NYS Music 202​1

Author: Pete Mason

  • Blind Owl Band Heats up late Summer with a “Stimulus Package”

    Just in time for the fall, Adirondack lords of bluegrass The Blind Owl Band bring their latest album, Stimulus Package, full of energy to keep you warm as we ease into cooler weather.

    Recorded Live at High Peaks Sound in Saratoga Springs, the Saranac Lake band is in their prime and have crafted a fresh album that represents the group as a hidden gem found in the North Country of New York.

    stimulus package blind owl band

    The gravely voice of Arthur Buezo sings “Cold Steel Crow,” in a deeper Tom Waits style, with a thumping bass from Chris Cardiello. An Eastern European vibe in the intro to “Mislead Ghost” will perk your ears up and draw you in, keeping you on board for “Hit Em High,” a seven minute highlight of the album that channels Jeff Austin-era YMSB thanks to Eric Munley’s furious mandolin playing.

    blind owl band stimulus package

    The sad and longing “Missing My Home” features a shout out to Blind Owl Band’s ‘Northern Rock’ brethren Eastbound Jesus. “Fiddle Don’t” goes from the Adirondacks deep into Appalachia for a Hackensaw Boys sound. A sure fire sing along when performed live, “Everybody’s Gotta Live” features a tasty bass breakdown by Cardiello and twang laid down by banjo player James Ford.

    Stimulus Package pairs well with the transition from summer to fall and can be streamed below or purchased via the Blind Owl Band Bandcamp page. Check them out in Alexandria Bay on September 18 at Riverboat Bar.

    Key Tracks: Hit em High, Everybody’s Gotta Live, Blue Eyes Dancing

  • The Slip plan Northeast November Tour, with stops in Brooklyn and Woodstock

    Just as cargo shorts, hair dye and flannel are making a comeback in the ’20s, a classic jam band from the ’90s is also making a triumphant return. The Slip, having just reunited at LOCKN’ in August, will hit the road for six shows this November, with three shows in New York.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMRHbayESZQ

    The Slip – drummer Andrew Barr, guitarist Brad Barr and bassist Marc Friedman – had released eight albums over 10 years, starting in 1997, and while they have reunited here and there over the years, this run of shows marks their first tour in more than a decade.

    After starting the tour in Burlington at Higher Ground, they’ll make two more stops in New England at Fete Music Hall and The Sinclair before heading to Brooklyn Bowl for two nights, followed by an intimate performance at Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock. Tickets go on sale this Friday, September 17 at 10 a.m. ET at each venue’s website below.

    The Slip Tour Dates

      Nov. 11 – Burlington, VT – Higher Ground
    Nov. 12 – Providence, RI – Fete Music Hall
    Nov. 13 – Boston, MA – The Sinclair
    Nov. 18 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Bowl
    Nov. 19 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Bowl
    Nov. 20 – Woodstock, NY – Levon Helm Studios

  • Allman Family Revival Announces late Fall Tour Honoring Gregg Allman

    On December 8, 2017, Devon Allman invited a couple dozen of his closest musical compadres onto the hallowed stage of The Fillmore in San Francisco to perform a three-hour, multi-set concert in tribute to Allman’s late father, Gregg, on what would have been his 70th birthday. The loss of his father, and his mother a few months prior, made music Devon’s medicine, and gave birth to The Allman Family Revival.

    Now in its fifth year, The Allman Family Revival has evolved into a full-fledged, coast-to-coast tour. As curator, host, and performer, Allman remains true to the painstaking mission of providing an epic event worthy of its inspiration. 

    I want to make sure there’s some ‘sonic ginger,’ to cleanse the palette amidst all those guitars. I really enjoy working with the guests individually on setlists to make each show a very special night. It’s a daunting task, for sure, but a labor of love every time.

    Devon Allman

    Now an annual tradition, Allman Family Revival has grown from an annual celebration in San Francisco to a full fledged coast to coast tour. Based on the format of “The Last Waltz” concert with The Allman Betts Band as the house band, and featuring up to a dozen marquee names in music

    This year the touring lineup will include The Allman Betts Band, Robert Randolph, Donavon Frankenreiter, Lilly Hiatt, Cody and Luther Dickinson, Eric Gales, Joanne Shaw Taylor, Jimmy Hall, Lamar Williams Jr. plus many more to be announced. 

    The Allman Family Revival will also feature Kenny Wayne Shepherd, G. Love, Samantha Fish, Alex Orbison, and Kenny Aronoff in select markets. 

