Let’s head north on I-87 to Glens Falls for the May 5, 1981 Grateful Dead show at Glens Falls Civic Center. This is a high energy show, especially Set 2.
The opening set goes back and forth on Jerry and Bobby tunes until “Althea” breaks out for 10 minutes, and the set-closing pair of “The Music Never Stopped” -> “Don’t Ease Me In” is worth a listen. Set 2 stands out on paper, and for good reason. The transition from “Scarlet Begonias” into “Fire on the Mountain” is as musically tight as one could ask for, with melodic solos throughout each.
backstage pass via Larry St.Pierre
“Estimated Prophet” gets dark quick and leads into the uplifting “Eyes of the World.” A Spanish jam that develops from “Truckin’” leads into “Alabama Getaway,” and closes a set with “Johnny B. Goode.” This show is a hidden gem among Dead shows in Upstate New York. Listen below.
Grateful Dead – Glens Falls Civic Center – May 5, 1981
Set 1: Feel Like A Stranger, Peggy-O-> El Paso, Ramble On Rose, CC Rider, Althea, Passenger, Brown Eyed Women, The Music Never Stopped-> Don’t Ease Me In
Set 2: Scarlet Begonias-> Fire On The Mountain, Estimated Prophet-> Eyes Of The World-> Drums-> Uncle John’s Band-> Truckin’-> Alabama Getaway-> Johnny B. Goode
Lorelle Meets the Obsolete hail from Guadalajara, Mexico and have been releasing psychedelic post-punk since their debut, On Welfare, back in 2011. The band consists of primary members Lorena Quintanilla and Alberto González who come together to create walls of dystopian noise they dub “pattern music.”
Lorelle Meets The Obsolete at Rough Trade NYC – Photo: Joseph Buscarello
The band came through Rough Trade NYC this past Monday for the first show of a tour supporting Berlin goth-rockers The Underground Youth. The tour was supposed to be centered around various appearances at the now cancelled SXSW festival in Austin, but will continue into April with stops all across North America.
Lorelle Meets The Obsolete at Rough Trade NYC – Photo: Joseph Buscarello
The show started with the opening track “Ana” from LMTO’s fantastic 2019 release De Facto. The song starts from nothing and slowly builds into haunting vocal mantras and waves of heavily distorted guitars. It’s a dark, brooding track the set an ominous mood for the rest of the show. The band would play about half of the new record and also included other tracks such as “Waves Over Shadows” and “Eco Echo” from 2016s Balance. The band delivered a dense 9-track set filled with extended psych jams and lengthy outros that the showed the group feeding off each other’s energy.
Lorelle Meets The Obsolete at Rough Trade NYC – Photo: Joseph Buscarello
Last October, LMTO released a remix of the De Facto track “Unificado” by Pye Corner Audio – check that out HERE. Catch them on tour throughout March and early April and be on the lookout for more remix singles.
There’s something amazing about the music of the Grateful Dead; it is a catalog of songs that has spoken to music fans for generations. It’s a collection of music that, since the 2015 Fare Thee Well shows in Chicago, has exploded, ushering in a new generation of musicians that are carrying the torch of the Grateful Dead Family. These songs are the only collection of music in the world that has a whole scene based around it. One that is growing around the next generation of musicians covering, experimenting and paying tribute to this amazing catalog. Since its formation, The Terrapin Family Band is one of the top bands doing this and has brought a new and fun sound to this music that has new and old Deadheads alike excited for whats new and what’s next.
Thursday night this remarkably talented group of musicians brought their take on The Dead catalog to the intimate Brooklyn Bowl. The band, led by Grahame Lesh, also includes Ross James, Alex Koford, Jason Crosby, Elliot Peck, and Nathan Grahame, treated Deadheads to two sets of classics like “Bertha,” “New Minglewood Blues,” “Sugar Magnolia,” and “The Other One.” But It was the addition of the TAB horns of James Casey and Natalie Cressman on songs like “Dancing in the Street” and “Brokedown Palace” that show why this music is thriving again – it’s moments like this when the next generation of musicians are taking these classic songs and throwing their vision and musical style into the mix. It’s moments like this that show the magic of the Grateful Dead and why the Terrapin Family Band is so much more than a cover band, they are the leaders in this movement that’s reminding all music fans that family is what the Grateful Dead community is all about.
