NYS Music 202​0

Category: Reviews

  • Brooklyn’s Antibalas release “Amenawon” off upcoming Daptone Records’ ‘Fu Chronicles’

    Antibalas will celebrate its 20th Anniversary with a return to their Williamsburg roots on their latest Daptone Records studio album, Fu Chronicles, due out on February 7, 2020. Today, Antibalas releases the single “Amenawon.”

    A pre-gentrified Williamsburg serves as the backdrop for Fu Chronicles, a voyage back to the early days of when Antibalas and revered soul label, Daptone Records, were spawned out of lead singer Duke Amayo’s kung fu dojo. A senior master of the Jow Ga Kung Fu School of martial arts, Duke Amayo along with Antibalas’ founder/baritone saxophonist, Martín Perna, guide listeners through an epic journey where kung fu ingeniously intersects with Afrobeat on Fu Chronicles.

    WNWNYC’s New Sounds exclusively premiered Antibalas’ latest from The opening track and first single off Fu Chronicles, “Amenawon,” Tuesday. It honors Amayo’s late mother, whose middle name was Amenawon. She is also depicted on the cover of Fu Chronicles standing as tall as the Statue Of Liberty, carrying a baby.

    With the literal meaning translating to “may the water you will drink, not pass you by,” the composition speaks to rain water washing away pollution and the unveiling of government lies. Amayo pays homage to the Yoruba River goddess, Yomoja, whose healing powers can be accessed by invoking her name. Water is further a symbol in kung fu reflecting one’s ability to adapt to any situation.

    At age 12 in Lagos, Nigeria, Amayo began his kung fu practice while simultaneously witnessing the spiritual leader Fela Kuti perform at his famous nightclubs the Afro-Spot and Afrika Shrine in Lagos. Living in the same neighborhood of the Afro-Spot and sneaking into the clubs to experience the force of nature that was Fela Kuti, a young Amayo was enlightened on his path destined for greatness in America.

    Attracted to the cosmopolitan lifestyle of fashion, dance, martial arts, and music, Amayo moved beyond the highlights of his football career to launch a singular clothing brand and open a kung fu dojo in Williamsburg, dubbed the Afro-Spot Temple. Upon opening the dojo, Daptone co-founder Gabe Roth and Martín Perna inquired about classes, and soon invited Amayo to join Antibalas. The dojo became the headquarters for the band and label with Antibalas’ classic sophomore album, Talkatif (2002), being recorded onsite at the dojo’s recording studio. Coming full circle, Fu Chronicles sees Gabe Roth in the producer’s chair with Antibalas laying down the tracks at Daptone’s House of Soul in Bushwick, Brooklyn.

    Amenawon antibalas

    Fu Chronicles transports listeners to where universal equilibrium and indefinite possibilities unite within a dream world of a child’s limitless mind. The transcendent long-form Afrobeat compositions decolonize our psyches through movements traversing with melodies to realign us with a purpose of finding balance in our coexistence. The fiery Antibalas ensemble — widely renowned as one of America’s fiercest live bands — along with an additional five musicians transform Amayo’s opus into hypnotic and invigorating compositions with singular rhythms of resistance.

    Pre-order the album HERE.

    Over the course of its lauded 20-year career, Antibalas has toured across four continents and produced eight studio albums, establishing them as the premier Afrobeat band in the West. In addition to their integral role as the backing band for the Tony Award-Winning Broadway musical “Fela,” Antibalas has served as the house band for several star-studded tribute shows at Carnegie Hall and the Apollo Theater paying tribute to the music of Aretha Franklin, David Byrne, Paul Simon, and Billie Holiday.