    Public on-sale begins 9/17. For tickets and all up to date information, visit allmanfamilyrevival.com.

    2021 Allman Family Revival Tour dates

    11/27 @ The Factory | St. Louis, MO

    11/29 @ Majestic Theater | Dallas, TX

    12/1 @ Saenger Theater | New Orleans, LA

    11/30 @ ACL Live at The Moody Theater | Austin, TX

    12/2 @ Coca-Cola Roxy | Atlanta, GA

    12/3 @ Van Wezel PAC | Sarasota, FL

    12/5 @ The Paramount | Huntington, NY

    12/7 @ Orpheum Theater | Boston, MA

    12/8 @ Beacon Theatre | New York, NY

    12/9 @ The Met | Philadelphia, PA 

    12/10 @ Fillmore | Silver Springs, MD

    12/11 @ Michigan Theater | Ann Arbor, MI 

    12/12 @ Chicago Theater | Chicago, IL 

    12/14 @ Brady Theater | Tulsa, OK

    12/16 @ Arizona Federal Theatre | Phoenix, AZ

    12/17 @ Theater at Virgin Hotels | Las Vegas, NV

    12/18 @ The Fillmore | San Francisco, CA

    12/19 @ The Wiltern | Los Angeles, CA

    allman family revival

  • DelFest postpones to Memorial Day Weekend 2022, citing regional staffing and industry fallout from COVID-19

    The organizers of DelFest, held at the Allegany County Fairgrounds in Cumberland, MD, have announced they have no choice but to postpone the upcoming music festival until Memorial Day 2022.

    Despite best efforts from promoters in working with state and local governments, the postponement was shared on Thursday, September 9, citing specific staffing and COVID-19 safety requirements needed for the event to carry forward. Issues are noted in the announcement by Rob and Ronnie McCoury point to a lack of vaccinated staff among local workers, coupled with a general lack of available workers for staffing. Among these cited are local shuttle services and vendors.

    The music industry by and large has needed strict adherance to safety protocols, including daily testing and mask wearing at all times, to ensure that one band or crew member getting sick does not cause a show, let alone a full tour or festival, to be postponed or cancelled. The surge in the Delta variant of COVID-19 left DelFest 2021 no choice but to push back to Memorial Day 2022, when conditions may better warrant a full festival experience.

    More Venues Across NY To Require Proof Of Vaccination For Audiences

    This edition of DelFest featured headliners The Travelin’ McCourys, Béla Fleck’s My Bluegrass Heart, St. Paul & The Broken Bones, and Railroad Earth. Other acts included Old Crow Medicine Show, Sam Bush, and Leftover Salmon.

    DelFest will offer refunds as requested through September 20, with all non-refunded tickets honored at the 2022 festival. While DelFest is held each year in Cumberland, MD, promoters were forced to cancel the 2020 edition, and then postpone the 2021 edition until this September. Two years without DelFest and fans shouting ‘Del Yeah!’ leaves a gap in the festival and travel schedule for many.

    Revisit NYS Music’s past coverage of DelFest, and read the letter from Rob and Ronnie McCoury below.

    delfest

  • “More Music Less Violence” Event Kicks Off the School Year on September 12 in Albany

    More Than Music LLC has announced the kickoff of a new series of artist showcases, dubbed as “More Music Less Violence,” taking place on September 12 at The Ground Up Café in Albany.

    More Music Less Violence

    “More Music Less Violence” came into being as a pop-up event during Summer 2020, in the heat of the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on bringing people together to heal the community through arts. A year later, COVID-19 restrictions are scaled back, and the Capital Region is still seeing an influx of gun violence peppering the area. The need for “More Music Less Violence” is ever-present, and returns ready to stay. 

    In keeping with the spirit of a positive energetic message, the first showcase is filled with a Capital Region roster of 11 young, bright talents. Included among the lineup are Freedom Stratton, Triya Love, Alexys Rae, Jaccpot, Ricky Bandana, Tony Twix, Rell Dolo, Chaz Money, Astrx Boomin, B Lyriq and Iveilah Dutton.

    More Music Less Violence
    Photo Credit: Eddie Quinn Photography. Performers Pictured Here: Top Left to Right: Astrx Boomin, DJ Hollyw8d, Alexys Rae & Chaz MoneyBottom Left to Right: Jaccpot & Rell Dolo

    More Than Music LLC CEO Mario Johnson – aka DJ HollyW8D – will be debuting a special surprise set as well. Originally from Brooklyn, DJ HollyW8D energizes crowds throughout Upstate New York and has always gravitated to music throughout his life and hopes to bring versatility in his music mixing wherever he goes. Drawing inspiration from many including his mother, Sean P. Diddy Combs and DJ Puffy, HollyW8D aims to inspire others with his daily grind and optimistic energy.

