NYS Music 202​0

Category: Jam/Progressive

  • Phish serves up ‘Chocolate’ night from Baker’s Dozen for this week’s Dinner and a Movie

    On the third anniversary of ‘Chocolate’ night, Phish will air their July 28, 2017 performance from Madison Square Garden for this week’s installment of Dinner and a Movie. The Baker’s Dozen run of 13 shows was accented by donuts handed out to those who entered early each evening, with flavors that matched the theme of the show each night, provided by Philadelphia’s Federal Donuts.

    phish dinner and a movie

    This week’s featured recipe was chosen by guitarist Trey Anastasio and features two delicious components of any Phish show, donuts and chicken sandwiches. Get the recipes for Federal Donuts Double Chocolate donut and the Federal Donuts Fried Chicken sandwich here, and read our review of Chocolate night from Baker’s Dozen.

    Donate to Doctors Without Borders, this week’s beneficiary of funds donated to The Waterwheel Foundation. To date Phish fans have raised well over $500,000 for charities through episodes of Dinner and a Movie.

    Setlist via Phish.net

    Set 1: Chocolate Rain[1], Ass Handed, Free, Weigh > Undermind > The Oh Kee Pa Ceremony, The Dogs, Destiny Unbound, Divided Sky, Things People Do, Sand

    Set 2: Have Mercy, Chalk Dust Torture[2], You Sexy Thing[3] > Mercury -> You Sexy Thing > Backwards Down the Number Line > Rock and Roll

    Encore: Fee[4], Space Oddity

    [1] Phish debut; a cappella, with Page on a midi controller keyboard.
    [2] Unfinished.
    [3] Phish debut.
    [4] Lyrics changed to “have a chocolate donut and catch your breath.”

    Now through August 6, MSG’s Instagram, Facebook and Twitter is celebrating this incredible run by sharing interactive polls, setlists from each night, quote graphics, photos from each show, the banner raising and much more, to bring fans back to the excitement of Phish’s unforgettable Baker’s Dozen performances. 

    Photo by Carl Scheffel

    On the final night of the run, the band was honored for this memorable engagement as they received a banner in the MSG rafters, which cemented the band’s place in both MSG and New York history, as the NYC Mayor’s office proclaimed August 6, 2017 “Phish Day.”  

  • “Daze Between” Announced in Celebration of the Life and Music from Jerry Garcia

    “Daze Between” was announced by The Jerry Garcia Family and The Rex Foundation in celebration of the life and music created by Jerry Garcia. The event will include exclusive musical performance and storytelling for nine days of fun. The event’s live stream will be free but open for donations and run August 1-9.

    “Daze Between” will will feature performances by: Grateful Dead, Dead & Company, Bob Weir & The Campfire Band, The Jerry Garcia 75th Birthday Band, The Jerry Garcia 75th Birthday Acoustic Band,featuring Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, Jeff Chimenti, Donna Jean Godchaux, Neal Casal, Joe Russo, Jon Graboff, Mike Gordon, Jim Lauderdale, Adam McDougall, Jason Roberts, Harper Simon, Josh Kaufman, Sam Cohen, Jonathan Wilson, Cass McCombs, Chris Tomson, Craig Finn, and Tad Kubler.  The event will also be screening the film Move Me Brightly. 

    The event will feature new and archival performances as well as storytelling from artists including: ALO, Andy Thorn, Amigo the Devil, Amos Lee, Circles Around The Sun, Dark Star Orchestra, David Grisman, Del McCoury Band, Della Mae, From Good Homes, Fruition, Giant Panda Guerrilla Dub Squad, Graham Nash, Greensky Bluegrass, Greg Errico, Hiss Golden Messenger, Hot Tuna, Jackie Greene, Jason Crosby, Katie Skene, Keller Williams, Kitchen Dwellers, Leslie Mendelson, Lettuce ft. Melvin Seals, Marco Benevento, Midnight North, Molly Tuttle, Nicki Bluhm, Peter Rowan, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, Railroad Earth, Roots of Creation, Ross James, Sandy Rothman, Seth Walker, Scott Law, Tejon Street Corner Thieves, The Infamous Stringdusters, The Record Company, Travelin’ McCourys, Twiddle, Tyler Grant & Lindsay Lou, Yonder Mountain String Band with more to be announced.