Keep an eye out for more upcoming dates, and hopefully some festival appearances from the band this summer. And don’t be surprised if most of this band will be at The Capitol Theatre next weekend joining in the celebration at Phil Lesh’s 80th Birthday Party.
At just 23, singer, songwriter, and producer Chelsea Cutler has achieved more than most of us can dream of. Starting off by simply uploading covers from the comfort of her bedroom, Cutler has amassed over 750 million streams across platforms in just two years. Her relatable lyrics and catchy lo-fi beats have positioned her as a rising pop star. Her two sold-out gigs at Terminal 5 in New York City, however, have cemented her there.
Cutler is well-known for her dedicated fan base; her fans don’t just sing along. The crowd at Terminal 5 was no exception. They sang each word, to each song—so much so that Cutler held out her mic on numerous occasions to listen to her chorus.
In a moment of vulnerability, Chelsea Cutler addressed her hometown crowd. “I told my team that maybe we could do Terminal 5, but I didn’t think it would sell out. I was scared…but New York City…you sold this sh*t out in like 10 minutes!”
The audience erupted in cheers, and Cutler continued, “So we added a second show, and I was like we are definitely not selling this one out. And then you guys sold that one out even faster. I love you so much New York City!”
In the spirit of the Allman Brothers, fellow Georgia peaches Widespread Panic graced the Upper West Side with a multi-night run of shows at The Beacon Theatre as a prelude to spring. Southern accents and charm were prevalent throughout the crowd, as many fans made the trek for the noteworthy occasion. Included in the shows was a Leap Day show on February 29, which brought together a “time” theme in the second set of the show.
The music was complimented by a stunning light rig, with vertical rows of lights in the center and left, and a circle of lights on the right. A beacon of rainbow light was often radiating just above Duane Trucks and Domingo Ortiz on their raised drum stands behind the rest of the band. The stage floor contained powerful rotating lights that often embellished the iconic Egyptian-themed ceiling.
Bust-outs were found throughout the run, including “Vicious” by Lou Reed, which hadn’t been played in over 1000 shows, dating back to the band’s Halloween run at Madison Square Garden in 2003, and the rare “E on a G,” which had only been played eleven times prior.
On Friday, the band did not let up in set one, and came out firing as they had the night before. The show started out strong with early Panic classics “Wondering,” “C. Brown” and “Can’t Get High.” Jimmy Herring got loose on “All Time Low,” which followed for the first big jam of the night. Fans were treated to the rare “Dark Day Program,“ last played on in July 2011. To close out this high energy first set, Dave Schools asked the crowd if they wanted to dance and the band unleashed a monster cover of Robert Johnson’s “Stop Breakin’ Down Blues.”
A heavy “Sleeping Man” opened the second set, followed by a pair of covers from The Band, “Ophelia” and “The Shape I’m In.” And while it felt like they were about to dive into Pink Floyd’s “Breathe” just out of “Driving Song,” the band treated the crowd to the twelfth ever version of the instrumental “E on a G.” Herring kept his foot on the gas during the set closer of “Chilly Water,” while the crowd sprayed their water and added a visceral soaking sensation. The night wrapped up with a delicious double encore of “Blue Indian” and “Climb to Safety.”
But how would the band commemorate the quadrennial Leap Day that followed? There are few songs with ‘Leap’ in the title, so a reflection on time was in order, and found throughout much of the second set, in both obvious and subtle ways. Set 1 started with classic Panic numbers “Space Wrangler” and “Walkin’ (For Your Love),” and the newly minted jam-vehicle “Up All Night” which never fails to deliver. A rare “Tortured Artist” followed, along with the fresh “Sundown Betty.” The first set closed with a trio of high energy numbers in “Machine,” “Barstools and Dreamers” and the apropos for Saturday NRBQ cover “Flat Foot Flewzy.”