    Due to the COVID pandemic there was no events going down, so I made an event. Music is a common factor that always brings people together and growing up in Brooklyn you saw violence every day. I don’t want to see it where I am living now.

    Mario Johnson, CEO of More Than Music LLC, on his inspiration behind the event.

    Intermittently throughout the evening, various representatives will be presenting on the issue of violence in the Capital Region. Guests can expect to hear from Councilman Owusu Anane of the Albany County 10th Ward, Albany Mayoral candidate Greg Aidala, representatives from the Boys and Girls Club of the Capital Area and Jerry Ford from TEAM H.E.R.O.

    There will be an assortment of other activities for those in attendance, including live painting with artist Heartless Harlot, and kid-friendly interactive Chalk Talk with Carrie Love, who teaches kids how to silently protest. All attendees will have access to the photobooth and will receive a raffle ticket upon admission that can be used later for merchandise.

    The event will be held from 4pm – 8 pm at Ground Up Cafe at 227 Quail Street in Albany.

  • Live Music Society Announces Third Round of Grants for Small Venues Nationwide

    Live Music Society, a nonprofit philanthropic organization has announced a third round of grants to be awarded this fall to live music venues across the United States. These grants benefit small venues with a maximum sellable capacity of 300, and has supported venues including Bowery Electric, Caffe Lena and Levon Helm’s Barn, among others.

    live music society

    Founded in 2020, Live Music Society is committed to awarding $1,000,000 dollars per year in grants to venues that promote and preserve the live music experience in intimate settings. These small venues allow artists of all levels and all genres to get their start, connect with their audiences and maintain their careers as performers. Individual grants range from $10,000-$50,000, and over the two initial rounds of grants, Live Music Society has awarded thirty-six venues in twenty-nine cities grants totaling over $1.2 million.

    Small, live music venues throughout the U.S. are owned and operated by music-lovers who are tirelessly devoted to their community, their staff, and their artists. Without small music clubs, so many of our most promising artists wouldn’t have a place to share their work, hone their craft, and build their audiences. Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, many of these clubs have been fighting to keep their doors open. Live Music Society is focused on making sure these wonderful spaces stay solvent and independent. It is time to acknowledge and support the great efforts that these venues have made to keep our communities connected and vibrant through the gift of live music.

    Live Music Society founder Pete Muller

    Live Music Society encourages small venues with 50-300 sellable seats prior to COVID-19, established on or prior to July 1, 2017, to apply. Venues must be committed to live music as their primary activity to be eligible. Grant applications will be accepted from September 28 – October 20, 2021 via the organization’s website.

    Prior grantees include:

    Ivy Room (Albany, CA)

    Ashkenaz Music & Dance Community Center (Berkeley, CA)

    The Hotel Cafe (Los Angeles, CA)

    The Mint (Los Angeles, CA)

    The Casbah (San Diego, CA)

    Kuumbwa Jazz (Santa Cruz, CA)

    Dazzle (Denver, CO)

    Hi-Dive (Denver, CO)

    Cafe Nine (New Haven, CT)

    The Hideout (Chicago, IL)

    Subterranean (Chicago, IL)

    The Jazz Showcase (Chicago, IL)

    SPACE (Evanston, IL)

    Maple Leaf Bar (New Orleans, LA)

    Club Passim (Cambridge, MA)

    The Parlor Room (Northampton, MA)

    Jonathan’s Ogunquit (Ogunquit, ME)

    Seven Steps Up (Spring Lake, MI)

    Jazz St. Louis (St. Louis, MO)

    The Word Barn (Exeter, NH)

    The Bowery Electric (New York, NY)

    Caffé Lena (Saratoga Springs, NY)

    Levon Helm Studios (Woodstock, NY)

    BOP STOP @ The Music Settlement (Cleveland, OH)

    Mercury Lounge (Tulsa, OK)

    The Kennett Flash (Kennett Square, PA)

    Club Café (Pittsburgh, PA)

    McGonigel’s Mucky Duck (Houston, TX)

    Old Quarter Acoustic Cafe (Galveston, TX)

    Jammin’ Java (Vienna, VA)

    Zenbarn (Waterbury Center, VT)

    Barboza (Seattle, WA)

    Fremont Abbey Arts Center (Seattle, WA)

    The Royal Room (Seattle, WA)

    The Sunset Tavern (Seattle, WA)

    Cactus Club (Milwaukee, WI)

  • Angélique Kidjo To Perform ‘Mother Nature: Songs for New York and the World Beyond” At Carnegie Hall

    Angélique Kidjo will return to Carnegie Hall on November 5, headlining the Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage. This special one-night-only presentation is entitled Mother Nature: Songs For New York and the World Beyond. With a setlist focused on Kidjo’s just-released and trenchant new album, Mother Nature, and special guests, the performance will pay timely tribute to resilient New Yorkers and also serve as a rallying cry for the planet.

