Category: Features

“It Was the Music” Celebrates the Lives and Love of Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams

Update: On January 17 at 8PM ET, the fourth episode of It Was The Music will feature a special livestream event featuring Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams along with special guests Rosanne Cash, John Leventhal, and Buddy Miller. The livestream, available on FANS, will be hosted by David Keith.

It Was The Music, a film in 10 episodes chronicling the lives and love of musicians Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams, will premiere on Sunday, December 13. Directed by award-winning filmmaker Mark Moskowitz, It Was the Music serves as both a musical odyssey and deeply personal love story of Campbell and Williams in search of their “music utopia.”

Having embarked on a joint musical career, It Was the Music sees the Woodstock couple packing their bags, guitars, amps, and 30-year marriage into their SUV and setting out across America to sing their own extraordinary songs along with riveting interpretations of beloved gospel, blues, country, and classic rock ‘n’ roll.

A three-time GRAMMY® Award-winning multi-instrumentalist, producer, singer-songwriter, and bandleader from New York City, Campbell is a veteran musician hailed for his work with artists including as Levon Helm, Phil Lesh, Bob Dylan, The Black Crowes, among others.

Williams, an exceptional alto singer and actor known for her highly acclaimed roles as Sara Carter in Keep On The Sunny Side and the title role in Always….Patsy Cline, has also served as a vocalist for Emmylou Harris, Jackson Browne, Phil Lesh and Friends and Peter Wolf, to name but a few.

Accompanying It Was the Music is a stellar soundtrack gathering previously unreleased music from Campbell and Williams, including new renditions of songs made famous by The Band, Grateful Dead, Little Feat, Buffalo Springfield, and more. The soundtrack features performances from Campbell and Williams who are joined by friends such as friends as Patty Griffin, Buddy Miller, Bill Payne, and the late Levon Helm’s world famous Midnight Ramble Band. The first track “It Ain’t Gonna Be A Good Night”has been released with the full soundtrack due out December 6. Pre-order and find more info about the film series here.

It Was the Music is first and foremost a love story, with Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams showing how love can create the music and how the music can bring us together. The film follows Campbell and Williams over 15 months on the road, starting point on a Friday afternoon at Williams’ seventh generation farm in Peckerwood Point, TN, traveling to Campbell’s native New York City and finally the couple’s home in Woodstock.

Along the way they stop at recording studios, clubs, and theatres across the country, with highlights including exclusive live performances from intimate venues and jam-packed music festivals. The finale of the film features parts of the star-studded “The Last Waltz 40^th Anniversary Celebration” presented by Lincoln Center at NYC’s Damrosch Park.

Along with the couple’s own personal story, It Was the Music includes exclusive interviews and never-before-seen performances from Jackson Browne, Rosanne Cash, William Bell, Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady, Phil Lesh, Jerry Douglas, Jerron “Blind Boy” Paxton, Garland Jeffreys, Happy Traum, David Bromberg, and many more.

Director Mark Moskowitz says of It Was the Music:

It Was the Music is about what music means to us, the way my film, Stone Reader, is about what books means to us, and my upcoming film, Art Stops Here, is about what art means to us. In the end, these films are about us, how people respond to the arts. Not quite documentary, not quite reality, not quite memoir, not quite even story, It Was the Music is referential, memory-like. It’s allusive. Things touch other things…much like a song.”

It Was the Music premieres Sunday, December 13, with new episodes debuting every Sunday, except on January 3 – two episodes will be available on January 10.

November 19, 2020
Taking Meds to Make Their Audiotree Live Debut December 4

The members of Taking Meds are looking forward to taking a trip out to Chicago at the beginning of December to perform on Audiotree Live.

The NYC-based indie punk band had to cut a cross-country tour short this spring when COVID hit. Shows started getting cancelled while they were on the road. “On the fourth day we were in Georgia, and 50% of the shows had cancelled,” Taking Meds frontman Skylar Sarkis told NYS Music. “We decided to head home.”