    “Daze Between” is partnering with Live From Out There/11E1even Group, DayGlo Ventures, Relix, Jerry Garcia Estate, Activist Management, Nugs.net, level, KEEN and Teton Gravity Research to bring this community-wide celebration to life. 

    “Daze Between” will be streamed live across Nugs.net, Fans.com, Facebook, Youtube, and other channels, with a home base on www.dazebetween.com. Throughout the week, people will have the option to donate to the Rex Foundation using text-to-give or payment options embedded within each streaming platform. There will also be a signed guitar by Bob Weir, copies of Jay Blakesberg’s books of photography, a complete set of Jerry Garcia-inspired posters by Chuck Sperry and more up for auction. 

    The daily lineup has been announced. Check below to see who you can stream starting August 1!

    daze between

    For more information visit Daze Between’s website.

  • The Dead Peak at the Beacon For The Last Time: June 15, 1976

    Shortly before the country would celebrate its Bicentennial in 1976, the Grateful Dead would play a show at the Beacon Theatre. This is the second and last time the band would play this New York City venue before upgrading to the larger confines of Madison Square Garden a few years later. They had recently ditched their fabled massive Wall of Sound PA system for a more stripped down and intimate stage setup, opting to let the music speak for itself rather than overpowering the audience. A string of East Coast shows in June of this year would see the band in pristine form as they dusted off some of their classic songs and began to introduce new ones, ushering in a new era of The Grateful Dead.

    The first set starts off in electric fashion thanks a crisp vocal section led by guitarist Bob Weir that helps fuel a cover of “Promised Land” that would make Chuck Berry glow. A slow, drippy “Sugaree” follows that allows fellow guitarist Jerry Garcia a chance to stretch out his vocal chords a bit before a rip roaring “Cassidy” sets the tone for the first set, thanks to accompanying vocal support from Bob Weir and Donna Jean Godchaux.

    Dead Beacon

    An audible first set highlight, based on the crowd reaction alone, is a sultry “Candyman” that places the lyrical craftsmanship of Robert Hunter and the complimentary guitar play from Garcia front and center. Soon after, the ravenous New York City crowd gets a little taste of Grateful Dead shows of old show thanks to a stirring rendition of “It Must Have Been the Roses,” a song the band played extensively in 1974 and a staple of Jerry Garcia Band shows for years to come.

    The first set of this show ends with an impressive sequence of a “Let It Grow” that stretches out all the way to a “Drums”-esque type jam before settling into a set closing “Might As Well.” Even though this tune was also played the night before, it still marked only the sixth time this Dead tune was played live, one they would continue to showcase for another eighteen years,

    Dead Beacon
    Grateful Dead, June 1976

    The band wastes no time in opening the second set with a “Saint Stephen” that immediately explores the given space and stretches into a formidable jam. However, instead of a “William Tell Bridge,” the rhythmic partners of Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart begin the percussive intro of “Not Fade Away,” a Buddy Holly cover that, by now, The Grateful Dead seem to have appropriated as their own.

    Contrary to most Dead shows, the ensuing Beacon “Drums” section gets ripcorded almost instantly in favor of an incredibly emotional “Stella Blue” that’s spearheaded by poignant Garcia-sung lyrics. This particular version is marked by a beautifully patient progression from all parties and is definitely one of the show’s highlights. Garcia’s hauntingly slow delivery of the vocals, matched perfectly by the rest of the band, gives this version a rather emotional feel to it. Take a listen to the entire segment from “Saint Stephen” to “Stella Blue” below – worth the price of admission alone.

