It was a little bit intimate, a little bit all-out-jam in Fairfield last Saturday night. Eggy made their return to Fairfield Theatre Company (FTC) Stage One with two sets full of holiday spirit.
2019 was a big year for Eggy. They released their debut album Watercolor Days in March, and in September they announced becoming a part of the Madison House team. Time will only tell what 2020 has in store, but I can tell you they will be opening for Spafford at Brooklyn Bowl on February 7 and 8. So get there early!
Jam rockers Phish executed their annual New Years Eve show and gag, albeit with unexpected turns and clones. The show took place at Madison Square Garden to a sold-out crowd. The gag is an annual tradition where the band attempts to fool the audience during the third set. Over the years, the gags have become more theatrical, but this one included an unplanned element of surprise.
The first set included a notably-funky jam “Halley’s Comet,” and the setlist delight, “Fluffhead.” Additionally, after “Axilla,” the band continued a story that was started on 12/30, and eventually referenced a pan flute player named Zamfir. Fishman was able to conjure up Zamfir, played by Richard Glasgow their tour manager, by saying his name.
The second set was a non-stop jam that prepared the fans for the gag to come. Notable songs included “Punch You In the Eye” and “Mercury.” As the set ended, the crew removed all instruments from the stage, and left eight large covered cubes.
Set three began with the band talking behind stage without realizing the audience was listening. Guitarist Trey Anastasio mentions that the band will finally give the people what they want, and play an entire set of jazz ballads, a cappella, for new years eve. That is of course, until Zamfir made another appearance, unleashed his pan on the band, and effectively started the annual gag.
The band appeared wearing wacky colorful jumpsuits during a piano solo for “Send in the Clowns.” Fishman wore a pink inverted version of his usual donut muumuu. The band then changed the lyrics from “Clowns” to “Clones,” and by the end of the song, Anastasio proclaimed “Send in the clones,” and with that, an entire dance troupe dressed in the same outfits as the band, complete with wigs, paraded onto the stage. The band members blended in and were soon cast into the air above the stage, with color-coded platforms suspended above the stage with their respective instruments.
To end 2019, Phish launched into a rocking “First Tube” from the air, with their clones performing choreographed dance sequences on the ground and on color coordinated risers. At midnight, the band played the traditional “Auld Lang Syne,” followed by “Sand,” reminiscent of the incredible “Sand” played twenty years ago at Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation in Florida. The band members were toggled up and down in the air on their platforms, as the clones dance beneath them.
At the end of “Sand,” Anastasio was noticeably still suspended in the air, while the other three band members were on the stage. Anastasio tried to ease the audience with quipps like “Well, I guess if I’m about to fall to my death, I might as well tell you guys all how much I love you.” A long pause followed, where he found out that the crew was unable to move his broken platform to the ground. The show must go on, and Anastasio played from his hobbled platform for the rest of the set. The audience stood in near silence watching Anastasio’s platform swaying ever so slightly, as the pops of thousands of balloons echoed in Madison Square Garden, with the clones laying down on the platforms, waiting patiently for the next song to begin.
Trey Anastasio is lowered to safety via the Rescue Squad
Despite being stuck, the show continued with Page, Jon and Mike moving up and down on their platforms, with Anastasio’s static, 30 feet above the stage. During the quintessential “You Enjoy Myself,” the clones participated in an exceptional vocal jam. At the end, Anastasio awkwardly declared that the encore was starting, because there was no way for him to exit his platform, and asked the audience to pretend that they had gone off stage and come back on. The band gave the fans one final song of the night, “Tweezer Reprise,” and all left the stage, except Anastasio, who remained on his hobbled platform, and sang an impromptu ode to the “Rescue Squad” of crew who safely brought the Bad Lieutenant down. Using Fishman’s platform to safely bridge Anastasio to safety, Anastasio continued the “Rescue Squad” jam on his way down, utilizing Fishman’s drumkit for a final thank you to the Rescue Squad.
Trey Anastasio
Was it all part of the gag? Was this part of the plan? Fans continue to debate this days later, all the while reveling in one of Phish’s most impressive New Year’s Eve stunts to date.
moe. has played dozens of area shows through the years at moe.down in both nearby Turin, New York and at Beardslee Castle in Little Falls, as well as at Saranac Brewery. But it had been twenty-one years since they had played the iconic, venerable Stanley Theater in Utica, New York. With the majority of the band having roots in the area, this pair of New Year’s Eve shows was a much-anticipated homecoming.
Happy New Year!
Night One, on December 30, saw both a marriage proposal and a mayoral proclamation by Utica’s Robert Palmieri declaring the date as moe. Day in the city, before the show even began. The band set the tone by opening with a scorching version of “Meat,” with percussionist Jim Loughlin displaying his astounding skills with two mallets in each hand on vibraphone. There’s no question that Chuck Garvey and Al Schnier are guitar gods, Rob Derhak is a creative bass player whose frequent onstage grin helps make him so likable, and Vin Amico keeps things chugging like a freight train, playing drums while chomping on gum and blowing enormous bubbles like he’s endorsed by Bazooka. But to this listener, Loughlin makes a distinct difference. He plays stuff that you just don’t hear anywhere else in a band of such renown and longevity.
