After more than two years, Soulive will return to Brooklyn Bowl for their much-loved Bowlive concert series this December, From December 29-31, Soulive will be joined by bassist for The Meters, George Porter Jr. on the first night, and hold a special New Year’s Eve performance on Saturday, December 31.
Marking the ninth mini-residency for Soulive at Brooklyn Bowl, the trio of Eric Krasno, Neal Evans, and Alan Evans are fresh off a three-night run opening up the brand new Brooklyn Bowl Philadelphia. Bowlive has a storied history at Brooklyn Bowl Williamsburg, dating back to 2010.
Doors open at 6 with show starting at 830pm. Tickets are $50 each and on sale now here.
The Nth Power today release their album Reverence, their second release since 2015’s Abundance. The power trio formed at one of the legendary late night jazz fest jams in New Orleans with bassist Nate Edgar and guitarist Nick Cassarino. Nikki Glaspie was part of the legendary Berklee College Music scene in 2001. Her classmates at the time went on to form Soulive and Lettuce.
While at a show in Nantucket with Sam Kininger Band Nikki got the call to audition for Beyoncé’s first all female band. “I had 50 bucks in my pocket and said to myself, “What am I gonna do?” Which led me to staying in New York for the audition which opened the door to be Beyoncé’s drummer on a world tour.” She then dabbled with the heavy New Orleans sound as the drummer with Tony Hall with Dumpstaphunk on their tour. Just this month Nikki released “Guardian Angels” with guitarist Tim Reynolds.
Nikki formed a power trio project “the Nth Power” at a late night New Orleans Jazzfest gig in 2012 with bassist Nate Edgar and guitarist Nick Cassarino. The album is dedicated to Tedeschi Trucks Band member and Oteil’s brother Kofi Burbridge. Kofi plays keyboards and flute on all but one song on Reverence. It was his final studio work before his passing in February 2019. Cassarino said of Burbridge’s presence on the album, “It means everything that Kofi was playing with us before his transition. He brought the same energy to the studio that he brought to the stage, that he brought to rehearsal, that he brought to dinner — greatness.”
Cassarino covers vocals as well for The Nth Power. The group certainly channels Kofi on the song “Spirits” accompanied by his brilliant keyboard work. The track “A New Day” really speaks to those living in the moment every calendar year. The album also sails some heavier seas with the song “Take My Soul” before “they” do.
The Nth Power’s vibe is simple on Reverence It pulls from all different soulful musical genres to help ensure the healing power of love is spread through the world. It is also a tribute to the final musical project of the legendary ride Kofi Burbridge had, and the album title “Reverence” is a word chosen to represent respect in his honor.
Key Tracks: Spirits, A New Day, Take My Soul
The Nth Power Tour Dates: Fall Back In Love Tour Sept. 23 – Los Angeles, CA – The Mint Sept. 24 – San Francisco, CA – Boom Boom Room Sept. 25 – Mill Valley, CA – Sweetwater Music Hall Sept. 26 – Nevada City, CA – Crazy Horse Saloon Sept. 27 – Mammoth Lakes, CA – Liberty Bar Sept. 28 – Reno, NV – Virginia Street Brew House Sept. 29 – Sacramento, CA – Torch Club Sept. 30 – Bend, OR – Volcanic Theatre Oct. 1 – Portland, OR – Mississippi Studios Oct. 2 – Seattle, WA – Barboza Oct. 13 – New Orleans, LA – Howlin’ Wolf Oct. 22 – Placerville, CA – Hangtown Music Festival Oct. 30 – Live Oak, FL – Suwannee Hulaween
Trevor Noah, host of The Daily Show has announced his “Back to Abnormal” World Tour, with 21 new dates slated for 2022.
Produced by Live Nation, the tour opened in London with two sold out shows at The O2 Arena and will continue with stops in Washington D.C., Houston, Chicago, Los Angeles, and more before the 2021 leg wraps up with two nights at San Francisco’s Chase Center on December 10th + December 11th..
Due to overwhelming fan demand, 2022 dates have just been announced with 21 new shows including a night at New York’s iconic Madison Square Garden, plus stops in Baltimore, Indianapolis and more before ending internationally in Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena on October 1, 2022.
