpeter and vocalist will also be playing with The Disco Biscuits bassist Marc Brownstein’s Star Kitchenthe night before, Sunday, December 29th, also at Sony Hall.
Tickets for Ghost-Note & Friends Play Prince go on-sale at 2 p.m. ET, and can be purchased here.
Star Kitchen, the recent side project from Marc Brownstein, has announced a late-night show at New York City’s Sony Hall on Sunday, December 29 during The Disco Biscuits‘ New Years Eve run.
The band, which also features Danny Mayer (Alan Evans Trio, Eric Krasno Band), Marlon Lewis (Lauryn Hill, John Legend), and Rob Marscher (Matisyahu, Addison Groove Project), will bring their unique brand of funk and improvisation to Sony Hall on Sunday, December 29. The show will take place on place on the Biscuits’ day off in between the second and third nights of their four-night run, while also conveniently falling on night two of Phish‘s new years run, which takes place just a few blocks South at Madison Square Garden.
Following appearances at Electric Forest, High Sierra, Jam Cruise, and The Peach Music Festival, among others, Star Kitchen has been touring hard behind the project, winning fans over at each stop with fun covers, deep improv, and undeniable collaborative energy between all four players. Star Kitchen tends to bring special guests along for the ride when they play, and this show will definitely feature some ace musicians to help add to the mix. The horn section from Trey Anastasio Band—Jennifer Hartswick, Natalie Cressman, and James Casey—will be on hand to add some brass and vocals. In addition, decorated guitarist Eric Krasno will add some six-string firepower to this already stacked performance.
There are surely a few other surprises in store, as you never know who’s going to show up at a Star Kitchen show. Tickets to Star Kitchen at Sony Hall are on-sale now via Ticketmaster. Use the Presale Code “STAR” to grab yours, and make sure to RSVP via the Facebook Event Page for updates.
On Thursday, March 21, blues artist Samantha Fish played to a sold out audience at Sony Hall. The historic vaudeville theatre from the 1930s, recently renovated and reopened as New York City’s newest premier music venue, was at capacity for a night of the blues. Now as Buddy Guy once said, “The Blues will never die, it may go away for awhile but there will always be someone who loves it enough to chase it and make it relevant again.” Samantha Fish is continuing the blues legacy and making fans pay attention again. Her deep soulful voice combined with the fact that she shreds on guitar in four inch heels makes her a must see.
Setlist: American Dream, Hello Stranger, Don’t Say You Love Me, You Can’t Go, Blame It On The Moon, Lost My Self, Little Baby, Blood In The Water, No Angels, Chills and Fever, Need You More, Somebody’s Always Tryin, Gone For Good, Daughters, ENCORE: Crow Jane
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.