The second set played off of a ‘time’ theme with references throughout, starting with “Blackout Blues” (in the middle of the night), a tease of the theme to Norman Lear’s All in the Family “Those were the days” (which is set in nearby Queens), “Airplane” (must have been a year ago), “Holden Oversoul” (one last time), “Henry Parsons Died” (6 o’clock on Saturday). A trio of ‘time’ songs followed – “Time Zones,” Los Lobos’ “Somewhere in Time” and The Dillards “There is a Time” – but the time references didn’t end there. J.J. Cale’s “Ride me High” (this mornin’) and the first half of the encore “This Part of Town” (the other day) tossed in some subtle but notable references to time on this extra day of 2020.
Also notable, there were numerous references to Southern USA, including “Up All Night” (Savannah), “Henry Parsons Died” (Georgia), “Blackout Blues” (Mississippi) and the show closing “Red Hot Mama” (Louisiana). For the second half of the encore, the timeless Neil Young classic “Mr. Soul” wrapped the night up with high energy, and the audience holding out for a rare second encore that did not come to pass. As fans made their way into the brisk night, Dr. John’s “Right Place, Wrong Time” serenaded an audience who caught a show of rarities on a rare day in a classic venue.
With five sold out shows at The Beacon this year, and three sold out shows last year at The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, one can only hope that Widespread Panic will follow in the tradition of another southern rock band, The Allman Brothers Band, and have an annual residency at The Beacon Theatre for years to come.
Setlists – Widespread Panic, The Beacon Theatre, NY, NY
Thursday, February 27
Set 1: Porch Song, Rebirtha > Greta > Jam > Stop/Go > Little Lilly, Proving Ground > Bust it Big > Proving Ground > Action Man
Set 2: Steven’s Cat > Jam > Walk On > Blight > Help Me Somebody > Jam > Fishwater > Drums > Fishwater >Pilgrims, Pusherman > Conrad
Encore: You Wreck Me > Tall Boy
Friday, February 28
Set 1: Wondering, C.Brown, Can’t Get High, All Time Low> Jam> Junior, 1 x 1, Dark Day Program, You Got Yours, Stop Breakin’ Down Blues
Set 2: Sleeping Man, Ophelia > The Shape I’m In, Surprise Valley > Bear’s Gone Fishin’ > Surprise Valley > Driving Song > E on a G > Driving Song, Don’t Wanna Lose You, Chilly Water
Encore: Blue Indian, Climb to Safety
Saturday, February 29
Set 1: Space Wrangler, Walkin’, Up All Night, Tortured Artist > Sundown Betty, I’m Not Alone, Machine > Barstools and Dreamers > Flat Foot Flewzy
Set 2: Blackout Blues -> Jam in C* -> Airplane -> Holden Oversoul -> Henry Parsons Died > Time Zones, Somewhere in Time, There is a Time, Ride Me High -> Drums-> Ride me High, Red Hot Mama
Encore: This Part of Town > Mr. Soul
*All in the Family theme tease
Sunday, March 1
Set 1: From The Cradle > One-Arm Steve > Let’s Get The Show On The Road > Ribs And Whiskey, Bowlegged Woman, Honky Red, Trouble, Hope In A Hopeless World > Postcard
Set 2: Let’s Get Down To Business, Little Kin, Disco, Diner > No Sugar Tonight > New Mother Nature, Papa’s Home > Drum Solo > Cease Fire > Protein Drink > Sewing Machine Encore: Vicious, Ain’t Life Grand
Monday, March 2
Set 1: I Wanna Be Sedated, Travelin’ Light, Old Neighborhood, Imitation Leather Shoes, The Last Straw > Pleas, Rock, Jack > Love Tractor
Set 2: The Waker, Pigeons, Hatfield > Impossible^ > Saint Ex^^ > Tie Your Shoes > Jam, Nobody’s Loss, North
Encore: City of Dreams, Life During Wartime
^The Other One tease ^^Won’t Get Fooled Again tease
2019 was some year for the Allman Betts Band. In March, the band performed its inaugural show 50 years after the first time the Allman Brothers ever played together. June saw their debut album, Down to the River, hit #1 on the iTunes Rock charts the week it was released. The summer brought the band to a host of festivals and sold out headlining shows as well as a European tour. Throw in a medical emergency and a wedding too, and it was some year.