Trevor Noah is the most successful comedian in Africa and is the host of the Emmy® Award-winning “The Daily Show” on Comedy Central. Under Trevor, “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah” has broken free from the restraints of a 30-minute linear show, producing engaging social content, award-winning digital series, podcasts and more for its global audience. “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah” has received numerous Emmy Award nominations, including Outstanding Variety Talk Series and Outstanding Writing for A Variety Series.
Trevor has written, produced, and starred in 11 comedy specials, including his most recent, “Trevor Noah: Son of Patricia,” which launched in November 2018 on Netflix. The special touches upon racism, immigration, camping and more. “Trevor Noah: Son Of Patricia” received a NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Variety Show, as well as a Grammy Award nomination for Best Comedy Album.
Trevor is the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller “Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood,” which has received the Thurber Prize for American Humor and two NAACP Image Awards. The Audible edition of “Born a Crime,” performed by Trevor, remains one of the top-selling, highest-rated, and most-commented-on Audible performances of all time.
To date, “Born a Crime” has sold over 1 million copies across all formats. In April 2018, Noah launched The Trevor Noah Foundation, a youth development initiative that empowers youth with the foundation for a better life: access to high-quality education. Noah’s vision is a world where an education enables youth to dream, see and build the impossible.
General tickets for new dates go on sale Friday, October 1 at 10AM local time on LiveNation.com.
Trevor Noah Back to Abnormal 2021 Tour Dates
Friday, October 1, 2021 – Loveland, CO – Budweiser Events Center
Saturday, October 2, 2021 – Colorado Springs, CO – Broadmoor World Arena
Friday, October 8, 2021 – Estero, FL– Hertz Arena
Saturday, October 9, 2021 – Orlando, FL – Amway Center
Friday, October 15, 2021 – Washington D.C. – Capital One Arena
Saturday, October 16, 2021 – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center
Friday, October 22, 2021 – Hollywood, FL – Hard Rock Live
Friday, November 5, 2021 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center
Saturday, November 6, 2021 – Houston, TX – Toyota Center
Friday, November 19, 2021 – Grand Rapids, MI – Van Andel Arena
Saturday, November 20, 2021 – Chicago, IL – United Center
Friday, November 26, 2021 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena
Saturday, November 27, 2021 – Portland, OR – Moda Center
Sunday, November 28, 2021 – Kennewick, WA – Toyota Center
Friday, December 3, 2021 – San Diego, CA – Viejas Arena
Saturday, December 4, 2021 – Los Angeles, CA – The Forum
Friday, December 10, 2021 – San Francisco, CA – Chase Center
Saturday, December 11, 2021 – San Francisco, CA – Chase Center
Trevor Noah Back to Abnormal 2022 Tour Dates
Friday, January 14, 2022 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena
Saturday, January 15, 2022 – Savannah, GA – Enmarket Arena
Sunday, January 16, 2022 – Charlotte, NC – Spectrum Center
Friday, January 21, 2022 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
Saturday, January 22, 2022 – Syracuse, NY – Upstate Medical University Arena at the Oncenter War Memorial
Friday, February 4, 2022 – Boston, MA – TD Garden
Saturday, February 5, 2022 – Portland, ME – Cross Insurance Arena
Friday, February 11, 2022 – Jacksonville, FL – VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena
Saturday, February 12, 2022 – Tampa, FL – Yuengling Center
Friday, February 18, 2022 – Baltimore, MD – Royal Farms Arena
Saturday, February 19, 2022 – Buffalo, NY – KeyBank Center
Sunday, February 20, 2022 – Indianapolis, IN – Gainbridge Fieldhouse
Friday, February 25, 2022 – Ridgefield, WA – Ilani Casino
Saturday, February 26, 2022 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena
Friday, March 25, 2022 – Phoenix, AZ – Footprint Center
Saturday, March 26, 2022 – Fresno, CA – Save Mart Center
Friday, April 1, 2022 – Pittsburgh, PA – PPG Paints Arena
Saturday, April 2, 2022 – Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena
Friday, April 22, 2022 – St. Louis, MO – Chaifetz Arena
Saturday, April 23, 2022 – Tulsa, OK – River Spirit Casino
Sunday, April 24, 2022 – Austin, TX – Moody Center
Acclaimed singer-songwriter Parker Millsap has started a new tour in support of his latest critically acclaimed album, Be Here Instead. Millsap will arrive in New York for a show at Bowery Ballroom on Saturday, October 9, and Lark Hall in Albany on Sunday, October 10.