Eight months, an EP, and a music video later, and they’re excited to finally be hitting the road again. While they’ve been actively working, they haven’t been able to play some of their new songs in front of an audience since March.

“Everyone’s missing live music,” continued Sarkis. Most venues have not reopened since the start of the pandemic, due to contagion risk at gatherings. “Audiotree has a COVID-friendly way of continuing to do what they’re doing, and I think being able to access high-quality studio sessions online is really key for everybody right now.”

This will be Taking Meds’ debut on Audiotree. What started as an artist discovery platform has continued this tradition by continuing to work with emerging independent artists and artists on indie labels. The recorded sessions are just one facet of Audiotree’s footprint in the music industry, but they have become a cornerstone in the international music scene over the past decade.

Tune into Audiotree on Friday, December 4 at 4PM CT (5PM EST) for the Taking Meds performance. Viewers will be treated to a few songs off the band’s new EP The Meds You Deserve, released in July on Smartpunk and Near Mint. Sarkis added that they plan on debuting a new song from their next LP, which they just finished recording with Kurt Ballou at GodCity in Massachusetts.

Taking Meds is comprised of Sarkis on vocals and guitar, Ben Kotin on guitar and vocals, Jon “Steel Wolf” Markson on bass and vocals, and Alex Salter on drums. They don’t all live in the same city. It’s an occasion when they are able to gather at the studio, or go out on the road together, or shoot a music video.

Earlier this year, they got to meet up with director Luke LeCount to make a video for one of the songs on The Meds You Deserve, “Sucks To Be Me.” It features Sarkis as his narcissistic alter-ego, firing band members as he tries to impress some sleazy A&R types. He can be seen playing out this persona in a series of off-the-cuff low-budget promotional videos on the Taking Meds YouTube channel.

Leading up to the tour, they released a series of humorous videos about packing for tour, filmed by their manager/agent Alex Martin and featuring Sarkis trying to pack merch, gear, his cat, and pictures of Michael Stipe of REM. While Sarkis cites REM, Fugazi, and other bands from that era as band influences, their angular sound is impossible to pigeon-hole as any one genre.

“We’re just trying to write whatever we want,” explained Sarkis. “Lately that’s coming out sounding like it’s pretty squarely influenced by early 90s stuff. I’m trying to make songs that I would want to listen to.”

Other people are digging their sound, too. Most fans have discovered them through word of mouth or by catching a live show. “My experience with this band is that there’s not a lot of hype. We get fans when we’re on tour and they stick around. It’s cool to build a fanbase that’s loyal.”

Their recent EP The Meds You Deserve, and their full length albums My Life As A Bro and I Hate Me are available for purchase digitally. At the time of press, there are a handful of copies of The Meds You Deserve and I Hate Me on vinyl at Near Mint.

Follow Taking Meds on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to stay on top of news and content.

November 19, 2020
Nikmoody Transforms Setbacks and Pain into Conscious Prose

Long Island rapper Nikmoody has been writing his entire life, taking the lemons of life and turning them into more than just lemonade. Case in point: a 1,000-point scorer in both high school and college, Nikmoody transferred his passion for Basketball to the pen after an ACL tear, leading him to a Masters degree in English Literature.

Drawing on influences such as Kendrick Lamar, Atmosphere and J.Cole, as well as Nirvana, Moody creates a conscious lyricism with soul, amid a blend of grunge and boom-bap hip hop. With the release of “Either Way,” he shows growth in style, adding in trap sounds within his strong lyrical base. Experiences of loss and addiction have helped Moody find his voice, adapting his music as he evolves within hip-hop, which he considers to be the most descriptive art form in the world, when combined with pain and passion.

Moody released his first EP, House of Mirrors, in 2017 and hasn’t slowed down since. He has continued to create music, releasing eight singles, ten music videos and his 2019 EP The Quiet One. Moody has performed at SXSW in Austin, headlined at SOB’s in Manhattan and opened for Wyclef Jean, Dizzy Wright, Raz Simone and KOTA The Friend.

