For the Halloween episode of Saturday Night Live, former cast member and Ted Lasso star Jason Sudeikis returned to Studio 8H for his first time as host. Joining Sudeikis was country rock superstar Brandi Carlile, who played two songs off her new album, In These Silent Days.
Following a cold open that featured multiple versions of Joe Biden, including Sudeikis’ finger-gun shooting, aviator shade wearing rendition from Biden’s time as Vice President, Sudeikis launched into a reflective, funny and heartfelt look back at the stage and studio that SNL has been filmed in for 47 years. Sudeikis tugged heartstrings in the way only Coach Lasso can do, reminiscing on how SNL changed his life.
This room, here. To be here. This place is historic. For a second, just look around, for real. Even all you amazing people who work in the crew, just look around for a second. Think about all the brilliance that’s happened here. All your favorite sketches: Wild and Crazy Guys, Gilly, Cowbell, Wayne’s World, all happened in right here, in here, where you are.
This place changed my life, twice. Once as a castmember and a writer here. But most importantly as a kid watching from home. And there’s a good chance that if you’re watching tonight, there’s probably something from this place probably changed your life too.
Following three sketches perfect for Sudeikis – a frustrated host of a kids science show, Mellen (a male version of Ellen) and a hilarious open house sketch with Ego Nwodim and Kyle Mooney, Carlile performed her first song of the night, “Broken Horses.”
Wearing a gold tuxedo and singing into a golden mic with an orange electric guitar, Carlile was joined by collaborators Phil and Tim Hanseroth, who also backed her on harmonies, as well as Shooter Jennings on piano, who produced her 2018 album By the Way, I Forgive You. “Broken Horses” also doubles as the title of her recently released memoir.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDjeuXAME-A
After a lively Weekend Update that saw the return of Sudeikis’ turn as The Devil, the classic “What up With That?” appeared for the first time since 2012 (if you don’t count the remote April 2020 version from SNL at Home) with Kenan Thompson and surprise guests Oscar Isaac, Emily Ratajkowski, Nicholas Braun.
Brandi Carlile began her second song of the night, “Right on Time,” the lead single off her new album. Playing solo piano in a sequin-covered black and white tux, Carlile allowed the impressive tune a slow burn on the ivories, before picking up her guitar to join the band for the song about two embattled lovers, bursting forth with vocals that set the bar high for musical guests this season, only four episodes in.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWnVjSD6xzY
Saturday Night Live is off next week, and returns on November 6 with Succession actor Kieran Culkin and musical guest, Ed Sheeren.
Eric Gales brought his incredible five-piece touring band to the Homer Center for the Arts on Monday, October 18, 2021. Gales starts his shows in a similar manner on the microphone by himself discussing the hardships he and all of us have taken on over our lifetime. Eric told the crowd, “If you haven’t cried the blues the past 18 months then god forgot to pass you out a soul.”
Photo by Out Loud Pictures, LaDonna Gales, Eric Gales, Nick Hayes
From this angle, Eric began his performance on the acoustic guitar talking about the same blues that his grandfather had. His grandfather used to play with Howling Wolf and Muddy Waters. Gales said he wanted to spread the spirit and the inspiration his grandfather instilled in him. During the fitting titled “Grandaddy Blues,” the rest of the band appeared behind him on stage following suit to the groove. On percussion and backing vocals was his wife, LaDonna Gales, Nick Hayes on drums, and on bass from Brooklyn, Nil Jones.
Photo by Out Loud Pictures, Eric Gales band
Eric made sure the microphones and sound were on point chuckling at the familiarity of its resonance in an old church. Gales is no stranger to Jimi Hendrix’s electric church. Eric was part of the cast touring with Jimi’s bassist Billy Cox, the jellyfish Buddy Miles on drums, and Stevie Rays’ Chris Layton for the “Experience Hendrix Tour.” Robert Ranndolph was there too,
He even educated the crowd that Jimi played a right handed guitar but strung it left handed. For clarification, Gales and bassist Nil Jones were playing completely upside down and backwards. So naturally as a salute they played Gales original “Southpaw Serenade.”
In between songs, Gales inner tales were serenading the crowd to a wide range of stories. From his funk playing days in Minnesota that caught the eye and ear of the legendary Prince to his overall approach on life. Eric told the crowd “I believe laughter and music are the best forms of communication and medication.” Gales took one four-minute break the whole night, while Jones helped rattle the brick inside Homer for a bass solo.
Gales returned to the stage fired up saying, “I’m getting tuned up I feel a sermon coming on, it’s been far too long.” At the end of a two and half hour performance, Eric treated the crowd to a bouncy funked up version of “Voodoo Child” that led to a blended jam of Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir” and AC/DC’s “Back in Black” to remind the audience it is still Rocktober. Tony Hall told NYS Music after seeing Gales footage, “Hes a bad mother fucker”
Jimi Hendrix once said “When I get up on stage -well, that’s my whole life. That’s my religion. My music is electric church music.” Robert Cray looked to the ceiling at the Homer Center for the Arts last month during his performance and said “Jimi Can you hear me?” Eric Gales and his band channeled the same energy on a stormy Monday to start the week at the electric church in Homer.