Millsap’s fifth studio LP and first new album in close to three years, Be Here Instead marks a stylistic shift from the gritty and high-energy folk of the Oklahoma-bred, Nashville-based artist’s previous output. Mainly recorded live with Millsap’s full band, the album sees a departure from the guitar-and-notebook-based approach to songwriting that shaped his earlier work. Instead, Parker Millsap has followed his curiosity to countless other modes of expression, experimenting with everything from piano to effects pedals to old school drum machines (a fascination partly inspired by the early-’70s innovations of Sly Stone and J.J. Cale).
Be Here Insteadwas produced by the legendary John Agnello (Kurt Vile, Sonic Youth, Waxahatchee), and was heralded in January with the luminous “The Real Thing.” The song – which features guest vocals from Nashville singer Erin Rae – was also joined by a video, streaming now at YouTube. “The Real Thing” was met with a lot of excitement at radio, peaking at #1 on the Americana chart and sitting in the top 5 for 13 weeks, and making NPR’s Heavy Rotation list twice. In February, Millsap returned with the song “Vulnerable,” a lushly textured piece of psychedelic soul threaded with elegantly simple wisdom that Rolling Stone called “a shimmering dreamlike production that plays like an underwater orchestra.” The song was joined by a companion video directed by Casey Pierce.
He then released “Dammit,” one of the album’s most majestic moments as it unfolds as an unlikely epic that perfectly captures the nuances of existential frustration while working up a furious momentum that’s nothing less than exhilarating. It was also joined by an official music video.
Parker Millsap 2021 Fall Tour
9/16 – Indianapolis, IN at Hi-Fi w/ H.C. McEntire & Logan Halstead 9/17 – Chicago, IL at Schuba’s w/ H.C. McEntire 9/18 – Chicago, IL at Schuba’s w/ H.C. McEntire 9/19 – Milwaukee, WI at Backroom at Colectivo w/ H.C. McEntire 9/21 – St. Paul, MN at Turf Club w/ H.C. McEntire 9/22 – Iowa City, IA at Gabe’s w/ H.C. McEntire 9/23 – St Louis, MO at Off Broadway w/ H.C. McEntire 9/24 – Louisville, KY at Headliner’s w/ H.C. McEntire 9/29 – Cincinnati, OH at Memorial Hall w/ Molly Parden 9/30 – Columbus, OH at Rumba Cafe w/ Molly Parden 10/01 – Pittsburgh, PA at Thunderbird Cafe Music Hall w/ Molly Parden 10/02 – Cleveland, OH at Beachland Ballroom w/ Molly Parden 10/03 – Ferndale, MI at Magic Bag w/ Molly Parden 10/04 – Toronto, ON at Great Hall w/ Molly Parden 10/06 – Burlington, VT at Higher Ground w/ Molly Parden 10/07- Cambridge, MA at The Sinclair w/ Molly Parden 10/08 – Holyoke, MA at Gateway Arts Center w/ Molly Parden 10/09 – New York, NY at Bowery Ballroom w/ Molly Parden 10/10 – Albany, NY at Lark Hall w/ Molly Parden 10/12 – Philadelphia, PA at WXPN members-only show w/ Molly Parden 10/13 – Washington, DC at Union Stage w/ Molly Parden 10/14 – Carrboro, NC at Cat’s Cradle w/ Molly Parden 10/15 – Asheville, NC at The Masonic Temple w/ Molly Parden 10/16 – Nashville, TN at Basement East w/ Molly Parden 11/11 – Springfield, MO at Springfield Brewing Company’s The Cellar w/ molly. 11/12 – Wichita, KS at WAVE support TBA 11/13 – McAlester, OK at Dancing Rabbit Festival support TBA 11/15 – Tomball, TX at Main Street Crossing (outdoors) an Evening With (full band) 11/16 – San Antonio at Sam’s Burger Joint an Evening With (full band) 11/17 – Austin, TX at 3TEN Center w/ Remy Reilly 11/19 – Dallas, TX at Granada Theater w/ Remy Reilly 11/20 – Oklahoma City, OK at Douglass Auditorium w/ Remy Reilly
Tool has confirmed tour dates for shows taking place around the world in 2022, with dates kicking off in the United States in January. The prog-metal legends will play at the new UBS Arena on February 23 at Belmont Park, and at Key Bank Center in Buffalo on February 27.
