Long Island jam band veterans, Cousin Fungus, have a long history of strong live performances. Some even credit them with contributing strongly to the establishment of a much more vibrant jam band scene today. With the release of 22, Vol.1, the band has released its best recorded material to date. With Volumes 2 and 3 promised to be right behind, veteran as well as new fans are in for quite a sonic treat.
The band is made up of three brothers: Thomas (bass guitar, vocals), Christian (drums, percussion) and Henry (guitar, vocals) Stanziale. Good friend, Dennis Belline, Jr. (lead vocals, keyboards), rounds out this group of stand-out musicians. The tight knit bonds between the members are on display on here in the cohesiveness of their sound. The collaboration just feels natural and easy.
From the opening keyboard notes on 22, Vol.1 evoking the Who, the songs sound both nostalgic and yet contemporary. This volume clocks in at just over forty minutes and the seven songs included are positive, almost celebratory. As bands and fans gear up for the return to live music shows, keep an eye out for Cousin Fugus. They are at the top of their game and ready to get back to the jam!
Key Tracks: Embrace, Black Cat Black Dog, Caravan
With the release of 22, Vol.II, the Cousin Fungus crew unleashes their first album of live tracks. These seven songs have been honed and developed over the years, crafted with audiences watching. The guitar work is as steady and solid as you’d expect from these jam band veterans. And the keyboard contributions really stand out, sometimes as featured solos, but also as a connective agent between all of the pieces assembled here.
Cousin Fungus doesn’t shy away from exploring different styles of music either. There are bluesy elements, funky stylings and straight ahead roaring guitar riffs.
The final installment of the “22” trilogy will be released in the coming months.
Ghostface Killah is one of the more renowned members of the Wu Tang Clan, lauded for his exceptional skills as an emcee, where he mixes detailed storytelling with a unique sense of imagery and style. Those abilities were ever-so-present on his second studio album Supreme Clientele. On the RZA produced album, he successfully implemented a trendsetting combination of lyrical excellence and story-telling exclusive only to him.
The lead single was the oft-sampled “Might Healthy,” which showcased his deadly skills as an emcee, as well as the kind of presence that would make him a mainstay of hip hop culture. Debuting at #7 on the Billboard 200, Supreme Clientele was the most acclaimed of each Wu Tang member’s respective sophomore effort. And ironically, the highlighted record — “Mighty Healthy” — was one of the few not produced by Wu Tang head honcho, RZA, with production being handle by producer and Wu Tang Clan DJ, Mathematics.
The iconic album cover
“Mighty Healthy” was partly inspired by Brooklyn based hip-hop group, Divine Force, and their single pack “Holy War (Live).” Divine Force was made up of emcees Sir Ibu, Lady Nefertiti and her brother Supreme and their DJ, Jizer. They were managed by Melquan, who also managed RZA (then known as Prince Rakeem), GZA (then known as Genius), and Ol’ Dirty Bastard, before 36 Chambers fame. “Holy War (live)” sampled drum patterns from Melvin Bliss’ “Synthetic Substitution,” an uncharted record that went on to become one of the most sampled songs in hip hop history.
On “Mighty Healthy,” Ghostface begins the sampling at around the 1:12 mark. You can hear him using Sir Ibu’s flow as well as some of his lyrics as a way of paying homage.
When we hug these mics, we get busy
Come have a good time with G-O-D
Make you snap your fingers or wiggle
Scream, shout, laugh or just giggle
Shake that body, party that body
Don’t f**k with ghost you’ll feel sorry
That’s word, I’m not the herb
Understand what I’m saying, saying, saying
Sir Ibu’s lyrics on “Holy War (Live)” read:
“The wisdom that I’m speaking are words that I’m rhyming
The God of rhyme, Divine Force gets busy
Make you hip or hop or get dizzy
Make you snap your fingers or wiggle
Scream, shout or laugh or just giggle
That body, party that body
Don’t (F**k) with me you’ll feel sorry
That’s word, I’m not the herb
Understand what I’m saying?”
Besides the Divine Force interpolation, “Mighty Healthy” sampled records from other pioneers of hip hop, sampling “Wish I Could Talk to You” by The Sylvers, as well as, “Nobody Beats the Biz” by Biz Markie featuring T.J. Swan and “Funk President (People it’s Bad),” by James Brown (another heavily sampled artist).