Nikmoody works with his passion and continues to release singles, including April’s “Hysteria,” which was written with the guise of trying to bring a unified culture to Long Island. While The Quiet Two is planned, Moody notes below in an interview with NYS Music that it may not surface in 2020, as new projects have his attention.

Pete Mason: Recently you posted on Facebook: “I know I haven’t been as active on social media lately. It’s only because I’m locked in. We been experimenting with new sounds, new flows…New music coming very soon.” Inquiring minds want to know – what new sounds and flows do you have coming?

Nikmoody: There’s been a lot of experimenting in the last few months. I wrote that in my post because I’ve been digging into other genres like trap, grunge rock, dubstep. I’ve been trying to find a way to harness the aggression that lies at the heart of my music and display it melodically. It’s been a learning experience but I’m really excited about the direction of the new music.

PM: How has quarantine life been for you on personal and creative levels?

NM: Quarantine has been a rollercoaster. My family got sick early into the lockdown so that was nerve-racking and worrying. But after everyone got healthy, I was still unemployed and stuck in the house. It became a blessing in disguise because it was the first time in my life that I was able to be creative without being in school or having to work full time. It allowed me to broaden my horizons musically and try new things. It also gave me a peak into what life would be like when I turn my music into my full time occupation. That was quite beautiful.

PM: Speaking about sacrifice in an August post, you discuss everyone being on their own journey, closing with “But that is their journey, not mine. I still see 100,000 at Bonnaroo every time I touch the mic.” Is it safe to say that performing at Bonnaroo is a big destination on your own journey?

NM: 1,000%. I’ve been to Bonnaroo twice as a camper (once general admission and once with an RV) and I have to say those were some of the most incredible days of my life. Nothing but music and love in the air. I met a lot of people from all over the world at those shows and to this day, Bonnaroo is the most coveted memory my friends and I have. To play there would be a dream. Chance the Rapper on Saturday night of Bonnaroo 2018 is the greatest show I’ve ever been to. To imagine myself doing the same is fun to think about.

PM: You’re from Brooklyn and Long Island – how did growing up between the two influence your creativity, your love of music, and connection to others?

NM: Well I kind of split time with where I grew up. I lived in Canarsie, Brooklyn until I was 11. Then, my family moved to Merrick, Long Island. Although I didn’t spend my high school days in BK, the attitude that comes with growing up in Brooklyn still sticks with me. It was a drastic difference moving to Long Island. That juxtaposition is vital to me as a person. Coming from a small apartment in a diverse neighborhood and moving to a house in an all white town took a lot of adjusting for me as a kid. I didn’t have a lot of friends growing up. I didn’t know how to connect with my classmates in Long Island. I liked rap, basketball and frequented corner stores. They liked pop punk, lacrosse and traded baseball cards.

It took me a while to fit in but I learned a lot in those confusing times. That’s when I really started to write a lot and just observe people. I never really hung out with one group of people, I wasn’t always with the athletes or the stoners or whatever stereotype you can think of. Fast forward to now and that duality is present all over my music. Learning to combine all these influences into one complete thought has been a challenge but when I do, you’ll know when you hear the song who it is because no one else could make it.

PM: How does The Quiet Two differ from past releases, and how does it connect to The Quiet Ones?

NM: Well I’m not sure if The Quiet Two will ever see the light of day if I’m being honest. I will be dropping some of the songs off that project as singles but I’m not sure if it’ll drop as a full entity. I’ve started working on something else that I’m really proud of. It’s early on but the music has evolved a great deal. It differs in the fact that it’s a bit more modern, the sounds we’re using are more in tune with the times but the lyrics and rhyme schemes have stayed in that old school realm of hip hop. I’m still the quiet one that you got to watch haha.

PM: When did you come up with the mantra “I can turn a negative into a positive with just one line – +”?

NM: I write lyrics on paper for the most part and I was just playing around with symbols one day and that line came into existence. I think it really represents what I stand for and my logo in general. While it looks dark and negative, it’s ultimately positive. We’re spreading hope at the end of the day.