“It is with great pleasure I get to announce our return to the road,” Tool drummer Danny Carey stated. “These past 18 months have been trying to say the least but from great trials come great lessons and great rewards. We are genuinely looking forward to sharing them with you.”
Singer Maynard James Keenan added, “Let’s finish what we started. Shall we?”
Tool were set to play Eugene, Oregon last year just as the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and they’ll pick up right where they left off with a show at Matthew Knight Arena serving as the tour kickoff on January 10.
Tool makes its way into the Northeast in mid-February, with shows in Boston, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Belmont Park at the new UBS Arena, Newark and Buffalo at Key Bank Center.
Blonde Redhead will support Tool from January 10 to February 10. The Acid Helps will serve as openers from February 19 to March 20.
The eager return to the road follows the long-awaited 2019 album, Fear Inoculum, which led to the band earning the Best Metal Performance Grammy for the song “7empest.”
Tickets for the new tour dates go on sale this Friday, October 1 at 10 a.m. local venue time.
Tool 2022 Tour Dates
January 10 Eugene, OR Matthew Knight Arena January 11 Tacoma, WA Tacoma Dome January 13 Boise, ID Ford Idaho Center January 15 Sacramento, CA Golden 1 Center January 16 San Francisco, CA Chase Center January 18 Anaheim, CA Honda Center January 19 San Diego, CA Viejas Arena January 21 Phoenix, AZ Footprint Center January 22 Las Vegas, NV T-Mobile Arena January 25 Salt Lake City, UT Maverik Center January 27 Denver, CO Ball Arena January 30 Tulsa, OK BOK Center January 31 Dallas, TX American Airlines Center February 2 San Antonio, TX AT&T Center February 4 Houston, TX Toyota Center February 5 New Orleans, LA Smoothie King Center February 8 Orlando, FL Amway Center February 9 Tampa, FL Amalie Arena February 10 Miami, FL FTX Arena February 19 Boston, MA TD Garden February 20 Philadelphia, PA Wells Fargo Center February 22 Washington, DC Capital One Arena February 23 Belmont Park, NY UBS Arena February 26 Newark, NJ Prudential Center February 27 Buffalo, NY KeyBank Center March 1 Pittsburgh, PA PPG Paints Arena March 3 Detroit, MI Little Caesars Arena March 4 Louisville, KY KFC Yum! Center March 6 Columbus, OH Nationwide Arena March 8 Grand Rapids, MI Van Andel Arena March 10 Chicago, IL United Center March 12 Omaha, NE CHI Health Center Arena March 13 Minneapolis, MN Target Center March 15 Kansas City, MO T-Mobile Center March 17 Moline, IL TaxSlayer Center March 18 St. Louis, MO Enterprise Center March 20 Cleveland, OH Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
Tool 2022 European Tour dates
April 23 Copenhagen, DK Royal Arena April 25 Oslo, NO Spektrum April 26 Stockholm, SE Avicii Arena April 28 Hamburg, DE Barclaycard Arena April 29 Frankfurt, DE Festhalle May 2 Manchester, UK AO Arena Manchester May 4 Birmingham, UK Resorts World Arena May 6 Dublin, IE 3Arena May 9 London, UK The O2 Arena May 12 Paris, FR AccorHotels Arena May 13 Antwerp, BE Sportpaleis May 15 Berlin, DE Mercedes-Benz Arena May 17 Cologne, DE Lanxess Arena May 19 Amsterdam, NL Ziggo Dome May 21 Krakow, PL Tauron Arena May 23 Prague, CZ O2 Arena May 24 Budapest, HU SportAréna
Bob Dylan will hit the road for the “Rough and Rowdy Ways” tour in November, following his longest touring hiatus since the 1980s. The tour is billed as a worldwide tour running until 2024.