    “Samson and Delilah,” a song that made its live debut only weeks earlier in the beginning of the tour, shows off its future potential nicely with a shortlived jam that picks the energy back up before a leisurely “Friend of the Devil” brings things to a crawl again. A manic “Dancin’ in the Streets” then follows as the band seems to delight in varying up the tempo of this second set. The telepathic interplay between Garcia and bassist Phil Lesh is on prime display here.

    Perhaps what makes this show so special is the superb sound quality, thanks to soundboard recordings captured by the band’s longtime live recording engineer Betty Cantor-Jackson. For years, this and the other June ’76 shows were some of the most revered recordings in the tape trading community. Picking up on that, these recordings have since been further polished and remastered and are now available for purchase as part of a 15-disc box set that highlights this special era of Grateful Dead music. It features this and four of the other shows surrounding this one. With production limited to only 12,000 individually numbered copies and a slew of crisp recordings from this seminal era of the band’s history, it’s sure to be a “sound” investment for any fan.

    Grateful Dead Beacon Theatre – New York City, NY

    Set 1: Promised Land, Sugaree, Cassidy, Candyman, The Music Never Stopped, It Must Have Been The Roses, Looks Like Rain, Tennessee Jed, Let It Grow -> Might As Well

    Set 2: Saint Stephen->Not Fade Away->Drums->Stella Blue, Samson & Delilah, Friend Of The Devil, Dancin’ In The Streets->The Wheel->Sugar Magnolia->Scarlet Begonias->Sunshine Daydream

    E: Johnny B. Goode

    Dead Beacon

  • Fingerlakes Drive-In to host to Pigeons Playing Ping Pong in August

    Central New York is blessed with another Drive-In concert this summer, as funky bunch Pigeons Playing Ping Pong will perform at Fingerlakes Drive-in on Friday and Saturday, August 15-16.

    pigeons drive-in

    “Time To Drive-In” will offer fans the opportunity to safely enjoy a true live music event while following social distancing guidelines. A car pass provides a parking space for a standard passenger vehicle and entry for a maximum of four people per vehicle. Concertgoers will be able to enjoy two full sets, each night, with full concert production, in a socially distant manner.

    PPPP

    Fingerlakes Drive-In is a classic drive-in that opened on July 15, 1947, and is the oldest operating Drive-In theatre in New York State. Tickets are now on sale at through Creative Concerts.

  • Roll On In Presents Drive-In & Tune In series featuring Honeycomb, The Breakfast and more

    Roll on In will present their live entertainment series Drive-In and Tune In beginning on Friday July 24. The events will deliver the premier destination for a night out of live music and will feature local BBQ and food legends while staying true to the roots of Western Massachusetts.

    Drive-in

    Roll On In stresses the idea of safe live entertainment and has gone through extensive planning over the past months with the help and partnership of industry pro Joel MacKenzie. The weekly, Friday and Saturday evening events will go above and beyond the health guidelines to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

    The live entertainment will kick off with performances from RCA, Danny Pease and The Regultators, Honeycomb, Uncle Bob, The Breakfast, New Mosaic, and Shantyman. Check out more details below.

    Drive-In

  • Twiddle Drive-In shows in Lake George Cancelled

    Update – July 30, 2:50pm – All three Twiddle shows in Lake George have been canceled. Twiddle posted this statement on Wednesday evening, saying,

    We are very sorry to report that our Lake George shows are cancelled this weekend. Our team spent the last 48 hours working through every possible scenario to not only make sure that the experience would be as great as possible given the current guidelines , but to make sure the event was safe in every way. We are just as upset and sad as you are and wanted nothing more than to play live again for all of you. We are extremely sorry, but safety has to be first and foremost. Tickets are available for refunds at point of purchase and we are working on something special for all those that had a ticket.