    The Carnegie Hall performance will be the first full New York City performance for Angélique Kidjo in nearly two years. In March of 2020 she was slated to perform at Carnegie Hall as part of her four-concert Perspectives Series at the legendary venue, but just a day before she was set to take the stage, it was cancelled as the city went into lockdown due to the pandemic.

    Angélique Kidjo Carnegie Hall

    Kidjo has had an impressive summer, releasing Mother Nature, her first album of original music in seven years to widespread international praise. The album represents the remarkable influence that Kidjo has had on younger generations of musicians, and features collaborations with a host of budding stars including Burna Boy, Sampa The Great, Yemi Alade, Shungudzo, Ghetto Boy, Earthgang and others. Together they address a host of complex issues, from political upheaval to the destruction of the environment, that in Kidjo’s hands transform into music that is radiantly joyful.  

    This one-of-a kind performance of Mother Nature: Songs For New York and the World Beyond, will feature world renowned artists including Josh Groban, Andra Day, Cyndi Lauper, Philip Glass, EARTHGANG, and Ibrahim Maalouf. The program is a musical rallying cry for our planet, exploring the great importance of human beings to each other and to the natural world.

    Kidjo also represented the continent of Africa during the Tokyo 2020 Olympics Opening Ceremony, singing “Imagine” alongside John Legend, Alejandro Sanz and Keith Urban. She will also perform from Paris as part of the 24-hour Global Citizen Festival broadcast event on September 25.

    Tickets are on sale here for Angélique’s show at Carnegie Hall on November 5.

    Angélique Kidjo International Tour Dates 2021-22

    Friday September 10, 2021: Parc Des Expositions L’ile Aumone in Mantes-la-jolie, France
    Friday September 11, 2021: Parvis des Chais Magelis in Angoulême, France
    Thursday September 23, 2021: Théâtre de Cornouaille in Quimper, France
    Sunday September 26, 2021: Palace of Arts and Congress in Vannes, France
    Saturday October 23, 2021: Flynn Center For The Performing Arts in Burlington, VT
    Friday October 29, 2021: Remain in Light in Berkeley, CA
    Friday November 5, 2021: Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall in New York, NY
    Wednesday November 17, 2021: Rosey Concert Hall in Rolle, Switzerland
    Friday November 19, 2021: Kilden Performing Arts Centre in Kristiansand, Norway
    Saturday November 20, 2021: Bærum Kulturhus in Sandvika, Norway
    Thursday November 25, 2021: Hall Vigean in Eysines, France
    Saturday November 27, 2021: Festival un Weekend Avec Elles 2021 in Le Garric, France
    Tuesday November 30, 2021: The Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Netherlands
    Monday December 6, 2021: Wiener Konzerthaus in Bezirk-landstrasse, Austria
    Saturday December 18, 2021: Théâtre du Jura in Delémont, Switzerland
    Tuesday January 11, 2022: Chateau Rouge in Annemasse, France
    Friday January 14, 2022: Espace Malraux in Joué-lès-tours, France
    Tuesday March 8, 2022: L’Ancienne Belgique in Toulouse, France
    Friday March 11, 2022: La Faïencerie in Creil, France
    Wednesday March 16, 2022: Musikverein in Wien Austria
    Thursday March 17, 2022: Festspielhaus St. Pölten in St. Pölten, Austria
    Saturday March 19, 2022: Theater of Chelles in Chelles France
    Thursday March 24, 2022: Theatre of the Vesinet in Le Vésinet, France
    Friday March 25, 2022: Arsenal in Metz, France
    Sunday April 3, 2022: Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts in Scottsdale, Arizona
    Saturday April 23, 2022: Yemandja in Berkeley, CA
    Saturday April 30, 2022: Music Hall in Portsmouth, NH
    Thursday May 12, 2022: Bass Concert Hall in Austin, TX
    Thursday May 26, 2022: Africa Festival in Würzburg, Germany
    Saturday June 11, 2022: Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris France

  • The Met Opera to Remember 9/11 with Verdi’s Requiem

    To commemorate the 20th anniversary of the events on September 11, the Metropolitan Opera will perform Verdi’s Requiem, presented in association with the National September 11 Memorial & Museum.