Berry Oakley, Devon Allman, Duane Betts, Johnny Stachela – Allman Betts Band
So what do you do in 2020? You go on a worldwide tour, of course. With a second album in the works (recorded at Muscle Shoals) and having taken some down time to recharge, the Allman Betts Band (Devon Allman– guitar, vocals; Duane Betts– guitar, vocals; Berry Duane Oakley– bass, vocals; Johnny Stachela– guitar, vocals; John Ginty– keyboards; R Scott Bryan– percussion, vocals; John Lum– drums) is going global. We caught ABB at the Tarrytown Music Hall stop of their global odyssey. It was coincidental that this weekend we happened to be celebrating two of our founding fathers while listening to the sons of two men who may not have started the blues, but certainly influenced many a contemporary blues or rock musician.
Jackson Stokes
Opening the night was a St. Louis, MO guitarist and singer/songwriter named Jackson Stokes. Stokes is the first person signed to Devon Allman’s new label Create Records. Supported by a solid three-piece band, Jackson offered an unfiltered, raw performance, worthy of his signing to Allman’s new label. Stokes and his band have been playing multiple dates with ABB on this tour.
JD Simo
In the middle slot was JD Simo, a Nashvillian by way of Chicago. JD’s blistering guitar work most certainly pulls from those influences . This night he took the audience with him on his therapeutic musical journey as he performed, maneuvering seamlessly through the styles with no questions asked. A regular on last year’s ABB tour, JD and his band prove to be more than a warm up act, but one that stokes the fire in preparation for a big night.
Allman Betts Band
After two kickin’ acts, the house was set. The sold-out show (which is becoming the norm) had a mix of old and young in attendance. People were sharing stories of seeing Devon or Duane separately and looking forward to experiencing the coalescing of their talents. The band opened up with “Airboats & Cocaine” from the yet to be named upcoming 2nd album. “Shinin’” from their debut Down to the River followed and the groove for the night was in full swing. With almost a year together, the band has jelled into a musical monster to which you are willing to sacrifice yourself. The set list this tour has been in flux, so no one is sure exactly what each night will bring. Sprinkled through the night, a few covers found themselves being pulled out. Berry Oakley took lead vocals on The Dead’s “Shakedown Street” which had everyone up and dancing, while Devon had the crowd waving their cell phone flashlights, a la lighters in the air, to “Purple Rain” adding a special glow to the house. The encore had the band sharing another new tune, “Magnolia Road,” and took it home in reverent fashion with The Allman Brothers’ “Blue Sky.”
Allman Betts Band at Tarrytown Music Hall
So what is 2020 to the Allman Betts Band? A new album, lots of travel stickers on their guitar cases and a band to see if their trek takes them to your town.
Devon Allman, Duane Betts – Allman Betts Band
Allman Betts Band set list: Airboats and Cocaine, Shinin’, Left My Heart in Memphis, Autumn Breeze, Ain’t Wastin’ Time, All Night, Good Ol’ Days, Jessica, Shakedown Street, Taking Time, Mahalo, Purple Rain, Long Gone
On Friday night, America played a sold out show at The Tilles Center on the LIU Post campus in Brookville, Long Island, the first show of the band’s 50th anniversary tour, celebrating the release of their 1971 self titled album. “A Horse With No Name,” originally titled “Desert Song,” was released in the US a few weeks before the album came out and sold over a million copies, being awarded a gold disc by the RIAA. The album went platinum shortly after. The band was opening for acts like The Who, Elton John, Pink Floyd and worked with Beatles producer George Martin from 1974-1979.
Friday night’s show was filled with hit after hit, spanning their 50 year long and counting career. Gerry and Dewey sounded just as good today as they did when they started harmonizing 50 years ago. Songs from the setlist included “Tin Man,” “Ventura Highway,” “Sister Golden Hair” as well as a covers of The Beatles’ “Eleanor Rigby” and The Mamas & Papas’ “California Dreamin’.” The 18-song set concluded with “A Horse With No Name.” You can see the full setlist below.
The band’s current lineup includes original founding members Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell, as well as Ryland Steen on drums, Steve Fekete on guitar and Richard Campbell on bass. The tour continues across United States and Canada until July when they head to Europe for shows in France, the U.K. and Germany. You can see all the tour dates here at https://www.venturahighway.com/. There is also a biography about the band written by Jude Warne, titled America The Band: An Authorized Biography that is available for pre-order now and will be released on May 15, 2020.