    The event promoter shared a more detailed and impassioned response on Thursday afternoon:

    Here’s my comment to the local papers:
    I could go on for hours about how unfair the entire entertainment industry has been treated in all this mess. First industry to get cut and who knows when it will be back. Oh wait that’s right, as long as you are sitting at tables spaced 6ft apart and eating dinner, a band can play. I forgot about that. I could also say that it’s easy to mandate people have to stay in cars at a drive-in concert in 85 degree heat if you don’t know anything about concerts or heatstroke or carbon monoxide poisoning for that matter.

    I could ask the questions of why it’s ok to have a stranger so close to you in line at a chain store that you can feel them breathing on your neck but it’s not ok to sit in front of your car with your group while socially distanced from the next group. I won’t though because apparently nobody can answer them. Wait, can you get out of your car at the drive -in movies? Probably. And probably because there’s no entertainment.

    We all agree that safety for everyone-everywhere is priority #1. We also agree that adaptation and change are part of life. Life must go forward in whatever way it can (safely ) – gotta fit the gaslight in there-and the rules should be reflective of situations not industry. Like that band I mentioned playing to all those tables of people eating dinner- now I’m going to “Bob Ross” you. Let’s turn those tables into distanced cars yes cars. Bam -now add a band and food and we are a restaurant. Do drive-ins have concession stands that you can go into and stand in line 6 ft apart to order some cracker jacks. I say cracker jacks because it’s fitting. Yes is that answer.

    Now let’s “Bob Ross” you again. Let’s make that Cracker Jack concession stand a chain store and bam- no more 6ft, more like hot breath. Now we are going to have a drive- in movie with a band and food and chain store merchandise and you guessed it- bam – you cant have food or beverage or merchandise at a drive-in concert unless you order thru an app or text and have it delivered to your car with touchless methods. What does that even mean? Bueller? My point is we all want to be safe and responsible but go home NYS – you’re drunk. What kind of Cracker Jack logic is this?

    Two really great shows on opposite ends of NY being put on by responsible and respected promoters were both canceled this weekend because apparently if you have a band involved it’s better to get heatstroke or carbon monoxide poisoning than risk you might give someone in your already socially distanced group the Covid. Bueller?

    Tickets to Twiddle shows have been refunded starting today.

    Original post follows below

    We’re not out of the woods yet, but live music is starting to slowly come back throughout much of Upstate and Western New York. Aqueous, moe. and now Twiddle are utilizing their local Drive-In to provide socially-distanced options for live music during the era of COVID-19.

    Twiddle has announced that they’ll play three shows at Lake George’s ‘Drive In Jam Out’ event, held on July 31 and August 1-2 at Charles R. Wood Commons, a stone’s throw from the lake, and on August 14-16 in Essex Junction, VT at the Champlain Valley Exposition. Higher Ground has been producing live stream Drive-In events for a month now in Essex Junction, a short drive from Burlington.

    twiddle drive-in

    For the Lake George shows, gates open at 5:30pm each night and close at 7:30pm. Tickets are available per car, with a limit of five people per vehicle or seven for SUVs. Tickets are non-transferable and non-refundable and are on sale NOW for Lake George and Essex Junction on the , and 16th.

    twiddle drive in

    Safety measures will be enforced at both venues, including wearing a mask when not at your designated spot on the ground, but also staying 6 feet apart from other patrons. A two-strikes policy will be enforced – if you are asked twice to put on a mask and decline, you’ll be asked to leave without a refund.

  • September 28, 1976: The Grateful Dead Paint the War Memorial Orange

    Our look back at the Grateful Dead’s tour history in New York makes a stop in the heart of Central New York, with a trip back to September 28, 1976 and a show so good it deserved placement on a Dick’s Pick release. The latter half of Volume 20 of this particular series of live shows showcases the band at the top of its game as it rolled into Syracuse in late September, after a show at Rochester’s War Memorial the night before.

    Grateful dead war memorial

    New York has always served as fertile ground for memorable Grateful Dead shows and this particular one at the Onondaga County War Memorial falls right in line, with the band continuing to break new ground as they explode through this transformative mid ’70s era.

    View this show and more Grateful Dead shows from across the years in New York State with our interactive map below!