    Verdi’s Requiem

    Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin will conduct the Met Orchestra and Chorus as well as a quartet of star soloists, soprano Ailyn Pérez, mezzo-soprano Elīna Garanča, tenor Matthew Polenzani, and bass-baritone Eric Owens. The concert marks the first performance inside the Metropolitan Opera House since the March 2020 closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Audiences in New York City and beyond will also be able to see and hear live transmissions of Verdi’s Requiem: The Met Remembers 9/11. The performance will be transmitted live as part of Great Performances on PBS, with ballet star Misty Copeland hosting the program from nearby the site of the 9/11 Museum. Live audio from the performance will also be broadcast directly outside the Met in Lincoln Center Plaza. As part of a citywide remembrance, the Met will be participating in the 9/11 Tribute in Light, bathing its façade in sky-blue light. The English-language text of the Requiem will also be projected onto the façade of the opera house during the performance.

    Verdi’s Requiem

    The concert and broadcast are made possible by a generous gift from C. Graham Berwind, III, and the Metropolitan Opera Chorus costumes were underwritten by a generous gift from Douglas Dockery Thomas.

    Additionally, The Met has given 500 tickets to families and stakeholders impacted by 9/11. Tickets are $25 and go on sale August 27 at 12PM ET. Due to limited seating capacity, tickets are limited to two per order.

    Face masks and proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 are required for all audience members. Learn more.

    Get tickets here on August 27 at 12noon

    On Tuesday, The Metropolitan Opera struck a labor deal with its orchestra, paving the way for its musicians to return to work and for the company, the largest performing arts organization in the nation. The Met Opera will resume performances in September after being shut down for more than a year by the pandemic. More on that from the New York Times.

  • Charlie Watts, drummer for the Rolling Stones, Dead at 80

    Drummer for the Rolling Stones for over 50 years, Charlie Watts, has died. The founding member of the British rock group passed away on Tuesday, August 24. He had recently stepped back from the band’s fall tour, which is slated to kick off on September 26 in Saint Louis, MO.

    charlie watts
    British Rock musician Charlie Watts, on drums, of the group the Rolling Stones, performs onstage during ‘The Rolling Stones American Tour 1981’ (in support of their album ‘Tattoo You’), at Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, November 13, 1981. (Photo by Gary Gershoff/Getty Images)


    A statement from the Rolling Stones and Charlie Watts’ spokesperson reads:

    It is with immense sadness that we announce the death of our beloved Charlie Watts. He passed away peacefully in a London hospital earlier today surrounded by his family. Charlie was a cherished husband, father and grandfather and also a member of the Rolling Stones one of the greatest drummers of his generation. We kindly request that the privacy of his family, band members and close friends is respected at this difficult time.

    Earlier this month, Watts withdrew from the Rolling Stones’ upcoming COVID-19 pandemic-postponed U.S. tour, noting he needed to recover from an unspecified but “successful” recent medical procedure. At the time, Watts’ spokesperson said “Charlie has had a procedure which was completely successful, but I gather his doctors this week concluded that he now needs proper rest and recuperation. With rehearsals starting in a couple of weeks it’s very disappointing to say the least, but it’s also fair to say no one saw this coming.”

    charlie watts

    Despite battling and recovering from throat cancer in 2004, Watts overcame substance abuse in the 1970s and 80s and was seen as a steady hand behind the kit, melding jazz into the rock n roll sound of the Rolling Stones.

    Drummer Jon Fishman paid a natural tribute to Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts ahead of the bad news this week. On his August 18 “The Errant Path” radio show, Fishman spun “Moonlight Mile” and commented ”For me the sound and feel of Charlie Watts will never get old. I just love that guys drumming. It stands up no matter what’s before it or after.”  

    Trey Anastasio Band drummer Russ Lawton, upon hearing the news shared, “So sad to hear about Charlie’s passing. Always loved his feel, the tasteful drum parts he came up with and his sound too. The reason I’ve been playing Gretsch drums since I was a kid was because of him. He will be missed.” 

    Like many renaissance bands of the 60s, The Rolling Stones have lost one of their core members. However, the show must go on. Drummer Steve Jordan was announced as the fill in drummer for Watts when he announced he would sit out the tour, and will continue playing drums on The Rolling Stones 2021 tour. He has previously been the drummer for Keith Richards’ solo band The Expensive Winos since the 1980s. 