Nikmoody now focuses on the one year anniversary of The Quiet One with the upcoming release of his new single “No Pulse.” Due out on Thursday, November 19 as thanks to his supporters for continuing the journey with him. Given the pandemic and artistic responses to increased isolation and time to create, whatever comes from Nikmoody will surely resonate with his audience.

November 18, 2020
Brooks Hudgins shares Breakup Track “February” from December Debut Album

Multi-talented Brooklyn artist, Brooks Hudgins, just released his new single “February” off of his upcoming debut album Drive Thru Communion. The single first premiered on Cool Hunting, Nov. 13. The album is set to be released Friday December, 11.

Photo Cred: Kevin Lombardo

“February” is a breakup track with dark wit and immaculate production. It transitions into jazzier components as the song carries on. According to Cool Hunting the “lyrics of conflict paint a picture of distaste and concern over a person caught up in vice-laden and content-streaming lifestyle.” Hudgins’s prominent vocals are raw and emotive, a highlights as they blend with the song’s instrumental. In addition to his vocals, Hudgins has songwriting credits for creating his compelling track.

Drive Thru Communion will feature 13 tracks that were all recorded in different studios and bedroom closets across the country. The various locations helped bring a dark peculiarity characteristic that fans have never heard from Brooks Hudgins.

Hudgins has also released two other tracks during 2020 including “405 South” and his debut double single “Only Fans/Gas Station Viagra.” Record producer and former violinist, Grant Gardner, teamed up with Hudgins at Corner Store Studios in Ridgewood, NY to record Drive Thru Communion. Despite little experience, the duo created an alt-country album that shows flashes of brilliance and moments of musical amateurism.

Hudgins started out his musical career as a techno DJ who split time between LA and the UK. He later settled in New York and tried his hand at songwriting and recording tracks in his Bushwick basement studio while working at Sugarfish restaurant at night. Hudgins used his screenwriting experience to write and produce an eight-episode season of an iHeart Country Musical Podcast for MGM and WME. The podcast featured Billy Bob Thornton, Miranda Lambert, Dennis Quaid and Craig Robinson.

November 18, 2020
Blue Note Jazz Club and Restaurant Opens For Dinner and a Show

The popular Blue Note Jazz Club and Restaurant is finally re-opening their doors to jazz lovers and music enthusiasts alike, with a set capacity limit of 25 percent.

Promotion for Blue Note’s first night of re-opening.

I am very happy to announce that the Blue Note will reopen for dining this holiday season. The safety of our guests is our highest priority and our staff is working around the clock to ensure our guests have a comfortable dining experience.
Steven Bensusan, President of Blue Note Entertainent Group

Blue Note originally had to close because of the Covid-19 shutdown. Although they kept active by streaming live shows online, there’s nothing like an in-person jazz experience.

Starting Nov. 27, the club will provide dinner services for selected evenings from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., along with brunch on selected weekends from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Dining packages will also be available to guests who want to experience the “magic of the holidays,” at Blue Note. The diners will be able to experience a list of respectable musicians while eating their meals.

The Greenwich Village club has been around for almost four decades. Opening in 1981, Blue Note became a center for culture and music in New York City. They are known as one of the premier jazz clubs in the world, where they strive to preserve the history of jazz. In the past, they featured renowned artists like, Chick Corea, Joe Lovano, John Scofield, and Chris Botti. The club also frequently promotes up-and-coming jazz, hip-hop, R&B and soul musicians.

Dining packages start at $45 per person, while livestream access is $10. Regardless of whether you would like to enjoy a meal in the presence of a jazz show or do the same thing from home, all the information and payments can be made at Blue Note’s website.