Setlist: Tin Man, You Can Do Magic, Don’t Cross The River. Daisy Chain, Riverside. I Need You Here, Ventura Highway, Eleanor Rigby, Cornwall Blank, Hollywood, The Border, Woman Tonight, Only In Your Heart, California Dreamin’, Lonely People, Sandman, Sister Golden Hair, A Horse With No Name
Grateful Dead cover band heavyweight champions Joe Russoâs Almost Dead (JRAD) continue their reign at a legendary venue with three nights at the historic Capitol Theatre, starting on Friday, February 21, 2020 (2/21/20)
Kamasi Washington and his band came through Brooklyn’s Kings Theatre this week as part of his latest round of winter tour dates. Although there has not been new music since 2018s critically acclaimed double LP, Heaven and Earth, Kamasi just released a film, Kamasi WashingtonLive at the Apollo Theater, on Amazon Prime Video. The live film was recorded at Kamasi’s show at the Harlem theater on February 23, 2019.
The show opened with a short R&B and Soul DJ set from Natasha Diggs. Natasha paid homage to many late artists with her set; music filled the room as fans filed into their seats. The setting was a perfect fit for Kamasi’s music, and the first thing he said when the band took the stage was in admiration the beautiful theater.
Flanked by two drum sets, Kamasi stood center stage and dove straight into “Street Fighter Mas” from Heaven and Earth. When the band plays live, they tend to only play five or six songs, but extend them with solos and improvs to fill a nearly two-hour set. Both drummers took their turn during the show, delivering very different drum solos, accompanied by two separate solos on upright bass.
After the first song, Kamasi introduced his father, Rickey Washington, on stage who continued to play flute and soprano saxophone for the rest of the night. The father and son stood side by side. The chemistry between them could be felt across the theater.
The main set ended with a lengthy rendition of “Fists of Fury,” which featured soaring vocals from singer Patrice Quinn. There were several movements during the performance of this track, but the final solo of the night was reserved for Kamasi on tenor. The man is a master on the saxophone and his solo ended with a standing ovation from the audience, followed by a reprise of the epic conclusion. It was the most powerful moment, ending the show with a thunderous finish.
In addition to the live film, Kamasi released the stand alone track “The Bombshell’s Waltz,” earlier this month also on Amazon Music. The band is just beginning this stretch of live dates, which continue across North America until a final show on March 12 in San Antonio – see the full itinerary HERE.
Andy Frasco and the UN brought their Royal Rumble tour circus to the Brooklyn Bowl on Saturday night, in the form of a high energy, wrestling themed showdown with co-headliner Big Something. Comedian Kyle Ayers doubled as the opening act and MC for the antics. The sold out crowd enjoyed the ruckus that ensued, as well as the jams.
Kyle Ayers kicked off the festivities with an unusual opening set of comedy directed at jam band fans. Shortly thereafter, Big Something descended upon the stage, delivering jam rock with a Southern and alt-rock flavor, along with extremely high energy. Members of Andy Frasco and the UN joined this party dressed in wrestling masks for a notable cover of Pink Floyd’s “The Wall.” At one point, Frasco dove onto Ayers, forcing him to wear a neck brace for the rest of the show. Big Something also performed the nineties throwback “Gangster’s Paradise” by Coolio.
After setbreak, Andy Frasco and the UN descended upon the stage once again, this time with even crazier stage antics. Known for stage diving, Frasco went for a ride early on in the set, and sported a bottle of Jameson throughout the night. Frasco was not without support from talented guests, as guitarists Dave Brandwein of Turkuaz and Brandon Niederauer took the stage for an electric cover of “Burning Down the House” by the Talking Heads. They also played their newly released track “Keep On Keepin’ On,” which was well received by the crowd.
The night was not complete without a stage diving race to drive the lane and dunk a basketball into the hoop setup within the crowd. Ayers refereed this challenge, while standing on top of Frasco’s piano. Frasco pulled off the victory while wearing his Wilt Chamberlain Lakers jersey.
The show was highly entertaining, and included some tasty blues, funk and rock-n-roll jams. This circus is back on the road this week in NY State, performing at the Buffalo Iron Works in Buffalo, NY on Tuesday, Feb 18th. Visit their tour page for more details.