Jim Loughlin
The band
transitioned through seven additional songs totaling nearly ninety
minutes of music to conclude the first set. Throughout both nights,
the band indeed played several favorite songs, but there was an
enormous dose of rarely, or lesser played, tunes that seemed to
surprise and delight hardcore fans of moe.
Before the second set, Al introduced the ubiquitous Utica legend, Rainbow Young, who had the crowd singing along to what was purported to be “God Bless America,” though the key, melody, and meter may have been more than a bit different. The second set began with a “Downward Facing Dog,” “Brittle End,” “Downward Facing Dog” sandwich before concluding with a string of tunes ending where they began the night, getting back to “Meat.” The bar was set high, as a goal to surpass on Night Two.
Night Two saw moe.
pull out all the stops and cut loose in so many interesting ways. On
New Year’s Eve, as we all headed into 2020, the band and their fans
paid tribute to the Roaring ‘20s in both attire and some of the
musical selections. Moe took the stage in suits, ties, suspenders and
fedoras, reminiscent of when men dressed as such to go to work one
hundred years ago. Many male fans dressed similarly, with dozens of
female fans sporting frilly or sequined flapper dresses, long gloves,
boas, and headpieces. The theater itself was a perfect setting, as
it opened in that decade, and matched the fanciful dress with
elaborate baroque design, including ornate twisted columns, a
mind-boggling enormous chandelier, and gargoyles, lions, and cherubs
adorning the walls and opera seats.
The first set saw Chuck and Al on acoustic guitars, with Al switching out to mandolin for a bit. Jim Loughlin showed his versatility throughout the evening, playing vibraphone, acoustic guitar, congas, and washboard. The three first time played songs included two from 1928, the year the Stanley Theater opened. The set opened with “It,” included a stunning version of “Statesboro Blues,” and ended with Rob Derhak’s “Tambourine.”
Set two saw the band plug in and take things even higher. It included an explosive version of “Don’t Fuck With Flo,” a return to the twenties for a cover of “East St. Louis Toodle-oo,” and ended with a nice rendition of the predictable “New Hope for the New Year.”
The third set had everyone on their feet, singing and dancing, with smiles and good wishes from many fans to others as midnight approached. Starting with a fairly new song, “Along for the Ride,” it included a nice execution of “Mack the Knife,” leading into “Silver Sun” just before the New Year’s countdown. At the stroke of midnight, air cannons showered the crowd with a colossal amount of confetti. The band and their significant others toasted and hugged each other, and moe. soon returned to their instruments. 2020 began with a joyous, infectious “Rebubula,” enhanced by a top-notch lighting presentation. This was followed by “Four,” and “Farmer Ben” segueing into a fervent “Timmy Tucker” to end the set. With a time deadline approaching, the band blazed through “Spine of a Dog” as the encore. Two nights of great music, great memories, and proof that moe. have established themselves as a premier touring band, world-class musicians, and individuals proud of their hometown.
Setlist – December 30, 2019
Set 1: Meat > Not Coming Down > Wormwood > Fearless~ > Deep This Time > Who You Calling Scared? > Akimbo > Brent Black
Set 2: Downward Facing Dog > Brittle End > Downward Facing Dog, Skrunk > Lazarus > Down Boy > Bring You Down > Meat
Encore: Letter Home, Wind It Up
~ Pink Floyd cover
Setlist – December 31, 2019
Set 1: It*, Time Again**, Shoot First**, Statesboro Blues*#, Where Does The Time Go?*, Tambourine*
Set 2: Tailspin > Puebla > Don’t Fuck With Flo > Tubing The River Styx > The Pit, East St. Louis Toodle-oo##, Opium, New Hope For The New Year
Set 3: Along For The Ride, Nebraska, Mack The Knife^, Silver Sun%, Rebubula, Four, Farmer Ben > Timmy Tucker
Encore: Spine Of A Dog
* w/ Al & Chuck on acoustic guitar ** w/ Al on mandolin, Chuck on acoustic guitar # FTP – (Blind Willie McTell cover) ## FTP – (Duke Ellington & Bubber Miley cover –) % NYE Countdown ^ FTP – (Kurt Weill & Bertolt Brecht cover)
Metallica, Deftones and Slipknot are set to headline the Sonic Temple Festival 2020. The iconic metal festival returns for its second year to MAPFRE Stadium in Columbus, Ohio on May 15 – 17, 2020.
Metallica is set to headline both Friday and Sunday with two unique sets. Bring Me The Horizon returns for 2020 after being forced to cancel last years set due to a weather evacuation. Some of the heavy hitting bands include Evanescence, Staind, Ice Nine Kills, Dropkick Murphys, Royal Blood, Cypress Hill, Anthrax, The Pretty Reckless, and Jinjer.
Every Thursday for the last two years, and for the foreseeable future, Three Heads Brewing’s stage has been taken over by a local musician. Each musician gets to command the stage for a month of Thursdays in what has been dubbed the Rochester Residency. Old bands have been resurrected, current bands have been discovered, new bands have been formed and the classics have been recreated. This year also saw one local musician try their hand at booking with great success.