    ANTIBALAS – WINTER & SPRING 2020 TOUR DATES

    Tuesday, February 11 — The Siren — San Luis Obispo, CA

    Wednesday, February 12 — Moe’s Alley — Santa Cruz, CA

    Thursday, February 13 — The Regent — Los Angeles, CA

    Friday, February 14 — The Independent — San Francisco, CA

    Saturday, February 15 — The New Parish — Oakland, CA

    Sunday, February 16 — The Independent — San Francisco, CA

    Thursday, February 20 — Neptune Theatre — Seattle, WA

    Friday, February 21 — Rickshaw Theater — Vancouver, BC

    Saturday, February 22 — PDX Jazz — Portland, OR

    Sunday, February 23 — The Olympic — Boise, ID

    Wednesday, February 26 — Knotty Pine — Victor ID

    Thursday, February 27 — The Commonwealth Room — Salt Lake City, UT

    Friday, February 28 — Washington’s — Fort Collins, CO

    Thursday, March 19 — The Sinclair — Boston, MA

    Friday, March 20 — Brooklyn Bowl — Brooklyn, NY

    Saturday, March 21 — Brooklyn Bowl — Brooklyn, NY

    Thursday, March 26 — Terminal West — Atlanta, GA

    Friday, March 27 — The Grey Eagle — Asheville, NC

    Saturday, March 28 — Cat’s Cradle — Carrboro, NC

    Friday, April 3 — Sleeping Village — Chicago, IL

    Saturday, April 4 — SPACE — Evanston, IL

    Friday, April 10 — Lee’s Palace — Toronto, ON

    Saturday, April 11 — Lee’s Palace — Toronto, ON

    Friday, April 17 — Theatre of The Living Arts — Philadelphia, PA

  • Wale Proves Everything is Fine at Brooklyn Steel

    Ever since Washington D.C. based rapper Wale released his debut album Attention Deficit in 2009, he’s had a steady output of biennial records. In October of 2019, Wale out put his latest release, Wow… That’s Crazy, on Warner Records and has been touring behind it ever since. The ‘Wow… That’s Crazy‘ tour made its way to Brooklyn Steel on January 15, with support from Yowda and DJ Money.

    Wale opened the show with one of his biggest hits – “Lotus Flower Bomb,” off his sophomore release Ambition. Miguel’s opening verse on the track served as Wale’s introduction on stage, and the capacity crowd burst out with energy. They were in full-throat the entire show, singing along to every track without missing a single beat. The fans that showed up Wednesday night spared no moment to express their admiration for Wale and his music.

    Wale was in firm command of the stage and kept the energy at a high level the entire show. Emphatically bouncing back and forth across the stage, he frequently allowed the fans to sing over his beats, creating a very engaging and intimate performance. Wale’s music attracts people of all ages and backgrounds and that was confirmed just by looking around. In the security pit alone there were young teens, boomer-aged adults and even a group of uniformed NYPD who came inside to catch a bit of the show themselves.

    Wale at Brooklyn Steel – Photo: Joseph Buscarello

    The show concluded with the track “On Chill” off Wow… That’s Crazy, allowing Wale to display his rap talents one more time before saying good night. This is the second leg of the tour behind the new record and shows continue through the end of February with the last stop at the Masonic Temple in Detroit, MI.

  • William Prince is Positively Brilliant in Rochester

    Prince, William. That’s one of the hardest working commas you will see, and this isn’t a post about drama with the British Royals. Juno-winning singer-songwriter, William Prince, sprinkled plenty more punctuation throughout his two-set show for Honest Folk at Restaurant Good Luck in Rochester, on Monday night.

    It started with a question mark. “Does anyone know who I am?” he asked in singsong banter before opening the night with “Young,” a song he wrote only two days prior. “Yours are the first human ears to hear that song,” he remarked. It was an unusual start for a musician who is touring ahead of his sophomore album release, due out February 8. But Prince would prove to be someone who plays by his own rules. He opened the second set with another new one written within the last two months.

    After an album is created he just continues to write new music, he explained. It isn’t surprising. The man is oozing music. Songs drifted in and out of each other with ellipses. His banter was sung, spoken over a picked guitar, or both, and was as engaging as the very personal, emotionally attached music. It served to enhance the songs meaning, bring the crowd into his life and turned an already intimate show into virtually one-on-one conversations with each audience member.

    Many incredible words were bracketed by quotation marks throughout the night, both in song and out: from the funny, “if you have marijuana, meet me outside at the break,” to the wise, “You can sit in a garage all you want, but you’ll never turn into a car.” Or the insightful, “Flesh and blood needs flesh and blood, and where there’s blood there’s pain.”

    Prince’s rich voice, fluid guitar picking, and the tenor of his songs, combined for a sound that sat squarely in the most traditional folk music. Unlike much from the genre, his lyrics found optimism, hope and love in even the darkest times. So much of his writing centered on the love of family, his parents, partners, and his son.

    Songs of his parents became songs about his parenthood, songs of his childhood became songs about his child. Passed down like his heritage as descendant of First Nations people in Canada. Songs about his departed father weren’t steeped in sadness, but concentrated more in loving memory. Even songs about his ex were happy and loving. He preferred not to dwell in the negative, putting positive spins on some of the lower points in life and simple misunderstandings alike.

    The show-opening question mark was answered with a resounding exclamation point by show’s end, with multiple standing ovations and a mutual admiration from musician and audience.