Ghostface did much more than just interpolate others, and “Mighty Healthy” showcased some of the best rapping of his career. Heavily inspired by martial arts — much like the rest of the Clan – the song begins with a sound bite from the film Shaolin Rescuers. He starts his verse with his typical and colorfully descriptive lyrics.
Son trifling f**k, wildflower on the cycle and
Picked up the broom thought I was Michael in
West Brighton Pool, now I’m into Iron Duels
Turn nuns to Earth Whoopi, she at Allah school
He starts with an honest, yet blunt description of himself, then says he thought he was “Michael in West Brighton Pool”– a home goods store located in Staten Island — but the imagery, metaphors and double entendre are ever present, as “broom” is also slang for guns; in the next line he talks about now being into “iron duels,” (as a gun is made of steel). Before finishing off the bar with a Whoopi Goldberg reference, known best at the time for Sister Act, where she played a choir singer who had to relocate after having witnessed a murder and enters witness protection as a nun.
“The world can’t touch Ghost, purple tape Rae co-host
In his second verse, he continues his onslaught, first by paying homage to Sir Ibu on the bride before getting into his verse, setting it off with this”
Hit mics like Ted Koppel, rifle expert
Let off the Eiffel, burn a flag in your grass, spiteful
Ringleader set it off, rap Derek Jeter
Culprit, prince of the game wish you could see us
Ghost brags here, letting the audience know that he is better than most. Ted Koppel was a famous anchor and broadcaster for ABC and Nightline, from 1980 until the program’s end in 2005. Ghost continues by saying, he’s a rifle expert who lets off “the Eiffel,” and “burn a flag in your grass, spiteful” is his way of saying that after conquering his enemy with his superior weaponry, he will continue to acknowledge it to the world. Finishing off by labeling himself “ringleader” and the “rap Derek Jeter.” He continues his braggadocios rhyming throughout,
“Too hot to handle, one thought from scrambling the mandolin
Hundred game Wilt Chamberlain, smack ‘em, say when”
“Mighty Healthy” has meant a great deal to hip-hop and to Ghostface, with Complex Magazine even naming it his best song. It has also been sampled on a myriad of records, including “No More Parties in L.A” by Kanye West — off of his 2016 album The Life of Pablo. The chorus was heavily interpolated on the Pusha T and Kanye West collaboration “New God Flow,” as well as a J. Cole rendition titled “Mighty Crazy.”
“Mighty Healthy” is one of the many bright spots from Supreme Clientele, yet its enduring legacy within hip hop circles has solidified the album as a classic. Ghostface stuck to his style and made it something to behold, especially at a time when other rappers were changing their sounds to fit the new party and club theme music of the 2000’s. The album’s success also cemented him as one of the commercial faces of Wu Tang, a spot that had only been previously reserved for Method Man.
The moe. Miracle Mile Drive-In concert was cancelled days before it’s shows on July 31 and Aug. 1. by venue management on July 29 due to safety concerns. Vernon Downs Casino Hotel was scheduled to host the performances but abruptly changed their minds with continuing concerns revolving around the COVID-19 pandemic.
Organizers of the event stated that, “Despite putting a comprehensive health and safety plan in place for the events, Vernon Downs management made the preemptive decision to not allow the concerts to be held on-site due to the continuing health and safety concerns surrounding the global COVID-19 pandemic,” according to the article in Observer-Dispatch.
The band announced via their Facebook that their moe. Miracle Mile Drive-In would have to be canceled due to the short notice given to them by Vernon Downs Casino Hotel. They also stated that refunds will be automatically issued by Ticketmaster to all original ticket purchasers.
The promoter of the show, Creative Concerts Inc, states in their Facebook post that Vernon Downs Casino Hotel breached their contract and forced the show to be canceled. “We’re devastated by this turn of events and are still committed to bringing safe socially distanced events to upstate and central NY….Thank you for being so supportive of our efforts hopefully we can find a new venue in the near future that will honor their promises and commitment,” stated Chuck Chao, President of Creative Concerts Inc.
moe. also announced that, “While [we] can no longer play for you in a live concert setting, we will still perform for you live via webcast. We have been rehearsing in an historic church-turned-recording studio and will broadcast two full moe. shows from this setting, starting at 7pm on Friday and Saturday evenings. We hope you can join us virtually. For tickets and more information, please visit tourgigs.com/shows”
Buffalo’s Intrepid Travelers welcome two new members to the band, saxophonist Ellen Pieroni (Folkfaces) and bassist Zak Beutel, who join the already stellar IT lineup of Donny Frauenhofer (keys, vocals), Brian Calisto (guitar, vocals) and Jon Fohl (drums, vocals).