Incidental Music Calendar:

Maurice “Mobetta” Brown Residency – Nov 24, Dec 4, Dec 11, Dec 18

Eddie Palmieri Residency – Nov 28, Dec 5, Dec 12, Dec 19, Dec 26

Brunch: Decade of Soul – Nov 29, Dec 27

Brunch: Nobuki Takamen Trio – Dec 6

Bill Charlap Trio Residency – Dec 9, Dec 16

Theo Croker ‘Star People Nation’ – Dec 10

Black Art Jazz Collective – Dec 13

Brunch: Lauren Henderson – Dec 13

Keyon Harrold – Dec 17

Brunch: New York Swing with Svetlana – Dec 20

Marcus Strickland – Dec 23, Dec 24

November 18, 2020
Carnival Crash: A Legacy of NYC Post-Punk found within ‘It Is A Happy Man’

New York City was much different in the early 1980s then it is today, and without Carnival Crash. The city had a dangerous seediness that was fueled by a Reagan era recession and a deadly arms race that was being perpetrated between the Super Powers of East and West. Everyday could be your last, and the young people of that time questioned everything and trusted no one. They banded together with a “can’t take it with you” attitude that challanged all of the prevailing norms of Reagan’s 80’s America. This cacophony of chaos was the genesis of the post-punk movement, which created some of the most iconic music in history in dank & dirty NYC punk clubs like CBGB and the famed 82 Club.

Bands like the Talking Heads and Television transcended from the punk scene to legendary heights, but for every success there were a multitude of brilliant but brief post punk outfits that never made it out of the NYC scene. This unfortunately was the case for Carnival Crash, a three piece dynamo that lasted just about two years, but luckily for the listener, this obscure trio left us a glorious time capsule. Their legacy of recordings, compiled on It Is A Happy Man (Obelisk Records), stands the test of time. This seven track gem of an EP is the reissue of two different recording sessions that Carnival Crash engaged in back in 1981 and 1982, before they ultimately disbanded later that year.

The now defunk trio was comprised of Norman Westberg (guitar), Ivan Nahem (vocals/drums), and John Griffin (bass/vocals). Although the lifespan of Carnival Crash was short, the members left their mark with tracks like “Tell Tale Heart.” Nahem’s vocals and Griffin’s bass paint the picture of a smoke filled club with sticky floors and plenty of patrons adorned in black leather “slamming” to the hypnotic beat. The band showcases Westburg’s club seasoned guitar stylings, as well the band’s affinity for the classic monster genre with just a dash of twisted humor with numbers like “Frakenstein” and “Edge Of Night.” Both songs could easily be used today on any maccabe low budget horror flick soundtrack.

Carnival Crash brings out their inner Bauhaus with Griffin’s haunting vocals and Nahem’s spot-on percussion work for the album’s fifth and sixth tracks “Nostalgia” and “Method 1.” The recording fidelity on these tracks could be described as poor compared to today’s digitally sanitized world, but these numbers were recorded on a TEAC 4-track recorder way back in 1981. The roughness and grittiness of these recording works in complete synergy to the Carnival Crash’s artistic aesthetic. There are no fancy modern Pro Tools production gimmicks like auto tune on this EP. The band just provides a boat load of reverb with healthy dose of post punk angst and pure artistic expression.

Although their tenure as a band was brief, the members of Carnival Crash continued to create powerful and provocative art throughout the years and are still at it even today. Norman Westberg went on to join Michael Gira as the guitarist for NYC experimental rock band Swans, which would eventually disband in 1997. Westburg still creates music performing and recording as a solo act. Ivan and his brother Andrew formed Ritual Tension with Michael Shockley and Marc Sloan which has recently re-formed after their dissolution in the early 1990’s. They are currently touring and have recorded a new album It’s Just The Apocalypse, It’s Not The End, will be released this Fall on Arguably Records. John Griffin is still producing work as a painter and musician . His latest musical project is called the griffin morrissey catastrophe.

It Is A Happy Man by Carnival Crash will be released by Obelisk Records later this month. The record will be pressed on a limited run of 150 copies on chartreuse vinyl as well as being available in a digital format.