Rough and Rowdy Ways follows the release of the singles “Murder Most Foul” and “I Contain Multitudes,” with the former earning Dylan his first-ever #1 song under his own name on any Billboard chart. Dylan has also announced a 1980s-era bootleg series release, and streamed a concert called Shadow Kingdom.
Dylan’s fall dates will also mark the return of the road band, a slightly altered version of the group that hit the road in the fall of 2019, with two new members featured alongside regulars Charlie Sexton, Tony Garnier and Donnie Herron.
The tour makes stops in NYC on November 19-21 at The Beacon Theatre, and then Bob Dylan will hold a two-night run right after at The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester. Tickets will go on sale Oct. 1 via BobDylan.com.
Bob Dylan Fall 2021 “Rough and Rowdy Ways” Tourdates
Nov. 2 – Milwaukee – Riverside Theatre
Nov. 3 – Chicago – Auditorium Theatre
Nov. 5 – Cleveland – Key Bank State Theatre
Nov. 6 – Columbus, Ohio – Palace Theatre
Nov. 7 – Bloomington, Ind. – U Auditorium
Nov. 9 – Cincinnati – Procter & Gamble Hall
Nov. 10 – Knoxville, Tenn. – Knoxville Auditorium
Nov. 12 – Louisville, Ky. – Palace Theatre
Nov. 13 – Charleston, WV – Municipal Auditorium
Nov. 15 – Moon Township, Penn. – Morris Univ. – UPMC Events Center
Nov. 16 – Hershey, Penn. – Hershey Theatre
Nov. 19 – New York City – Beacon Theatre
Nov. 20 – New York City – Beacon Theatre
Nov. 21 – New York City – Beacon Theatre
Nov. 23 – Port Chester, NY – The Capitol Theatre
Nov. 24 – Port Chester, NY – The Capitol Theatre
Nov. 26 – Providence, RI – Providence Performing Arts Center
Robert Cray and his four piece ensemble helped turn the Homer Center for the Arts into a Sunday soul release of blues on September 26. In just over 40 years, Cray and his band have recorded 20 studio releases, as well as co-wrote and performed on Eric Clapton’s iconic blues piece “Old Love.” When Producer Steve Jordan worked with Robert in the studio, he said the artist has to be able “to perform at a live capacity, a very high level. The way Robert sings and plays, that’s at the highest level. So, boom. We got that.”
The Homer Center for the Arts helped treat the 400 person capacity crowd to a live performance as intimate as a studio recording. The center is a community of artists, art lovers, music makers, and creators who truly have the fervor for live music. The 150-year-old church turned venue still boasts rows of pews leftover from with balcony spirits. At one point Robert looked up to the center ceiling and said “Jimi… (Hendrix) can you hear me?,” a nod to Jimi’s quote about a live music performance, “When I get up on stage – well, that’s my whole life. That’s my religion. My music is electric church music, the cosmos are the sky church as you can see.” On the altar with Robert Cray was bass player Richard Cousins, drummer Terrence Clark and keyboardist Jim Pugh. Robert’s catalog of sound included all the ups and downs of lifestyle love through the blues.
“You can’t make me change” and “Anything you Want,” both performed in Homer this evening, originated in the studio with drummer and producer Steve Jordan, who produced Cray’s blues album Take Your Shoes Off, winning the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album at the 42nd Annual Grammy Awards in 2000.
Robert begged for someone to “Fix This” during a take on a painful love experience: “Fix this, broken heart of my I just can’t catch my breath, I’m all, torn apart, Trying to forget all the pain I’ve been through And all the time spent with you, not knowing you never gave a damn about us.” The band kept the bitter blues ballads on “I’m Done Crying,” for accepting a love that’s come to its end, singing “I’ve got no more tears you can’t hurt me anymore At least now I know where I stand you won’t take away my dignity Cause I am still a man.”