    Honest Folk might be batting 1.000 when it comes to eliciting an expression of amazement from the artist upon announcing the next show. And so it was with the announcement that Joe Pug would be playing Good Luck February 17. Early bird tickets are on sale now.

  • Joe Russo Presents Hooteroll? + Plus! at Winter Jazz Fest; The Bogie Band Debuts

    Winter Jazz Fest continued at Brooklyn Bowl last night with the worldwide debut of The Bogie Band featuring Joe Russo. Opening for Joe Russo Presents Hooteroll? + Plus!, this “no strings attached” powerhouse of wind instruments and drums featured Stuart Bogie on tenor sax fronting a nine-piece band: one flute (sometimes three), two saxophones (tenor and baritone), two trombones, two trumpets, one tuba, one percussion, and one octo-Russo on drums. One minute into the opening set, it became clearly evident that crossing the Verrazzano on a Sunday night after a long and exhausting weekend would be supremely worth it. Stuart Bogie has such an easy way about him, and he was perfectly comfortable on a stage he’s graced many times before, as this collection of Brooklyn’s finest musicians took the stage in front of an eager audience, both respectful and rabid in equal measure.

    The Bogie Band
    Photo credit: Jamie Huenefeld

    Just as I was starting to recognize this local all-star troupe of musicians from Antibalas (Jordan McLean), Rubblebucket (Adam Dotson), and Reverend Vince Anderson’s Love Choir (Smoota, real name Dave Smith), the band toyed with a seemingly appropriate take on the All in the Family theme song. Bogie jumped back and forth between tenor sax and flute, while also playing band director on more than one occasion, both with the crowd and his eponymous band. At one point, he addressed the crowd, “You got one part. It’s to say hey. We’re going to cultivate and nurture a collective force. It could prove useful for more than just this song,” as he coaxed the crowd to join in a deep and guttural heyyy in time with the song’s climax. During a few softer moments, Russo moved from his signature savagery on the drum kit to a xylophone of sorts, stainless steel rectangles on an egg crate, highlighting the beauty of the quieter and more delicate jams. 

    The Bogie Band
    Photo credit: Jamie Huenefeld

    While this debut set was highly anticipated, I perhaps underestimated how hard the music would coax me to dance and sweat. Stuart Bogie is a musician who creates and takes risks, and this one paid off hand over fist. As the 45-minute set came to its unfortunate end, the musicians left the stage single file, in a slow march to Russo’s waning bell play. I’m very much looking forward to seeing more of The Bogie Band featuring Joe Russo, and feeling very grateful to have had the chance to write these words and cover this spectacular debut performance.

    The Bogie Band
    Photo credit: Jamie Huenefeld

    Check out Headrush, Pt. 1, a recently released single on spotify, with a full album coming soon.

    Joe Russo Presents Hooteroll? + Plus!, exploring the works of Jerry Garcia, Howard Wales and others, was the featured set of this Winter Jazz Fest installment. Another all-star cast of musicians featuring Stuart Bogie (tenor sax), Erik Deutsch (keys), Jonathan Goldberger (guitar), Dave Harrington (bass), Kevin Kendrick (vibraphone), Jordan McLean (trumpet), and Joe Russo (drums) recreated Jerry Garcia’s 1971 Hooteroll? album. As Russo would later explain after one of the + Plus! selections, “We’re going to play the whole Hooteroll? record plus. This last song was the Pherboney Love Theme, the first track off my new record. We wanted to intersperse the record with songs that make sense.” Um, good choice, Joe! 

    The Bogie Band
    Photo credit: Jamie Huenefeld

    Last night’s set, and the album upon which it was based, was a master class in guitar-shreddy acid jazz, cut with blues and highly danceable rock ‘n roll, all set to the tempo of Russo and Harrington’s world class rhythm section. Erik Deustch played the role of Howard Wales, Garcia’s partner and mentor of sorts on this storied album, as he graced the crowd with the gorgeous sounds of his vintage Fender Rhodes and Hammond B3. Goldberger melted faces, as he is wont to do, with a variety of stunning solo work on both the electric and acoustic guitars. Kevin Kendrick’s contributions on the vibraphone gave the music an ethereal feel, soft and beautiful. If music satisfied the sense of touch, then Kendrick’s contribution was swathed in velvet. Bogie and McLean’s horn play was the bacon on this jam sandwich, making everything better as it occasionally stole the spotlight. Speaking of spotlights, there were none. Everyone shone. Focus may have drifted from one musician to the next as subtle flourishes highlighted this or that musician, only to realize that the full band was firing on all cylinders at all times. 