Key Tracks: Tell Tale Heart, Fool, Frankenstein

November 17, 2020
moe. to Premiere ‘Not Normal’ from Palace Theatre on November 19

Before moe. hit the Drive-In circuit this fall, they made a stop to the familiar confines of the Palace Theatre in Albany for a performance that was far from normal. Setting up in the lobby of the Palace, the band performed and recorded a ‘playthrough’ of their new album Not Normal, premiering Thursday, November 19 at 8:30pm on moe.’s YouTube Channel.

photo by Frankie Cavone

Not Normal is the second album to be released by moe. in 2020. The first This is Not, We Are, was shared with fans through weekly videos in May and June. There are no details yet on the five-track studio release, adding a shroud of mystery to the evening’s performance.

photo by Frankie Cavone

On Friday, November 20, Not Normal will be released digitally, and This is Not, We Are will have its long-awaited physical release.

Pre-order physical copies of Not Normal & enter to win a signed test pressing here.

Read mo(r)e. on NYS Music

This is Not, We Are: The latest track, “Dangerous Game,” written by Al Schnier, gives us two takes – one from the studio spliced with a live version from the song’s debut at the State Theatre in Portland, ME on February 16, 2019. Schnier explains about the song:

“This song came from me watching and reading a little bit too much news these days. I don’t want to say that this song is political in nature; it’s more about the personalities of the people in power and maybe the cult of personality and those things we all contend with. I don’t want it to come across as some leftist, liberal rant against the current people in power. It’s more a song about my personal concerns about anyone who would be in a position of power.”

November 17, 2020
Shubh Saran Becoming a Musical Medium of Genres

Brooklyn based musical fusion, Shubh Saran, is Becoming a musical world map for genres. In a cell-phone driven society, you would open your GPS to navigate outward. Saran, 29, becomes a medium, channeling a multitude of genres inward and back out through his compositions. The Indian native fuses traditional music, with punk, blues, rock and his head-on studies in Jazz.

The Delhi high school student made Berklee dream come true, honed his passion amongst a “best-of-the-best” melting pot at the college. He has resided in multiple countries, grabbing musical influence at every turn, and it shows. Now calling New York home, Saran’s latest creation, Becoming, is a must explore.

The title track and lead single off the album was originally released Nov. 12, 2019.

The 5-track EP is an navigation to new color palettes that will re-texture the ears of the most seasoned listener. The goal is not a means to an end; It is an exposition of clashing sounds that provoke a journey of unforeseen turns.

Take The title track “Becoming” as example. Saran cresendos into a collapsing overture, filled with dual-drum-sets, arching strings and key pads. Everything peaks at once until Saran reels you back in with his ethereal guitar passage. It draws you into the basement of Berklee’s practice rooms and jam-sessions; the moment where you are sucked in reverse to the doorway, as an unknown musical fusion burst from its seams.

Pairs of drums, Saxophones and strings create a flam-like density. An illusion of the same track being overlapped in slight delay should sound abrasive yet this creates an ever-expanding feeling. The 5:09 track feels like one deep inhale. Its healing breath ends abruptly.

‘Becoming’ definitely wasn’t written as the single off the album, nor was the EP supposed to be named after the song, or vice versa. As I started writing it, though, I began to realize that this is the anthemic song that really sums up the whole message of the EP.”

Shubh Saran Becoming – Released February 10, 2020

Saran’s musical quests become physical as he travels across the globe with his work. Strength, musical and cultural growth bloom in the cyclical nature of Suran’s playing. Most recently he took this EP on tour to with performances and workshops across New Delhi, Goa, Gurgaon and Mumbai. “I compose in a modern jazz sort of idiom, but I decided to revisit the music I grew up with as a teenager… it was Blink-182, punk rock, Green Day, the kind of music you don”t associate with ”serious music”,” Saran told Outlook India. Saran is giving back, filling the music void he had as a high school student. He excites the musical realm and young artists alike.

“I’ve always liked artists who have long music careers, where their first album is really different from their last album, and you can see the evolution and influences over time. I’m just celebrating that by being who I am as a musician.”