photo by Sam Murray
Pieroni shared her thoughts on joining Intrepid Travelers:
I’ve considered myself to be IT fam for the better half of the 5+ years Donny and I have been dating. Over the years, I’ve attended a bunch of shows, sat in on countless tunes, worked the merch table, and volunteered for IT fest. I’ve jokingly said for years “you should just let me join the band!” Well, recently they decided to finally listen and let me try IT out. It’s been a blast so far, immersing myself in new experiences like deep improvisation, exploring and building my pedal rig, composing new music, and taking on a larger role vocally than I have in any band before. It feels really good to be creative in new ways and be thrown into a band where folks are just as excited for the next chapter. The group chat is constantly lighting up with new ideas and I’m super happy to be a part of it.
Beutel looks as his joining IT and the long journey from fan to band member
One night in September 2014, I went to EBC, a staple in the town of Fredonia where I was attending college, to check out this band that all my upperclassman friends had exclaimed to be THE band to see in Fredonia. Upon entering, I was overtaken by the range of blissful sounds, to downright funk, and all the spaces in between. It was Intrepid Travelers, and immediately I was taken aback by their dynamic musicianship, inspired improvisation, and creative songwriting ability, as it had far exceeded any local acts I had previously seen. I bought a CD, and the Have You Seen My Rainbow Monkey EP was a mainstay in my old car that only took CDs and is now what I consider to be one of the ‘soundtracks’ to my first year at Fredonia.
Years later in late 2019, my buddy and I needed a drummer for a charity gig, and Jon (Fohl)n was the first person that came to mind, so we reached out and he joined us for a fun show. A few months later, I saw a post of his on Facebook that he was looking for some gigs, to which I reached out and suggested a side project, and let him know I was available if he needed bass for anything. In a somewhat serendipitous way, he let me know that he had been thinking about reaching out to me as Intrepid Travelers had taken a hiatus and weren’t sure what the steps would be moving forward, but that he thought I would be a welcome fit in the group and that we should give it a go. A few months after quarantine, and after many jam sessions with Jon and Brian, I headed over to Donny’s for the first practice with Intrepid Travelers as a whole, where we warmed up with the classic “Photobooth Youth” and launched into a 15-minute jam segment out of it, and the rest is history. It feels full circle in a way, as I can still remember watching these guys on stage in Fredonia and wishing I was up there with them, and to say I’m honored and excited to be in this band would be an understatement. Everything fell into place, and it’s only up from here. I can’t wait to see what the coming years hold for the band, and I’m so grateful to be along for the ride.
Naturally, keyboardist Donny Frauenhofer is excited for the band to return with two new members:
Intrepid Travelers is back with new songs, new members and new energy! I know its a strange time to be “back” as a band that primarily existed as a live act considering what has happened to the live music industry, but it really ended up being the perfect time to get the wheels turning again in a low pressure environment. We had already been talking since the fall about going hard on making content, and just having a greater focus on creating rather than just playing shows constantly.
Taking a break in the past year was both timely and necessary for Intrepid Travelers to get the creative juices flowing again:
In our time off, we were able to focus better on what we wanted Intrepid Travelers to be as both an entity and for each of us personally. The band being a living, breathing thing that evolves has been at our foundation since Day 1 (one of our earliest songs was called “Always Evolving”). The nice thing is theres very little pressure, so we’re just having fun – and our longtime fans, friends, and supporters seem to be really enjoying it. We played an outdoor show on a neighbors porch and the turnout was incredible.
We have some new, but familiar faces in the band. Zak Beutel, who I actually collaborated with over quarantine a few times, but I’ve just met recently, is taking over the bass and vocals role. Additionally, Ellen Pieroni of Folkfaces is joining on vocals/saxophone/mandolin/whatever other instrument she picks up. We also have a team for the first time since 2016 – Brandon Keller, who had put on Woodhenge Sustainability, Music, and Art Festival is helping manage and book for us, and we also have Tim Merrill who had worked as Witty Tarbox’s manager for a while is joining us to help in a more creative role.
Intrepid Travelers have also announced IT Fest IV to be held in Hannibal, NY for August 28-29, with very limited capacity. More information coming soon.