Three Heads has released the 2020 Residents and it should be another fine year. First though, the month of January will be used to take a look back at some of the favorite shows from the first 2 years.
The Nashville-based sister duo, Larkin Poe, announced their 2020 world tour including a stop in Webster Hall in New York City. The tour officially starts in March at North Little Rock, AR’s University of Arkansas – Pulaski Technical College and wraps up in April with stops across the globe. Dates also exist in February through July on this tour.
Larkin Poe. Photo credit: Aloysius Lim
Larkin Poe has a GRAMMY® Award-nominated album Venom & Faith in the Best Contemporary Blues category. The tour announcement follows on the coattails of their video for “MISSISSIPPI” released on December 17. Larkin Poe is currently working on their next album which is due to drop sometime in 2020.
Larkin Poe will be stopping at Webster Hall in New York City on April 2. The tour includes stops all across the United States. There are also dates in Australia, New Zealand, Japan, the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, France, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway.
For more information on Larkin Poe or their tour visit their website. See the complete list of dates below.
Larkin Poe 2020 Tour Dates:
Feb. 8 – Mahindra Blues Festival – Mumbai, India
Feb. 27 through March 2 – Rock Legends Cruise – Port Everglades, FL
March 13 – Minglewood Hall – Memphis, TN
March 14 – University of Arkansas: Pulaski Technical College – North Little Rock, AR
March 18 – Center for the Arts – Jackson, WY
March 25 – 29 – Treefort Music Fest – Boise, ID
March 27 – The Independent – San Francisco, CA
March 28 – Fonda Theatre – Los Angeles, CA
April 1 – Royale – Boston, MA
April 2 – Webster Hall – New York, NY
April 3 – The Foundry – Philadelphia, PA
April 5 – Tampa Bay Blues Festival – Tampa, FL
April 11 – Byron Bay Bluesfest – Tyagarah, Australia
April 13 – Byron Bay Bluesfest – Tyagarah, Australia
April 15 – Factory Theatre – Sydney, Australia
April 16 – The Corner Hotel – Richmond, Australia
April 18 – Powerstation – Auckland, New Zealand
April 19 – James Hay Theatre – Christchurch, New Zealand
April 21 – duo Music Exchange – Tokyo, Japan
April 24 – Sweetwater 420 Festival – Atlanta, GA
April 25 – Brooklyn Bowl – Nashville, TN
May 1 – O2 Institute – Birmingham, United Kingdom
May 2 – Button Factory – Dublin, Ireland
May 3 – SWG3 Studio Warehouse – Glasgow, United Kingdom
May 5 – O2 Ritz Manchester – Manchester, United Kingdom
May 6 – SWX – Bristol, United Kingdom
May 7 – O2 Empire Shepherds Bush – London, United Kingdom
May 9 – Paradiso – Amsterdam, Netherlands
May 10 – Live Music Hall – Cologne, Germany
May 12 – Ancienne Belgique – Brussels, Belgium
May 13 – Le Trianon – Paris, France
May 15 – Sala Apolo – Barcelona, Spain
May 16 – Sala But – Madrid, Spain
May 19 – Santeria Toscana 31 – Milano, Italy
May 20 – Dynamo – Zurich, Switzerland
May 22 – Technikum München – München, Germany
May 23 – WUK – Wien, Austria
May 25 – Lucerna Music Bar – Prague, Czech Republic
May 26 – Huxley’s Neue Welt – Berlin, Germany
May 27 – Markthalle – Hamburg, Germany
May 29 – VEGA – København V, Denmark
May 30 – Restaurang Trädgårn – Göteborg, Sweden
May 31 – Rockefeller Music Hall – Oslo, Norway
June 2 – Berns – Stockholm, Sweden
July 12 – Bospop Festival – Weert, Netherlands
July 17 – 19 – Blues Peer Festival – Peer, Belgium
Progressive rock icons Coheed and Cambria have announced a new partnership with Sixthman to create an immersive cruise and festival at sea, bringing their audience closer than ever before in their 19-year history. Setting sail on the S.S. Neverender October 26-30, the band plans to perform early songs and deep cuts that are rarely heard. Additionally, they’ll bring their sci-fi concept, The Amory Wars, to life in several onboard installations.
The band will also interact with fans in Q&A sessions and other scenarios. Joining the Coheed on this voyage is Taking Back Sunday, The Dear Hunter, Polyphia, Culture Abuse and others. More artists and activities will be added in the near future. The S.S. Neverender sets sail aboard the Norwegian Pearl on October 26-30, 2020 from Miami to Nassau, Bahamas.
“We’re always trying to find ways to improve the fan experience. Our fans like to travel, they like to meet other fans, we’re like a big family. So the idea of a cruise seemed like a way to allow a bunch of us to just go on vacation together,” explains Coheed founding member Travis Stever.
Fans are encouraged to join the cruise pre-sale for early access. Fans who bought the band’s most recent box set, The Unheavenly Creatures, will be given priority. Low deposits of $150 and flexible payment-plans that feature zero interest rates are available.