Track Listing:
1. Becoming
2. Storm
3. Safe
4. Comfort (feat. Hannah Sumner and JAE SOTO)
5. Dust

November 16, 2020
Grateful Dead & Friends Surprise Bill Graham’s Fillmore East: 11/16/70

One of the better Grateful Dead shows at the Fillmore East was aided by its surprise attack. Allegedly, two nights before at the same venue, Grace Slick, on behalf of Bill Graham, announced an impromptu “pop-up” show with Jefferson Airplane and the Dead at the same venue that would take place just days later. Since Slick was still pregnant at the time, Jefferson Airplane wound up being replaced as the opener by Hot Tuna. The New Riders of the Purple Sage played an opening set as well as was customary for this tour.

There’s also some previous controversy surrounding this show. For years, it’s been misidentified as an 11/23/70 show at the Anderson Theater in New York City. After a Bill Graham introduction, the band is off and running immediately with a “Casey Jones” that ably motors down the tracks. Next, Bob Weir leads them through the traditional first set stalwart of “Me and My Uncle.”

Oddly, the house PA seems to cut in after this with a recording of Elton John’s take on “Honkey Tonk Women.” This leads into a a cut version “Friend of the Devil.” Despite this lapse, Garcia’s vocals sound pristine in the recording and the band is on point. Then, after essentially a “no huddle” transition, a short yet crisp version of “Cold Rain and Snow” takes place. Afterwards, Pigpen finally gets to take lead for a while as he leads the Dead through a cover of Slim Harpo’s blue standard “I’m A King Bee.” The opening harmonica solo and later interludes between that and guitar solos stretch this one out into a healthy, bluesy jam.

Another classic first set pairing ensues with “China Cat Sunflower,” eventually joined by its traditional partner, “I Know You Rider.” A seemingly quick transition jam later sees the band in full vocal harmony on this spirited take of yet another classic blues cover.

At this point, a special guest joins them on stage in the form of Traffic’s Steve Winwood. The blues sentiment that had been previously established seems to carry right over to the cover of Otis Redding’s “Hard To Handle” that follows. Once again, Pigpen lends his signature vocal prowess to this classic Dead cover. Winwood’s backing on Pigpen’s Hammond organ is immediately felt and can be heard throughout. This one gets into a serious jam with Pigpen taking a backseat and Winwood soloing on top of the groove. Then came the relatively new “Big Railroad Blues,” yet another cover, written by Noah Lewis of Cannon’s Jug Stompers that dates all the way back to 1928.

Right after, the heavily percussive intro of “Not Fade Away” begins with. Chris Wood and Jim Capaldi of Traffic join the band on a half-hearted attempt at the vocals. This eventually evolves into a deep, drum-led jam. More splendid Winwood outbursts later lead into “Goin’ Down The Road Feelin’ Bad” with Garcia and Weir reassuming command. Surprisingly, at its conclusion, this shifts right back into one more quick take of “Not Fade Away,” albeit this time with Weir confidently taking the lead on vocals.

After more than three minutes of a break between songs, Weir once again takes lead on the “Mama Tried” that follows. This is followed by one of the better two-song sequences of the evening. The relatively fresh “Truckin’,” debuted only months earlier at the Fillmore West, follows. Hot Tuna’s Will Scarlet adds a touch of harmonica to this one. Another percussive laden jam follows that seamlessly steers itself into a mesmerizing version of “The Other One.”

The jam that ensues gets spacey midway through before settling back into its normal progression. This is followed with the unofficial encore of “Uncle John’s Band” with more early harmonica fills from Will Scarlet – a near acoustic version until the drums kick in. It’s still fairly new song at this time, but this version is flawless as it continues to build its reputation. This put the cap on the Dead’s “surprise” Fillmore East gig.

November 15, 2020
We’re All Looking For A Little More Love: The Beacon Jams Week 6
Trey Anastasio returned for another installment of The Beacon Jams last night and delivered another astounding show with a well-crafted setlist that showcased several TAB debuts.