    The Bogie Band
    Photo credit: Jamie Huenefeld

    Dave Harrington. Just… WOW. I mean, he’s a guitar player, and a bass is technically a guitar, but he rarely, if ever, plays bass. Maybe it’s like his secret talent. In fact, I don’t know of the last time (which doesn’t mean it didn’t happen) since April of 2017, when this same ensemble recreated Hooteroll? in Port Chester’s Capitol Theatre. Wait, …, what?!?! Dave Harrington may have stolen the show if this wasn’t such a collective project. Tucked behind Russo, he seemed to be soloing all night, never playing the same riff, as his fingers ran up and down the bass with unthinkable speed and dexterity. My hips could barely keep up as my jaw hung open. What he did last night was something special; when this guy picks up a bass again, miss it at your own peril!

    The Bogie Band
    Photo credit: Jamie Huenefeld

    In addition to the awesome musicianship and shared love for Jerry Garcia and this incredible record, the level of trust in the room was a tangible phenomenon that was perhaps the defining factor that put last night’s show into the record books. Let’s remember that Russo, Kendrick, Deutsch and Goldberger all share history with Fat Mama. Harrington and Russo are regulars on the improvisational NYC circuit. Bogie and McLean both play in Antibalas. Bogie plays with JRAD from time to time. Everyone plays with everyone all over the local scene. The comfort and joy that these musicians shared was a joy to behold and manifested itself in every peak and, even more so, quiet valley. From the listener’s perspective, the crowd, too, displayed perfect trust, as we were patient, present, and secure in the knowledge that wherever the music took us is where we were supposed to be. And the band clearly enjoyed the crowd enjoying them, as the room’s energy was in a constant state of reciprocal motion.

    The Bogie Band
    Photo credit: Jamie Huenefeld

    A hundred minutes later, at the culmination of yet another monster jam, Russo just shrugged and gave The Bogie Band mates an “I think we’re done here look,” returning to thunderous applause for a fifteen-minute encore that would bring the show to the two-hour mark, capping off this all-too-rare project for the ages.

  • The Knitting Factory hosts the 9th Annual Wintercourse

    The silly and surreal met the seriously groovy at the 9th Annual Wintercourse. The single-night, multi-artist musical event was presented by Brooklyn electro-funk band Cousin Earth.

    The historic, hole-in-the-wall Knitting factory hosted the event for the fourth time in a row. This year’s Wintercourse went off with aplomb, delivering the musical goods four times over. Pennsylvania psychedelic punk band Medusa’s Disco opened things up. Additionally, Of Clocks and Clouds performed next, while the legendary jam band The Breakfast headlined the evening. Cousin Earth themselves also performed a complete set in addition to hosting the event.

    Cousin Earth performs at their festival: The 9th Annual Wintercourse

    The Performance

    Medusa’s Disco revved up the beginning of the night with an immediate smattering of fearlessly intense music. Donned in devil horns and Willy Wonka spectacles, the members whipped across head-spinning riffs and cool, classic rock-style melodies. Medusa’s Disco presented a kind of feel-so-bad-it-feels-good rock and roll. A song like “Painters Painting Paintings,” a new song from the band, gives a great example of their essence: punk rock updated sonically for the modern age, without losing the raw spirit of the genre.

    Of Clocks And Clouds performed at a hometown venue in Knitting Factory. Their set received fantastic enthusiasm from the crowd. The psychedelic metal quartet tapped into some vibrant improvisation for their performance. They played a few songs that were outright inspirational in their climactic peaks. One in particular was “Who I Am,” which managed to mutate its catchy chorus and composition into a terrifically bright and uplifting jam.

    Medusa’s Disco gets down at the 9th Annual Wintercourse

    Collaboration Efforts

    Many anticipated a collaboration somewhere on this stacked lineup for Wintercourse 9. Cousin Earth’s ukulele lead Joey Calfa made that happen here in the Clocks set. He joined the band on a great version of “Hey Joe,” for which he shared in a sweet guitar shredding session with OCAC’s Tom Salgo. Calfa, for anybody who for some reason is unaware, is a Jedi on his instrument, at danger of ripping holes in time and space when he really gets going on a ukulele solo. But OCAC’s Tom and his brother Joe Salgo are confidently apt guitar players themselves, and they both delivered their own righteous lead solos back and forth.