In 2020, it is nearly impossible to imagine 600,000 people gathering anywhere, but especially in the rural town of Watkins Glen for Summer Jam ’73. For live music enthusiasts, summer is the best time of the year. The warmest months typically mean road trips with friends to exotic cities like Hartford, Connecticut; Bangor, Maine; and Camden, New Jersey. It means forgetting your tent stakes and having to make new friends by begging for extras at music festivals. Summer is when the sun stays up the latest, the air smells the dankest, and live music infuses with nature in the most powerful ways.
As many festival professionals, seasoned Shakedowners, and road warriors are isolated in their hometowns waiting for social ‘undistancing’ to begin, we take a trip back in time to July 1973 — to Summer Jam at Watkins Glen Grand Prix Raceway. Thanks to Dave Smith’s Historic Essay, and many other stories written by attendees of the mega-event, we’ve put together a list of 1973 Flashbacks from that iconic yet blurry weekend.
UPSTATE NEW YORK’S LARGEST CITY
With 600,000 people crammed onto 95 acres, Watkins Glen became one of the most densely populated areas on Earth! It is estimated that 1 in every 400 Americans trekked to the event, many being young adults from the Northeast.
JAM BEFORE THE MUSIC
New York State Police estimated 20 miles of roadblocks (with over 50 miles of traffic) by 4am Saturday morning — 8 hours before the first band was set to take the stage. Traffic was so backed up many guests abandoned their cars and walked tens of miles to get in. On Wednesday night, 48 hours before the actual event, police estimated roughly 50,000 new guests in a town of 3,500. By Thursday, that figure doubled and by Friday night, Watkins Glen was a quarter-million strong. New York State Troopers recalled Woodstock and the nightmarish traffic problems. This was worse.
ICONIC MUD OF NEW YORK MEGAFESTS
Tents, tarps, flip-flops, beer cans, strollers, coolers, empty peanut butter jars, and fancy sun hats were among the items caked into the mud long after the event was over. Much like New York’s iconic music festival four years earlier, Woodstock, Summer Jam ’73 had its fair share of torrential rain and ass-shaking hippies to create an Upstate NY mud bath for the ages.
IS THIS STILL SOUNDCHECK?
The Band and the Allman Brothers Band both put on longer (and more rocking) soundchecks than usual to warm up the early attendees, but The Grateful Dead put on a two-set pre-show for the ages. Bassist Phil Lesh did his best to remind the crowd, “This is still just a test,” as they introduced Set II, but happily, no one was buying it. “This whole thing is a fraud, we’re really clever androids,” Lesh announced before breaking into a legendary “Bird Song.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7L1zD4Xh-Q
TRANQUIL(IZERS) AND SERENE
How do you take the beauty of the Finger Lakes Region and make it even more spectacular? Drugs. Jamaican grass, speed, LSD, magic mushrooms, mescaline, cocaine, and a suspicious clown peddling Ex-Lax were a few of the items found at the mind-altering buffet that weekend. Dealers made so much money selling everything from animal tranquilizers to bags of oregano, that some of them rented U-Haul storage trailers just to leave behind come Sunday morning.
THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT
With over half a million young adults gathered from all parts of the country, there was almost zero violence (one stabbing reported). A 74-year old Watkins Glen native, George Rehety, reported from his lawn chair, “You know, these are nice kids. I haven’t seen one fight.” An eight-year-old from nearby Corning, NY had this stellar recap: “Music was good, but I couldn’t understand the words. What was that funny smell? The food that I tasted was really yummy.”
LOCAL LAW KEPT IT COOL
600,000 drunk and stoned young people in blazing heat — what could go wrong? The sheriff of Schuyler Country was Maurice Dean of Watkins Glen. As one of the youngest sheriffs in the Empire State, his age helped him understand the prevalent generation that was “invading” his town. When comparing the Summer Jam crowd to the Can-Am crowd just one week earlier, a mounted cop said, “I’d rather deal with these kids than the race crowd any day. I’ve never been called ‘Sir’ so many times in my life.”
BUZZED AND CONFUSED
The drug of choice for the weekend was Jack Daniels and Canadian Club whiskey. Pull tab beer cans like “Genny” went for 99 cents a six-pack, but only if you were prepared. The local beer suppliers were fresh out. “And I’d filled the place with beer, up to the ceiling,” Jack Mafianey, the Beverage Baron himself, said. “This is ten times bigger than the Grand Prix.” With the biggest party on Earth happening in a tiny town, beer disappeared. According to Dave Smith’s record, concert beer initially went for $.75 a can and when all the ice melted, warm beer cost a quarter.