Ana Popovic crushed the European leg of Experience Hendrix and The Center this year. Samantha Fish killed at the center Wednesday November 3rd. Mississippi’s Christone “Kingfish” Ingram took the Delta Roads from Mississippi to Homer, New York the night before Samantha. They are all blues disciples.
NYS Music loved that Eric started the week in Homer to only link up with Gary Clark Jr On “When my Train Pulls in” down the road in Greensboro. Flotations groovy I said a jelly fish will tell ya that. NYS Music agrees with Santana on Gales…its all a piece of the blues disciples history. Tony Hall and Arsenio Hall said it best “Yea he’s bad”
This weekend marks the anniversary of some of the greatest music ever performed by Derek and the Dominos, which happened to take place at the iconic Fillmore East in New York City. Although the band does have one studio album to their credit, Live At The FIllmore East may be their crowning achievement in terms of audio recordings.
This is an incredibly easy to listen to album, one that combines original Dominos songs and Eric Clapton tunes with a splash of cover songs mixed throughout. Derek and the Dominos was a band that, essentially, came together during the recording of George Harrison’s first solo album All Things Must Pass. And while their shelf life may have been short, thanks to this album their legacy will live on forever in a very positive way.
The band wastes no time getting into an immediate early groove for the album-opening “Got To Get Better In A Little While.” A song that was planned for the band’s second studio album that never came to fruition, it features Clapton and Bobby Whitlock going riff for riff on guitar and piano, respectively, in a tasteful jam that stretches out to nearly 14 minutes in length. Whitlock adds some nice vocal harmonies as well as the chorus rounds back into place with the music picking up a collective head of steam.
This first track was pulled from the opening night of music on October 23. Here’s a taste of the October 24 version that didn’t make the album cut.
For the next number, this time drummer Jim Gordon and Whitlock kick things off on “Why Does Love Got To Be So Sad?” Eventually, Clapton gets his guitar’s wah pedal going in full force and a crisp little jam ensues before the first word is ever sung. This is the first of many songs pulled from the group’s epic Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs album that would be released just weeks later. Co-written by Clapton and Whitlock, who again adds some impeccable backup vocals, it’s another one of the longer tracks on the album thanks to a whirlwind jam that never lets off the gas pedal, ably fueled by Carl Radle on bass. After coming a to head, the band shifts the tone into a much quieter, bluesy one for several minutes before the chorus comes back around one last time. The Fillmore crowd demonstrably shows their appreciation to the Dominos after this one.
This helps set the tone for “Key To The Highway,” a cover of an old blues standard that dates back to the 1940s. Clapton takes center stage and shows why he’s considered one of the great blues players of this generation, delivering one stinging guitar lick after another. Another Layla song, this one made it onto the album by pure happenstance. Allegedly Clapton and Duane Allman, who was prominently involved with the album’s studio recording – playing on 11 of the 14 tracks, heard the song being played in a neighboring studio and decided to play along to it. “Blues Power” slides in perfectly behind this, a song that appears on Clapton’s first solo album that Leon Russell helped write. These last two blues-heavy numbers are both taken from the October 24 recording.
The first of this two-disc releases out first with “Have You Ever Loved A Woman,” another blues cover that found its way onto Layla. This one is even slower and “bluesier,” if that’s possible, with the tempo never going past a slow shuffle. Clapton lets both his vocals and guitar do all the singing on this one while Whitlock adds some delicate piano fills throughout. Then “Bottle Of Red Wine” wraps up the first part of the album, another rollicking, blues-infused song that Clapton navigates with ease, with Whitlock jumping on the organ for assistance now.
The second half of this iconic albums begins with “Tell The Truth,” another Clapton-Whitlock collaboration pulled from Layla. The two essentially share lead vocals on this fun little number that ebbs and flows with emotion and soul. Once the vocals are out of the way, Clapton reverts back to rock legend mode and lays down a tremendous solo, spearheading one of the longer jams of the album. Up next is another sterling cover of a blues standard. This time it’s “Nobody Knows You When You’re Down And Out,” originally written by pianist Jimmie Cox in 1923. Clapton’s bluesy drawl is backed perfectly by Whitlock and Gordon on piano and drums, respectively.