    Perhaps Cousin Earth followed the lead of Of Clocks and Clouds (who wrapped things up with Pink Floyd’s “Time”), for they opened their own performance with a take on “Great Gig In The Sky,” a rare and pretty cool choice for a set opener. Then they dove into their own music and things got groovy real fast. “Burnin’ Up For You” was a great blues-funk number that showcased the insatiable voice of the band’s lead vocalist Melissa Raye. By the time the band led the room through a meticulously played, futuristic-sounding disco rock groove, Knitting Factory took the spirit of Wintercourse 9 and ran away with it.

    Prodded on by the ultimate ringmaster/troublemaker, Medusa’s Disco guitarist Wynton Huddle, the show which was musically splendid now became physically and visually joyful.

    A wild unicorn appears at the 9th Annual Wintercourse

    The Snowball Fight, Aliens, and More

    Huddle snuck on stage in the middle of Cousin Earth’s jam and unleashed dozens of styrofoam “snowballs” into the crowd. A snowball fight occurred between crowd goers and members of Cousin Earth. The spontaneous snowball fight lasted for the entirety of their song. A unicorn making its way onto stage and men in alien and dinosaur costumes dancing in the audience threw the careless whimsy of Wintercourse over the cliff. As the craziness wound down, Cousin Earth’s members sang sweetly into the mic repeating: “Mr. Alien, please don’t kill us. Please don’t kill us, Mr. Alien.” This segment takes its name from the band’s most recent studio album, Please Don’t Kill Us, released in April of 2019.

    “Okay, here’s a fish song.” For their finish, the Brooklyn ukelele-led rockers threw down an incredibly unique and formidable version of Heart’s “Barracuda”. The night pointed straight towards a high-reigning set from The Breakfast. The band consists of four unmatchable players: guitarist Tim Palmeri, drummer Adrian Tromontano, bassist Chris DeAngelis, as well as keyboard player Jordan Giangreco, who gets invited regularly to play with far too many notable bands to count. “I’d say these guys are my guilty pleasure, but I don’t feel guilty about it at all. They’re just my pleasure,” introduced Cousin Earth bassist Corey J. Feldman, who was acting as MC for the evening.

    Jordan Giangreco of The Breakfast at The 9th Annual Wintercourse

    The Closing Act – Final Thoughts

    Furthermore, the short set from The Breakfast was a ballistic sprint from start to finish. Those aware of the northeast jam scene know that fast and furious is the only way how to do it. No matter the time, place, or conditions, it will always be a masterclass in how to shred.

    Nevertheless, the band played versions of their classic hits in this closing set, including a version of “Over Exposure”. The musically focused song, worked through varying sections of tempo and melody with the maximum tightness. The song hit at the same level of supersonic barbarity as all the other jams produced throughout the night. Lastly, fans cheered on The Breakfast’s following cover of “Teenage Wasteland” as they screamed along to the lyrics.

  • Harriet Tubman Brings the Prog to NYC Winter Jazzfest

    NYC Winter Jazzfest kicked off last week with over 150 artists spread across more than a dozen venues in the city. We caught up with NYC vets Harriet Tubman at The Sultan Room on Saturday night for a sold out show supporting James “Blood” Ulmer.

    Harriet Tubman at The Sultan Room – Photo: Joseph Buscarello

    The trio has been a staple of the underground jazz scene in New York for more than 20 years and has thus garnered a large following here in the city. Even though Harriet Tubman was billed as the opener, the sold-out crowd was in attendance early to catch a rare live show from the group. After all, there was an 11-year gap between records, spanning the entire decade from 2000-2010.

    J.T. Lewis of Harriet Tubman at The Sultan Room – Photo: Joseph Buscarello

    The trio consists of bassist Melvin Gibbs, guitarist Brandon Ross and drummer J.T. Lewis, and they can easily be described as a “power jazz trio.” Their style is a very heavy and dystopian mix of jazz, funk and psychedelic rock. Think of a jazz-fusion soundtrack for the end of the world and you have yourself a Harriet Tubman record. On their latest release, tracks like “Prototaxite,’”refer to a pre-historic mushroom measuring more than 20 feet high, and “Unseen Advance of the Aquifarian” gives you an idea what you are in for.

    Melvin Gibbs of Harriet Tubman at The Sultan Room – Photo: Joseph Buscarello

    The three musicians have amazing chemistry and produce such dense layers of loops and rhythms that you would think the band is twice as large. A setting like The Sultan Room was an ideal choice for their style. A small, crescent shaped floor with a low standing mezzanine provides an intimate setting to be engulfed by the noise they produce. The vibrant and nu-retro backdrop added to the futuristic aesthetic the band goes for in their sound.