  • Phish covers Hot Chocolate in return to Hersheypark

    Phish’s 2021 summer tour has finally made its way to the East Coast with a return to the land of chocolate in Hershey, PA. Hersheypark Stadium once again played host, with the band playing their fourth and fifth shows at the venue, and the first ones here since 2010. Although plenty of rain and isolated thunderstorms joined the fray as well, there was no dampening of the spirits inside the stadium.

    phish hershey

    The inclement weather prevented fans from entering right away on Tuesday as the gates remained closed while rain pelted down on the parking lot, accentuated by streaks of lightening in the distance. Thankfully, this was the last of the storms for the day and the rest of the night stayed dry. Once given the green light, fans entered en masse and were treated to an exhilarating opening 1-2 punch of “First Tube” and “Axilla.” After such a scorching start, “Fuego” made more than sense to follow as the humidity eased and the grooves increased. Instead of rounding back into form, “Fuego” drifted for a while before turning into a “Runaway Jim.” Other Phish originals such as “Sample in a Jar” and “Llama” were peppered throughout the opening set, giving it an old school feel, while newer tunes like “Steam” and “Death Don’t Hurt Very Long” proved old dogs can indeed learn some new tricks.

    While there may not have been any “monster” 20-minute jams that this summer tour has been blessed with repeatedly, Tuesday’s second set only contained one real pause as Phish weaved in and out of another set that featured a masterful blend of newer material and longtime favorites. “No Men In No Man’s Land” immediately set a course for “funky” and the band took it from there. “Soul Planet” later emerged from this before an impressive segue into the rare second set “NICU.” The last major jam sequence of the evening was spearheaded by “Golden Age” which had all of Hersheypark Stadium dancing in a collective rhythm. Longtime fan favorite “Lizards” got dropped late in the second set, the first one since Mexico 2020. The one and only cover song selection of the evening, The Velvet Underground’s “Rock and Roll” left everyone feeling alright and more than hopeful for the promise of tomorrow.

    Setlist via Phish.net

    Phish – Hersheypark Stadium – Hershey, PA Tuesday, August 10, 2021

    Set 1: First Tube, Axilla, Fuego ->Runaway Jim, Gumbo > Sample in Jar, Steam, Sugar Shack, Llama, Death Don’t Hurt Very Long > Run Like an Antelope

    Set 2: No Men In No Man’s Land > Soul Planet -> NICU > Joy, Scent of a Mule, Golden Age > Prince Caspian > Backwards Down the Number Line > The Lizards > Character Zero

    Encore: Rock and Roll

    On Wednesday, Phish gave a few nods to Chocolate Town U.S.A., kicking off the night with “You Sexy Thing,” by 70s funk band Hot Chocolate. They would return to the familiar riff a few times during the night, with Trey serenading the crowd and referring to them as ‘You Sexy Things.’

    Despite the rain earlier in the evening as fans were arriving and pregaming in the Hersheypark lots, no spirits were dampened from the performance this night. A ‘Halley’s Comet’ clocking in at nearly 16 minutes provided liftoff for a set, thanks to Page McConnell keeping the jam going with his synth work. “Gotta Jibboo,” “Meat” and “Maze” rounded out one of the tightest first sets of the tour.

    phish hershey

    Set 2 started with a standard “Theme From the Bottom” but the true highlight came in the form of a nearly 20-minute “Birds of a Feather,” with a rainbow of lights punctuating the jam that unfolded. The chocolate references continued late in the set with Ruby (chocolate) Waves and “‘Choc’-Dust Torture,” which was also performed at Chocolate Night of the Baker’s Dozen, along with “You Sexy Thing.” “Show of Life” and “S.A.N.T.O.S.” rounded out the show, with fans setting their sites east towards Atlantic City

    Phish – Hersheypark Stadium – Hershey, PA, Wednesday August 11, 2021

    Set 1: You Sexy Thing, Wombat, Free > A Song I Heard the Ocean Sing, Halley’s Comet > Lonely Trip[1] > Gotta Jibboo, Meat, Maze

    Set 2: Theme From the Bottom > Birds of a Feather, Bug > Light -> Party Time > Ruby Waves > Chalk Dust Torture

    Encore: Show of Life > Say It To Me S.A.N.T.O.S.[1] Phish debut

    Photos by Filip Zalewski

    • phish hershey
    • phish hershey
    • phish hershey