Trey was joined by the usual suspects rounding out his band. This included Ray Paczkowski (keyboards), Tony Markellis (bass), Russ Lawton (drums) and Cyro Baptista (percussion). In addition to his backing band, Trey was also again joined by the Rescue Squad Stings. They were composed of Maxim Moston (violin), Katie Kresek (violin), Rachel Golub (viola), and Anja Wood (cello). Jeff Tanski (piano) also sat in sporadically as well. The band was rounded out by the Angels 3 backing vocalists: Jennifer Hartswick, Celisse Henderson and Jo Lampert.

Trey and company wasted absolutely no time opening up with the Phish staple “You Enjoy Myself,” a TAB debut. The opening sequence of the song featured The Rescue Squad strings adding an elegant touch of flair to the beloved number. After “The Silver Light,” Trey turned to his acoustic guitar for a beautiful version of “Winterqueen” before shifting gears to the heavy-hitter “The Moma Dance.”

One of the highlights of the evening came in the middle of the set. Trey opted for the classic Phish ballad “Billy Breathes,” another full TAB debut, where Trey delivered the song’s signature solo (even though he claimed he “messed up”). Before a percussion-heavy version of “Bouncing Around The Room,” Trey dedicated the song to his longtime friend/co-writer Tom Marshall – who recently celebrated his birthday.

The evening wrapped up with a fitting message of hope and optimism in “Rise/Come Together” which fully embraces the overarching theme of The Beacon Jams as a whole. This week’s show also raised over $100,000 for The Divided Sky Fund which provides quality care and compassionate treatment for those struggling with substance abuse issues. If fans are able to donate they can head over to trey.com/donate. The Beacon Jams will resume next Friday at 8 p.m. on Trey’s personal Twitch channel.

photo credit: Jake Silco

Setlist via Phish.net

Set: You Enjoy Myself [1], The Silver Light, Winterqueen [2], The Moma Dance [3], Kill Devil Falls[3], Twenty Years Later[3], Mercy [4], Light [5], Summer of ’89 [6], Joy [7], A Song I Heard the Ocean Sing[3], Farmhouse, Tube[3], Billy Breathes[3], Every Story Ends in Stone, Bouncing Around the Room[3], Wading in the Velvet Sea[3], Are You There Colleen? [8], Rise/Come Together
- [1] Full TAB debut. Began with just Trey with The Rescue Squad Strings and Jeff Tanski on piano with the rest of the band and Jennifer Hartswick, Celisse Henderson, Jo Lampert joining in on vocals later. Lyrics changed to “boy, woman, god, shit.”
- [2] Trey on acoustic guitar with the full band and singers.
- [3] Full TAB debut.
- [4] Debut; with The Rescue Squad Strings and Jeff Tanski on piano.
- [5] With The Rescue Squad Strings.
- [6] With just Trey on acoustic guitar and The Rescue Squad Strings.
- [7] Full TAB debut; with The Rescue Squad Strings.
- [8] Debut.
This performance was part of The Beacon Jams series and featured the debuts of Mercy and Are You There Colleen? and the full TAB debuts of You Enjoy Myself, Moma Dance, Kill Devil Falls, Twenty Years Later, Joy, A Song I Heard the Ocean Sing, Tube, Billy Breathes, Bouncing Around the Room, and Wading in the Velvet Sea. You Enjoy Myself began with just Trey with The Rescue Squad Strings and Jeff Tanski on piano with the rest of the band and Jennifer Hartswick, Celisse Henderson, Jo Lampert joining in on vocals later. The lyrics in You Enjoy Myself were changed to “boy, woman, god, shit.” Winterqueen featured Trey on acoustic guitar with the full band and singers. Trey teased No Men In No Man’s Land in Moma Dance. Mercy through Joy featured The Rescue Squad Strings. Mercy also featured Jeff Tanski on piano. Summer of ’89 featured just Trey on acoustic guitar with the Strings. Trey quoted On the Road Again after Summer of ’89. Trey quoted She Blinded Me with Science in Tube.

All photos by Jake Silco
November 14, 2020