    Brandon Ross of Harriet Tubman at The Sultan Room – Photo: Joseph Buscarello

    The band’s last record, The Terror End of Beauty, came out back in 2018 and, as of right now, they only have a few more US dates scheduled for January, all on the West Coast. Find those dates here and don’t miss a chance to catch this unique avant-garde jazz group in person.

  • In Focus: TAB End a Weekend at The Cap

    Trey Anastasio Band )TAB) closed a sold out, two-night run at the historic Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, on Saturday. Fresh off ringing in a new decade, up in the rafters of Madison Square Garden, Trey and his amazing band warmed up the theatre with energy and ease. The original rock palace served as a perfect setting, allowing for a more intimate and special-filled night of fan favorites, and debuts.

    The weekend was a springboard for a short winter tour to begin mid-January.

    The night kicked off with a mellow “Everything’s Right.” The highlight of the first set came with the debut of “Silver Light,” only to kick back with “Ocelot,” and round out with “Rise/Come Together.” After a short break, the second set ensued: “46 Days,” a bass heavy “Sand,” an eight-minute “Mr. Completely,” and a classic “First Tube,” to close out a great night. The octet returned to the stage for a 12-minute encore (of a not-so) “Brief Time” and “Push on Till the Day”

    Set One: Everything’s Right, Cayman Review, Acting The Devil, Alive Again, Sometime After the Sunset, Silver Light, Mozzambique, Ocelot, Curlew’s Call, Rise/Come Together.

    Set Two: Burlap Sack and Pumps, 46 Days, Magilla, Sand, A life Beyond The Dream, Liquid Time, Heavy Things, Traveler, Mr. Completely, Dark and Down, First Tube.

    Encore: Brief Time, Push On Til The Day.

  • Don’t Call It A Comeback: Motion City Soundtrack Return to Webster Hall

    Motion City Soundtrack have been on indefinite hiatus since 2016, but last summer the Minneapolis band began teasing something for New Years Eve. The surprise came in the form of a NYE show in Chicago at House of Blues followed by a month-long “Don’t Call It A Comeback” tour of the US. New York area shows included Webster Hall in NYC, where we caught the tour, Starland Ballroom in NJ and The Paramount on Long Island.

    Justin Pierre of Motion City Soundtrack – Photo: Joseph Buscarello

    The newly renovated Webster Hall is still very much a work in progress, but that did not take away from the delight and anticipation of the fans. By the time the opening bands were set to play, the room was already mostly full and buzzing. Support for the night came from Gregory Stovetop followed by The Sidekicks who both played very upbeat pop-rock sets.

    The Sidekicks at Webster Hall 1/8/2020 – Photo: Joseph Buscarello
    The Sidekicks at Webster Hall 1/8/2020 – Photo: Joseph Buscarello

    Motion City Soundtrack put out one of the most iconic mid-2000s anthem in “Everything is Alright,” and the crowd was treated to it early as the second song. The entire room jumped along to the guitar riff, stressing the ancient Webster Hall floor, while shouting the chorus in full-throat. Another fan favorite, and pop-rock hit “The Future Freaks Me Out” served as the final song of the night.

    Motion City Soundtrack at Webster Hall 1/8/2020 – Photo: Joseph Buscarello

    The band had terrific chemistry throughout the night, Justin’s vocals sounded crisp and the band delivered a tight 20 song, career-spanning set, meant to please. The hiatus is certainly over and MCS are back at it.

    Motion City Soundtrack at Webster Hall 1/8/2020 – Photo: Joseph Buscarello

    The rest of the tour runs through mid February, with stops coast to coast, concluding with three sold-out home town shows at The Fillmore in Minneapolis. Support for those last shows comes from White Reaper, Why Not, Lydia Lizer and Author.

    Photo by: Buscar Photo (www.buscarphoto.com)
    Photo by: Buscar Photo (www.buscarphoto.com)
    Photo by: Buscar Photo (www.buscarphoto.com)
    Photo by: Buscar Photo (www.buscarphoto.com)
    Photo by: Buscar Photo (www.buscarphoto.com)
    Photo by: Buscar Photo (www.buscarphoto.com)
    Photo by: Buscar Photo (www.buscarphoto.com)
    Photo by: Buscar Photo (www.buscarphoto.com)
    Photo by: Buscar Photo (www.buscarphoto.com)
    Photo by: Buscar Photo (www.buscarphoto.com)
    Photo by: Buscar Photo (www.buscarphoto.com)
    Photo by: Buscar Photo (www.buscarphoto.com)

  • In Focus: Del McCoury’s Magical, Guest-Filled Night at The Capitol Theatre

    The Capitol Theatre has had a lot of impressive shows in recent times: a Neil Young pop up show, multi-night runs with legendary rockers Ween, the opening night of a three-night-only touring run for the vintage jam project Vida Blue, and lots of others. On December 21, 2019, the Port Chester, NY music venue hosted a concert as special or even more so, the “80th Birthday Celebration” of Del McCoury.