    The proceedings start with an upbeat and inspirational “Cold Rain and Snow” that seems to warm the collective hearts assembled in Central New York this evening and gives the band a chance to warm up their harmonies early.

    A “Cassidy” that later follows takes the set’s early momentum and runs with it, courtesy of its typically brief yet intense ending progression section. The band then stretches their collective legs a little with a version of “Tennessee Jed” that has a delightful, rambling jam attached to it and a stout version of “Candyman” soon follows. But the real highlight of the opening stanza is an an enthusiastic “Let It Grow” that fosters a jam which meanders effortlessly through the highs and lows provided by a rhythm section in lock step with the vocals of Bob Weir and Donna Jean Godcheaux before it dissolves into psychedelic bliss. This more than helps provide the kindling for a set closing “Goin’ Down The Road Feeling Bad” that easily catches fire, ending the first set in a pristine blaze of glory.

    Grateful dead war memorial

    A direct and authoritative “Playing In the Band” opens the second set with Jerry Garcia on lead guitar laying down ferocious melodies atop a bed of intense rhythms fueled drummers Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart and bassist Phil Lesh. The near 11-minute opening salvo is the band at their finest as they collectively finesse through a psychedelic jaunt that eventually makes way for “The Wheel.”

    A joyous “Samson and Delilah” follows, which wastes no time after its completion before seguing into another blissful, guitar-driven improvisational jam with Garcia still leading and the rest of the band in hot pursuit.

    Much like the first set, the bulk of this show’s punch comes towards the end, in the form of a tidy “Drums” section that gives way to an absolutely blistering “Eyes of the World” that sees the full band in complete cohesion and harmony, in a somewhat speedy version that was not atypical for this era of Dead.

    This rapid rendition of “Eyes” then gives way to a loose, ragged collective jam that’s since been dubbed the “Orange Tango Jam,” the only one of its kind and seemingly a nod to the local Syracuse confines. This off-the-cuff jam has flashes of inspiration but eventually peters out and gives way to a rousing “Dancing In The Streets” before the set concludes with a bookending “Playing In The Band.”

    Make no mistake. Even through this show might be the second half of Volume 20 of the esteemed Dick’s Picks archival releases, it takes a back seat to very few others from this era. It shows the band playing relaxed and cohesive as a whole, with the ability to shift into unstructured territory at a moment’s notice – a sign of things to come with the band soon entering perhaps the most explosive year of its existence.

    Grateful dead war memorial

    Grateful Dead – Onondaga War Memorial Aud., Syracuse, NY – September 28, 1976

    Set 1: Cold Rain and Snow, Big River, Bertha, Cassidy, Tennessee Jed, New Minglewood Blues, Candyman, It’s All Over Now, Friend of the Devil, Let it Grow, Goin’ Down the Road Feelin’ Bad

    Set 2: Playin’ in the Band > The Wheel >Samson and Delilah > Comes a Time > Drums > Eyes of the World > Dancin’ in the Streets, Playin’ in the Band

    Encore: Johnny B. Goode

  • Aqueous and Buffalo Iron Works announce two nights at Silver Lake Twin Drive-In

    On the heels of a successful Live at the Drive in Lockport this past June, Aqueous and Buffalo Iron Works have announced two evenings of live performances at Silver Lake Twin Drive In in Perry, NY. The shows on August 7 & 8 will feature a socially distanced set up for cars, providing respite for live music fans in Western New York.

    aqueous drive in

    Gates will open at 3:30 each day and Aqueous will be live, on stage, in front of screen one at 4:30. Tickets will go on sale Thursday, July 16th at 10am. Ticketing details are as follows: 

    General Admission Car Passes: 2 Car Pass: $80, 3 Car Pass: $120, 4 Car Pass: $160, 5 Car Pass: $200, 6 Car Pass: $240.