GO CHASING WATERFALLS
Nude swimmers were surfacing all over the beautiful Finger Lakes Region. At the end of Main Street, Chequaqua Falls saw its fair share of bare butts, and Aunt Sarah’s Falls in Montour Falls became a communal bathtub by the Sunday morning. Locals laughed at the sight of concertgoers emerged in the local ponds off County Route 16 — a favorite for Watkins Glen snapping turtles that loved to chomp anything that dangled past them. One local couple looked outside their window to see a trio of young women spraying each other down with a hose. Not the usual Saturday night ritual in Watkins Glen.
WILL WAIT FOR FOOD
Forget about fast food in rural Finger Lakes towns back in 1973. Jim Teemley’s Meat Market and Deli was the next best thing for the dry-mouthed hippies that descended on the community. Teemley’s wife recalled, “It was as orderly as a school cafeteria, the kids were very polite and mannerly, and there were no incidents of potato chip bags or candy being stolen.” On Route 414, the Simpson’s store ran out of food at a record pace, and although the Raceway was prepared for 150,000, they didn’t properly supply for four times that amount. Luckily, with free entry, the extra $10 fans brought for the now free concert entry was more than enough to acquire sustenance.
While the world may never see another Summer Jam ’73, music festivals will return. The sweet sound of live music will fill the air. You and your friends will make unforgettable memories. And concertgoers will wake up on another hazy Monday morning with mud in their Birkenstocks. 2020 may prevent us from partying with 600,000 like-minded people, but it won’t stop us from discovering the wonders of nature and finding community through the chaos.
Jazz musicians from around the world connect with their audience in virtual jam session.
The free online series is Flushing Town Hall’s attempt to keep the public safe from the spread of CODIV-19. As a result of it being completely virtual, their mission is to bring global arts to global people.
Hundreds of artists flock to the jam ever since its formation four months ago. Participants span from New York to Italy and Germany. It has also become a showcase of the global arts institution.
The Jazz Jam invites all members of the public to watch the live stream through Facebook or Zoom.
Flushing Town Hall’s website directs anyone interested in participating to email a three to four minute tune to education@flushingtownhall.org. 20 musicians will be selected to play along with the theme of the month.
The website states, “the mission of Flushing Council on Culture and the Arts (FCCA) is to present multi-disciplinary global arts that engage and educate the global communities of Queens, New York and New York City, New York, in order to foster mutual appreciation.”
Kids These Daze is a detailed description of the world’s musical genres, interpreted by Casey and the Comrades. It’s as though they’re telling you about their worldly travels, but this time, you’ll actually want to hear about someone else’s vacation stories. Casey Cranford (of BIG Something) and friends, have fused a wide variety of sounds together that add spice to their jam band undertones – and strung together, it makes for a very exciting album.
In their press release, they say “listeners will find a completely original sound” Completely original? No. But when you step back and look at the big picture, then yes – the execution of the album is fairly original. Special guests like, Nick MacDaniels, Becca Stevens, Paul Hanson, Billy Cardine, Saxton Rose, Nate Werth, and Lucy Woodward, bring their impressive musical talents to the table, which makes each track unique and dissectible.
One thing that allows them to be so eclectic is the EWI (electronic wind instrument) played by Casey Cranford. His instrument can emulate the sounds of most winded instruments, allowing the group to morph into different genres. The saxophone is the most prominent sound we hear throughout the album, which can be heard playing the extremely memorable licks on “H1N1” and “ExciteBikeRack.” Speaking of – these tracks are the most interesting and energetic of the bunch. In “H1N1” We’re thrown straight into, what feels like a sandstorm raging through the Arabian deserts. We dive and fall into a fast paced race through memorable licks and avant garde solos. Then we’re seamlessly dropped into heavy, dense breakdowns that keep things spicy. The whole track is 7:39 second roller coaster of sound.
In “ExciteBikeRack,” we feel this sense of constant forward movement, coupled with hard hitting left and right turns, which allows for an ideal space to solo over in a live and studio setting. The hardest hitting turn is the rap break by TommyBlaze336. Not something we hear often in a “psychedelic space fusion” band, as they have proclaimed themselves to be.