Cray gives hope for the ones still looking to move past an old love with “Bouncin Back,” singing “I’m finally bouncin’ back, I’ve got the urge to dance, I believe that I’ll Give love just one more chance.”
The crowd heard Crays’ classic cut off his 1986 studio album Strong Persuader. “Right Next Door (because of me),” a tale about being the man on the side that sacrifices his love for the woman’s greater good. You can hear Cray’s guitar tone influence on John Mayer’s new Sob Rock album.
The band closed with “You Must Believe in Yourself” That’s what you gotta do now! What you gotta do!,” to a standing ovation from the Homer audience. The two song encore “You Move Me” and “Time Takes Two” helped end the Sunday sermon, “You know time makes two, it takes two to heal a broken heart.”
The Sunday gospel blues presented by Robert and his band helped ease everyone’s restless hearts in attendance.
Setlist: Anything you want, I Shiver, You can’t make me Change, Deep in my Soul, Fix This, Bouncin Back, Sitting on top of the world, Chicken in the Kitchen, You don’t even care, Hot, I’m done Crying, Right Next Door, You Must Believe in Yourself
The Alice Cooper Show has been going for almost 50 years, starting with horror movie-like antics on stage. The capacity crowd at Utica’s Stanley Theatre couldn’t file into their seats fast enough for opening act Ace Frehley of KISS and headliner Alice Cooper on September 22. The last time Cooper performed in Upstate NY was with Johnny Depp and Joe Perry of Aerosmith, for the super group “The Hollywood Vampires” at Turning Stone Casino Showroom In May 2016, where Cooper even has his own golf locker.
photo courtesy of Stanley Theatre
Ace Frehly felt his NYC roots in Utica and got the crowd involved singing “I’m back, back in the New York groove” off his 1978 solo album, written on a Brooklyn subway. Ace simply said in between all tunes “Utica, you guys rock” as he continuously launched guitar picks like confetti to the crowd.
Alice Cooper took the stage at 8:45 and opened the show with “Feed My Frankenstein,” featured on the big screen in Wayne’s World with Wayne and Garth’s iconic experience seeing Alice live and hanging with him backstage.
Alice recounted “I used to be such a sweet, sweet thing ’til they got a hold of me” before launching into “No More Mr. Nice Guy.” Backing vocalist and lead guitar player Nita Strauss was a complete stage presence to be reckoned with. She frolicked from stage left to right while soloing. It seemed as if she was committing “Frettasault” on that axe. She and Alice traded the infamous “It was alright!” vocals on the Velvet Underground classic “Rock and Roll.” Alice then serenaded the crowd back to their teenage years “I got a baby’s brain and an old man’s heart, took 18 years to get this far” for the anthem “I’m 18.”
Nita Strauss took center stage solo for an improvisational section that went for minutes and could have continued for days. She used an Eddie Van Halen style on the upper guitar neck in a way that was hair raising. Strauss has said in the past, “I do remember being a kid and hearing Van Halen. My dad was always playing Van Halen in the car.”
The first haunted house of fall was the stage set up inside the majestic Stanley Theater with all sorts of cast and sleepy hollow like production throughout. The golden architecture of the Stanley transformed the venue to the old castle in the Johnny Depp movie “Dark Shadows” where naturally Alice is the night’s entertainment.
Alice’s wife Sheryl Goddard was part of the “Thriller”-like Choreography cast that had her dressed like an old spirit haunting the theater stage. Alice was subjected to a straight jacket and even had his head decapitated on site. He returned to full evil carnival ring leader attire before being chained up by a giant “teenage Frankenstein” to carry him off stage.
photo courtesy of Stanley Theatre
The encore was something out of a Phish New Years gag with an onstage celebration of LED light visuals, bubbles, confetti, multi-colored giant balloons and explosions of sound. Alice came out with a spiked cane in hand and head to toe in a white suit orchestrating the celebration. Naturally the crowd and band erupted to the summer’s teenage national anthem “Schools Out.” Alice even referenced the teachers who beg the question, “How can you eat your meat if you don’t have any pudding?” by throwing in a verse from Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall.”