    For fans of bluegrass, it doesn’t get much more important than Del, at least in terms of still living musicians. Across his more than sixty-year career, Del shaped the way modern bluegrass guitarist approached their instruments, as well as the way they sing a ballad or write an instrumental tune. He has performed with nearly everyone that made a mark upon the genre, which is perhaps fitting that this eightieth celebration show was billed as an evening with special guests. Players both classically recognized and recently popular were invited to be a part of this one of a kind, free-for-all style celebration of one of the guys who helped to start it all.

    Del and his family group, The Del McCoury Band, tore open the evening with the invigorating, breakdown-style tune “Traveling Tear Drop Blues.” What was cool about this – it is a song that many bluegrass bands coming up in the past decade or so, from Yonder Mountain String Band to The Infamous Stringdusters, have covered regularly. Pretty much all of the songs being performed this evening at The Cap were now historically famous numbers that Del had either written himself or put his spin on decades ago. It links a sense of timelessness to the man himself.

    At 80 years old, not only does Del pick a guitar as well as ever, but he’s spry in both mind and spirit. The entire night saw him bantering back and forth with an incredibly enthusiastic crowd. People screamed covers endlessly, which made him chuckle every time. Calls for perhaps what is his most famous cover, Richard Thompson’s Del joked to the crowd: “Yes, we’ll get that Vincent, for ya, we will! Maybe right after the show’s over!”

    But it’s not just a Del show. The Del McCoury Band, who have toured in recent years without their founding father — that there’s three generations of McCoury ripping it up on stage right now. There’s Del, his sons Ronnie McCoury on mandolin and Rob McCoury on banjo, who have been in the band since the 1980s. As of late there is also Heaven McCoury, who takes after his grandfather and picks a mean guitar. Heaven might have hung in the back quietly most of the night, but whenever it was his turn to step up to the mic, he impressed.  

    Soon enough, after the core band had whipped the audience around for a bit, they brought out the night’s first special guest. “He’s one of the best in the entire world on his instrument,” introduced Ronnie McCoury, “please welcome, Jerry Douglas.” Yes, he is even objectively speaking probably the single greatest dobro player of all time, but in addition, he matches Del’s smile and charm. He instantly helped pick one of Del’s most famous tracks, “Nashville Cats.” The first set ended on a fantastic, strong note. Douglas lead the way on a quick but searing instrumental breakdown tune. 

    Set breaks aren’t usually magical, yet The Capitol Theatre always surprises its audiences with tricks. As The Del McCoury Band watched backstage, The Cap played a montage clip of musicians giving sentiments about the eighty-year-old legend on the venues wall. Giants from Paul Simon and Robert Plant, to jam scene heroes Trey Anastasio, Mike Gordon, and bluegrass newcomers Trampled By Turtles and Chris Thile, all spoke words of thanks and admiration towards Del. His limitless influence upon them, and American music in general, was clear.  

    Post montage, Del ushered the second half of the night with a duo, alongside noteworthy David Grisman. Grisman, just a few years younger than Del (as he made sure to point out humorously this evening), also earned his place in the Bluegrass Hall of Fame, across countless records and collaborations with others of the genre. Del and Dawg, as they have billed themselves over the past few years, have an old folkster sort of camaraderie. Corny jokes were as present as the solos traded off back and forth.

    The rest of the evening absolutely shined, getting better with each song and new guest called up. The last two guests, Leftover Salmon’s guitarist Vince Herman and mandolinist Drew Emmitt, ensued a full bluegrass ensemble – it was a magnificent sight and sound to behold. The entry of Andy Falco, guitarist for the Grammy-winning jamgrass outfit The Infamous Stringdusters, was especially touching as it was his first time getting to sing on stage with Del.

    With all centered around Del, musicians picked in glorious, uniform and flawless fashion. All the songs “Midnight Blues” again a classic number but once that saw a resurgence of popularity with Leftover Salmon’s cover in the early 2000s, was a highlight of the night. It brought that great, country-rock kind of groove, but amplified with the intensity of a lot more players, and of course brought sharp solo after solo, after solo.