Aptly named, “Fall” is the jazziest of the album. We feel like we’re free falling through space, with our attention being gently directed to the wide array of solos from a lush saxophone and bright keyboard, brought to us by Julian Sizemore. The track does drone on a for a while but as it ends, we feel ourselves “surviving the fall” as the lyrics go, and finally reaching the ground, entering the next song of the album.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdRiAnF3T3k
So is this a “completely original sound” as proclaimed? In the grand expanse of time, no, it’s not original. So many key aspects go into making a sound that is distinguishable and different from anything else. Someone’s very unique voice, guitar tone or production tactics, are what give a band a unique sound. Somehow, we’ve heard these songs before. We’ve seen cooky instruments in a jam band, we’ve heard a jam band use Middle Eastern/ Arabic tones and scales, we’ve seen the concept album about how technology is double edged sword, and we’ve experienced the psychedelic space jam band. But again this should not undercut the fact that this album is interesting, impressive, full of creative licks and hooks.
It’s always impressive when people master their instruments, when groups of six or more can collectively agree on a vision, and make it come to life in a well executed and precisely produced manner. But being one of a kind doesn’t mean adding layers and layers of instruments and fussing every known genre together. It’s something that comes naturally, even accidentally, over years and years. We hope this group reaches that threshold, where we the listeners can hear a song, a lick, or vocalist, play something that is quintessentially Casey and the Comrades, because it’s obvious these men and women have the talent to make it happen.
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.
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.
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” 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” 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!
For more information visit Daze Between’s website.
Albany-area heavy rockers The Erotics are no longer a new band or young pups, having been at it for over two decades now. They first released “Get Drunk Again” on Cacophone RecordsUltra Swank compilation in 1999, so we can reasonably call these lads veteran heavy rockers by now.
Let’s Kill Rock ‘n’ Roll is a live record of all-new songs – I remember Central New York heavies The Rods doing this in 1984, but this is not common in the heavy rock world. However, it’s no crappy live-in-a-club recording – the band recorded this in front of a small audience of hardcore fans in an actual studio, so the sound is fantastic, the guitars are up-front and face-removing, a great balance of clarity and rawness. The small live audience gives it a vibe not unlike the legendary promo-only live 1977 AC/DC record Live from the Atlantic Studios, which was recorded in similar fashion.
Before getting to the tunes, one thing that has always set The Erotics apart from your typical Albany-area “plays the local clubs and occasionally some other Northeast city” band, is that these guys have built a following well outside the local area. No doubt, there have been Albany bands who have done the same – Troy heavies Stigmata and Brick by Brick developed national followings and have performed in Europe; Albany ska-crunch heroes Can’t Say have toured nationally and released records in Japan; and legendary area greats Blotto were on MTV on Day 1 and toured the States opening for Blue Oyster Cult.
When I’ve seen The Erotics in local clubs, there always seems to be someone there down from Canada or over from Europe to see the band. Having toured the UK several times, last year they played a British festival opening for one of my favorite bands ever, The Wildhearts; the reach of this band extends far beyond the 518.
Anyways, the music: this record rocks. A killer old-school heavy rock record, with no pretensions to alternative rock or punk hipster-ism. I know other reviews and articles brand these guys as punk, but I don’t hear that – this band is firmly in the tradition of 70s (Alice Cooper, Bon-era AC/DC) and 80s hard rock. They invoke Appetite-era Guns n Roses, maybe first-two-records-era Motley Crue (but without the shitty singer) ‘Electric’-era The Cult and, again, AC/DC. Great riffs, great songwriting, and lyrics about things real rock bands sing about (fighting, drinking, rocking, women & hell). The record starts off with a short instrumental, “Nothing to Sing About”, with chugging riffs and Thin Lizzy-style harmony guitars, into title track “Let’s Kill Rock N Roll,” killer riff, memorable chorus, a truly great heavy rock tune.
There’s mighty, hefty riffs everywhere and some excellent choruses, as with “Monday Morning Meltdown” and “Head of the Low Class.” Mike Trash’s vocals, always good, are top-shelf here, in the region of a more whiskey-soaked Axl. “Lie My Way Into Hell” is excellent, maybe the best track, great, swaggering stuff. Not much to criticize here – “Wrong Kind of Love Song” maybe reminds me a bit of those 80s power ballads I fucking hated back in the day, albeit without the candy-corn production, and as you get into the latter half of the 14 tracks, there’s a blending-in-together feel. But the record ends on a high note with “Fighting Like Cats and Dogs,” full of high-speed, fast, heavy, crushing metal. Great stuff indeed.
All hail Let’s Kill Rock’n’Roll, a top-notch hard rock record, released on July 20, so go get yourself a tall glass of this now. Check it out on Bandcamp.
Key Tracks: Let’s Kill Rock N Roll, Lie My Way Into Hell, Fighting Like Cats and Dogs