A lot of Alice’s material represents the “Motor City” Detroit sound where he hails from, and he’ll head back home this week to Westland, MI for the dedication of Alice Cooper Court, a stretch of road off Michigan Avenue by the former Eloise Psychiatric Hospital. Hopefully a stolen hellcat car doesn’t drive down into a train like he references in his new song “Go Man Go.”
Setlist: Feed My Frankenstein, No More Mr. Nice Guy, Bed of Nails, Rock & Roll (The Velvet Underground), Fallen in Love, Go Man Go, Under My Wheels, He’s Back (The Man Behind the Mask), Social Debris, I’m Eighteen, Poison, Billion Dollar Babies, Roses on White Lace, My Stars, Devil’s Food, Black Widow Jam, Steven, I Love the Dead, Escape, Teenage Frankenstein Encore: School’s Out
What a Sunday for a summer review in September. Trey Anastasio Band debuted their new lineup at Yale’s Westville Music Bowl in New Haven, CT. During its brief history, TAB has continued to add members, starting as a trio and evolving into an octet. New bassist Dezron Douglas said, “I’ve been familiar with his work with Phish since high school; I’m from Hartford, CT, so you can’t grow up in New England and not know about Phish.”
Brooklyn saxophonist Cochemea Gastelum, filling in for James Casey, has worked with Aaron Neville, David Byrne and St Vincent, and collaborated with Soulive drummer Alan Evans. Cochemea is part of Brooklyn’s emerging afrobeat and soul scene and is a great fit with TAB drummer Russ Lawton and keyboardist Ray Paczkowski’s sound. Like Trey this summer with Phish, Soule Monde has been on the road supporting their new album Mimi Digs It, leading up to this East Coast TAB run. Insert Cyro Baptista’s full percussion sections and add Jennifer Hartswick and Natalie Cressman on horns and backing vocals and it’s a whole new groove.
A 6:30pm start time at the Westville Music Bowl allowed the whole crowd to be visible from the stage. Trey commented, “This place is pretty cool, I can see all of you.” They kicked it off and suggested to the crowd “to roll with the funk now and turn it around” during “Set Your Soul Free.” “Olivia” stayed Latin-funky, from Trey’s Horseshoe Curve album. Rolling with the funk now, the band then took on Phish’s “Ghost.” That saw Ray P stretching out on the clavinet. More fitting for a new band lineup is new material to debut, including “And Flew Away” and “Never Left Home” from Anastasio’s Lonely Trip record. Jennifer Hartswick’s voice carries across the Long Island Sound like water on the breeze during “Night Speaks to a Woman.”
The second set opened with one of the funkiest recent TAB songs, “In Rounds,” another groove Ray Paczkoswki can dig in on his clavinet. The late Tony Markellis‘ infamous groove to “Sand” kept his spiritual funk present with the new ensemble, one that Russ Lawton told NYS Music was a staple “still in the setlist after 20 odd years.” The afrobeat to “Curlews Call” allowed new saxophonist Cochemea Gastelum to also stretch out on stage. The variety in TAB’s catalog opened up another portal during “Quantegy,” off One Man’s Trash.
Photo by Scott Harris
As a full moon graced the stage, the band gave a nod to the skies and grooving audience that “we got the moon and stars above” in “Drifting.” Fans could hear the freeway calling as Natalie Cressman and Jennifer Hartswick provided amazing backing vocals on “Traveler.” The band closed with their infamous composition of exploration, “Mr. Completely.” Depending on the room, TAB has had made balconies shake since 2002 with this jam. The lyrics “Sunday morning shadows in the shade…” fit perfectly in the encore slot at the old Yale Tennis stadium with “Ether Sunday,” followed by the always welcome “First Tube” finale.