    VIP Admission Car Passes – Included Ticket to Show and Limited Edition Poster: 2 Car Pass: $160, 3 Car Pass: $240, 4 Car Pass: $320, 5 Car Pass: $400, 6 Car Pass: $480. 

    aqueous drive in
    From the successful Live at the Drive held in Lockport this past June

    Each “Car Pass” ticket is priced for a vehicle with the stated number occupants. All ticket purchases will be internet pre-sale only until the day of the event. If your vehicle has extra seats available, you are allowed to bring additional people to fill the vehicle and they can pay for their individual ticket at the gate on the day of the show. Extra people cannot exceed the car’s capacity and security will be ensuring this at the door. Please be respectful for the benefit of all parties. 

    All parking is designated by Drive-In Security. VIP parking will be in the first 2 rows of the Drive-In theatre. General Admission vehicle parking will be on a first-come-first-park basis behind the first 2 rows. To help with the obstruction of guests’ view, vans, trucks, and SUVs will be asked to park on one side of the snack bar or in the last three rows of the theater.

    To comply with social distancing guidelines, all vehicles must park at least 6 feet away from neighboring vehicles. Once parked, do not move your vehicle. If you choose to leave in your vehicle, you will not be permitted to re-enter the theatre. Management has final authority over where you may park. 

    Patrons are asked to remain in or near their vehicles except for trips to the bathroom, snack bar (limited to 10 people a time), Charcoal Corral restaurant, dog walks and smoking in designated areas. All guests must wear face masks whenever they are in a public area within 6 feet of other guests until further notice. 

    Perry, NY is located about 1 hour ESE of Buffalo and 1 hour SW of Rochester. Silver Lake Twin Drive-In is located at 7037 Chapman Ave in Perry, and produces weekend film features on two outdoor screens with a casual restaurant, mini-golf & more on-site. 

    Aqueous recently released a stream of Live at the Drive in its entirety on their Facebook page. Watch below for a taste of socially distanced live concerts at its best.

  • It seems Trey Anastasio is at Phish’s Barn Studio

    Today was unlike past pandemic-era Mondays for Phish fans, who were teased with a video of guitarist Trey Anastasio from what appears to be Phish’s Barn Studio in Vermont.

    The video, shared via Jambase, was taken by Trey’s daughter Eliza Anastasio and posted to her Instagram stories.

    Fittingly, Eliza used the original music of “2001” (née “Also Sprach Zarathrusta”) to demonstrate her dad’s new gear on stage.

    Could Phish have something in store of fans in terms of a live stream from The Barn? Given the Dinner and a Movie series each Tuesday night, it’s possible that live performances are on tap, akin to Goose‘s successful Bingo Tour.

  • Flashback: Phish perform “Julius” on the Late Show with David Letterman

    On July 13, 1995, Phish was the musical guest on The Late Show with David Letterman. “Julius” was performed with support from The Late Show Band as well as Dave “The Truth” Grippo on saxophone. The second of nine performances at The Ed Sullivan Theater, Phish performed on Letterman over a span of 20 years to highlight upcoming shows and recent releases. Their Letterman performance would be their last show until late September that year.

    The band’s first performance included, at Dave’s supposed request, “Chalkdust Torture,” which was performed on the afternoon of the band’s first ever show at Madison Square Garden, December 30, 1994. Jerry Seinfeld was the first guest that night, which led to this iconic photo:

    phish letterman

    Other individual song performances on Letterman include “Character Zero” on March 5, 1997, “Birds of a Feather” on October 27, 1998, “Heavy Things” on May 15, 2000, “All of These Dreams” on December 19, 2002, a multi-song performance on the Ed Sullivan Theater marquee on June 21, 2004, and “The Line” on June 25, 2014.

    On June 21, 2004, the band memorably performed atop the Ed Sullivan Theater marquee to a crowd of hundreds dancing in the street on Broadway. Then in 2014, on the same night they performed “The Line,” they also treated a lucky group of fans to a set from the same stage where The Beatles made their American debut. Check out the setlist here.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dlYEGQbZbA