    After a double encore of one of the most famous bluegrass songs of all time, “Rollin’ In My Sweet Baby’s Arms,” Del’s 80th Birthday Celebration clocked close to three hours, with the main McCoury strumming and singing as effortlessly as he did around its opening. If that doesn’t speak to the fascinating amount of vitality this man commands as a performer, nothing will.

  • Gov’t Mule rocks into 2020 at historic Beacon Theatre with The Record Company

    Gov’t Mule wrapped up 2019 with two shows at the Beacon Theatre in New York City, with a fair amount of Beatles covers in the process. The band teased the possibility of some Beatles songs on their social media ahead of the run, with pictures of mules walking across Abbey Road as well as playing on the rooftop of Apple headquarters. 

    gov't mule beacon

    Night one included covers of “She Said She Said,” “Tomorrow Never Knows,” “And Your Bird Can Sing,” and “Revolution.” Night two’s crowd was treated to an entire eleven-song post-midnight Beatles set with songs including “Get Back,” “Come Together,” “Oh Darling” and “Something.”

    Prior to the December 30th show, The Madison Square Garden Company (owners of the Beacon) presented the band with a commemorative plaque honoring their 40 shows at the venue (as of New Year’s Eve). The plaque will be on display backstage at The Beacon.

    Gov’t Mule next performs in Jamaica on January 17 for their Island Exodus shows. Warren Haynes will also be part of The Allman Brothers’ 50th Anniversary show at Madison Square Garden on March 10. 

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ot5XpIcRBWk

    Setlist: December 30, 2019

    Set 1: Railroad Boy, Larger Than Life, Fool’s Moon, Painted Silver Light, Effigy > Folsom Prison Blues Jam, Effigy, Which Way Do We Run, She Said, She Said, Tomorrow Never Knows, And Your Bird Can Sing#, Revolution*^ Revolution Come, Revolution Go

    Set 2: Dark Was The Night, Cold Was The Ground, So Weak, So Strong, Doing It To Death, Fallen Down, The Other One Jam@, Play With Fire#@, Birth Of The Mule&

    Encore: Live With Me*+

    # with The Better Half Singers
    @ with Aaron Heick
    * Debut
    ^ with Connor Kennedy
    & with Oz Noy Mule
    + with Carmine Appice & Jimmy Vivino

    Setlist: December 31, 2019

    Set 1: Mr. Man, Lola, Leave Your Light On, Unring The Bell, Endless Parade, Whisper In Your Soul, Thorns Of Life, Game Face > Mountain Jam > Game Face, Don’t Step On The Grass, Sam, Eternity’s Breath Jam, Tastes Like Wine

    Set 2: (full set with Connor Kennedy) Get Back*, Don’t Let Me Down, I’ve Got A Feeling*, One After 909*, Dig A Pony*, Dig A Pony (Reprise)* > Auld Lang Syne, Come Together*, Oh! Darling*, Something*, I Want You (She’s So Heavy), The End

    Encore: Brighter Days, Silent Scream Pt. 2 > Scenes From A Troubled Mind > Starship Trooper Jam > The Gates of Delirium Jam > Starship Trooper Jam > Scenes From A Troubled Mind > Silent Scream Pt. 2, Sco-Mule^, Lay Your Burden Down >, Smokestack Lightning^ > Lay Your Burden Down, Catfish Blues^, Bad Little Doggie

    * debut
    ^ with Jimmy Vivino

    • gov't mule beacon
    • gov't mule beacon

    Opening for Gov’t Mule on Monday, December 30 was The Record Company. The Los Angeles-based band consists of Chris Vos (guitar, lead vocals), Alex Stiff (bass, backing vocals), and Marc Cazorla (drums, backing vocal). The trio was influenced by blues singers as well as early punk and rock bands like The Stooges and The Rolling Stones. 

    The Record Company began their set with the second single “Make it Happen” from their most recent album All of This Life.  As soon as they started playing, the crowd was immediately engaged. They followed that with two cuts from the first album, “On the Move” and “Rita Mae,” plus their 2017 single “Baby I’m Broken.” Only a few songs in and the Beacon was nearly filled to capacity as people finished filing in. Many people were dancing in the aisles and singing along as the band did a few more songs from the first album Give it Back to You. The set ended with a tremendous version of  “I’m Getting Better” that left the crowd wanting more. 

    The band will be playing The Summer Camp Music Festival in Chillicothe,IL, as well as The Riverbend Festival in Chattanooga, TN this summer. 

    Setlist: Make it Happen, On The Move, Rita Mae Young, Baby I’m Broken, Turn Me Loose, Off The Ground, Life to Fix, I’m Getting Better