“First Tube” was played acoustically this year as tribute to Tony Markellis in Saratoga Springs, with Oysterhead at the Peach Fest and on Summer 2021 tour with Phish. It was appropriate for him to end the evening with this staple written by the original trio, to the new cast who can take it any direction on any given night.
The freedom in this music is that although it’s composed, there is room for every member to express themselves during the blended improvisational moments. Ray Packzkowski told NYS Music, “Yea it’s actually a beautiful thing,” regarding music in the moment that can’t be recreated: The band closes out this tour at the venerable Radio City Music Hall in Manhattan October 2 and 3.
Trey Anastasio Band – Westville Music Bowl, New Haven, CT – September 19, 2021
Alice Cooper opened his fall tour Friday night in Atlantic City at the Oceanic Casino. The crowd began filing into the arena hours before the set started, with many in attendance wearing Alice Cooper t-shirts and eye make-up. The stage was hidden behind a giant curtain with Alice’s trade-mark eyes, and Alice songs played with the crowd already starting to sing-along. As the entrance music started to swell, the massive curtain fell, revealing the two-story castle set, and the words rang out: “Welcome to Alice Cooper’s Nightmare Castle!” As knights carried the curtain away, a drawbridge opened and Alice walked onstage in a plume of smoke.
From the opening notes of “Feed My Frankenstein,” it was clear Alice is still in great shape, and his band spent considerable time practicing together during the live music lockdown. Their excitement to be back onstage was evident by their smiles and energy displayed throughout the two-hour set. Alice Cooper doesn’t just play a concert, he puts on a SHOW, with the pomp and props of a theater production. A master entertainer, Alice made multiple costume changes throughout the set, referencing different eras of his 50-year career. How effortless his performance seems is a testament to his drive and conditioning, he controlled the band, stage and the crowd as well, eliciting sing-alongs and responses with hand gestures and using his sword and cane like a conductor. He had a microphone holster on his giant leather belt, and handles the mic like a gunslinger. When he was on top of the castle behind a spiked wheel, it evoked an image of a mad captain steering a pirate ship.
With over 50 years of albums to choose from, the setlist was a solid collection of his biggest hits, ranging from the Alice Cooper Band era and his solo career, leading into his last two records, Paranormal and Detroit Stories. There was a clever segue from the new song “Go Man Go,” about cruising around in a stolen Hellcat, with the last verse implying the car could be destroyed in a train wreck (with a similar vibe to KISS’s ‘Detroit Rock City’) leading into his classic “Under My Wheels.” Those songs and their placement were vintage Detroit songwriting and Alice wordplay, complete with an American muscle car and macabre ending. A few more notable songs played were “Fallen in Love” co-written with ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons, new songs “Rock’N’Roll” and “Social Disease” which showed him still flexing his song-writing muscles during lockdown, and a combination of “My Stars/Devils Food/Black Widow” that led into the intense drum solo from “Black Juju.”
The props and theatrics were non-stop, ranging from a crutch he wielded during “Eighteen” to mock the fact that he’s been singing a song about being a teenager for 50 years, to the giant baby who uses a skull-studded-cannon to shoot money into the crowd during “Billion Dollar Babies.” The baby theme continues with the huge images of evil babies projected on the castle during “Dead Babies,” and the baby-faced doctors who place Alice in a straightjacket and oversee his execution in a guillotine. Alice has multiple encounters with his wife, Sheryl Goddard, including her waving his severed head victoriously to the crowd after he’s decapitated. The show opened with the giant Frankenstein monster that comes onstage during “Feed My Frankenstein” and he closes the show with his arms and chains draped around Alice for “Teenage Frankenstein.”
The band returned for an encore with a sprawling, sing-along version of “School’s Out,” including a breakdown of Pink Floyd’s “We Don’t Need No Education,” that featured confetti, streamers and giant balloons being shot into the crowd as Alice popped any balloons that came back to the stage with his sword. They came back to the stage for multiple bows as the crowd kept cheering.
Alice Cooper and Ace Frehley play in New York this Wednesday, September 22 at the Stanley Theater in Utica. This tour takes Alice (and opening act Frehley) across the Midwest and South, ending in Georgia at the end of October. Full dates for the tour can be found here.