The Dominos then return to their own catalog with “Roll It Over.” While it wasn’t on the original Layla release, it did make its way on to the 40th Anniversary Deluxe reissue. It’s a classic rock number the sees Clapton explore a few different tones in his guitar play during a steadily progressive jam. The Fillmore crowd immediately recognizes the next song as “Presence Of The Lord,” made famous by one of Clapton’s former bands, Traffic. It’s the only Traffic tune on the album, but the Dominos do it justice as a mellow, laid back composed section gives way to a rapid, intense sequence of music before reverting back.
The final three tracks of Derek and the Dominos: Live At The Fillmore may be one of the best three-song sequences of the album, and, naturally it contains a pair of incredible covers. The first of these is Jimi Hendrix’s “Little Wing.” Whitlock’s organ fills give this cover more than a soulful feel as both he and Clapton take care of the vocals with ease. Not one to be outdone, Clapton then delivers a few bars of a psychedelic guitar solo that serves a truly fitting homage to the great Hendrix who passed away barely a month before this performance in 1970.
This jaw dropping cover is followed by what very well may be the best track on the album, a scintillating and exploratory “Let It Rain.” It’s the last of three singles from Clapton’s solo album and the Dominos stretch this one out and then some. Clapton and Whitlock go tit-for-tat with each screaming out, “Let It Rain” in succession towards the end of the composed section. Afterwards, all hell breaks lose starting with one more mesmerizing run by Clapton on the fretboard as the rhythm section just tries to keep up. Eventually, Clapton switches from wailing guitar mode to a heavy, funked out “wah” effect, taking the jam to another level. This eventually gives way to a Jim Gordon drum solo that goes on for well more than four minutes before the guitar finally reenters the mix. After a few more minutes of some fun Gordon and Clapton call and response interplay, the band explodes back in the chorus emphatically. It’s by far the longest track on the album, and arguably the most enjoyable as the “beautiful” Fillmore crowd (so labeled by Clapton at song’s end) would surely attest.
The album then closes with the last cover song of the evening made famous by another one of Slowhand’s former bands. This time it’s the great Robert Johnson’s “Crossroads,” although, in fitting with the tone of the album, it’s a much slower and soulful take than the version Cream made famous. It allows for one last great Clapton guitar solo which ends the album in grand fashion and serves as the last reminder of one memorable two-night run by Derek and the Dominos at the Fillmore that took place, truly, at the height of their powers.
This album is available to listen in its entirety on Youtube here. Also, be sure to check out the video below of all the great songs and outtakes that didn’t quite make the final cut.
Derek and the Dominos Live at the Fillmore East – New York, NY October 23 & 24
Renowned jazz musicians Robert Glasper and Terrace Martin began their annual October residency at Blue Note Jazz Club at the beginning of this month. If the other shows have been anything like the one I attended on the night of Wednesday, October 20th- crowds have been in for an absolute treat.
Robert Glasper at Blue Note Jazz Club, 10/20/21. Photo by Kunal Khunger
Glasper and Martin have been two of the most prolific popular jazz musicians working today, having done a range of production work for a range of artists, like Kendrick Lamar, YG, Mac Miller, Anderson Paak, and many more. That doesn’t even include their solo albums or their super-group Dinner Party, which includes other legends Kamasi Washington and 9th Wonder. Their work has reached critical acclaim within the jazz community, leading them to have a wide-reaching influence.
Terrace Martin at Blue Note Jazz Club, 10/20/21. Photo by Kunal Khunger
The chemistry was apparent between the two. Glasper and Martin cracked jokes for much of the night, talking about their upbringing and how they both have been friends since they were teenagers. One particular funny story was how Martin inadvertently got himself replaced on the piano parts of Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly by Glasper. The vibe of the show was very easygoing. I felt like I was eavesdropping on a bunch of friends just jamming out.
Robert Glasper at Blue Note Jazz Club, 10/20/21. Photo by Kunal Khunger
Glasper and Martin performed a tribute to Herbie Hancock and some material off of their Dinner Party project, but then were shortly joined by a special appearance from Denzel Curry, a prolific rapper from Miami. Denzel joined everyone else in cracking some jokes and performed some songs off of his Unlocked collab project with Kenny Beats. Curry’s music is usually fairly high energy, so it was really interesting to see him perform in a more relaxed environment. He even commented how unusual it was for him to be performing while sitting down.
Denzel Curry at Blue Note Jazz Club, 10/20/21. Photo by Kunal Khunger
Right when the crowd settled down, Denzel Curry introduced another special guest: Brooklyn’s very own Joey Bada$$. The crowd immediately went into a frenzy, while Joey performed a few songs and joined in on all the jokes the whole group was having. One particular highlight was when both Joey and Denzel free-styled off of a lone baseline for fifteen minutes, back and forth.
Joey Bada$$ and Denzel Curry at Blue Note Jazz Club, 10/20/21. Photo by Kunal Khunger
The show was great and if anyone has a chance to go check out a show, please do so. Robert Glasper’s residency continues all October, with more dates listed here. Be sure to take a look at the full photo gallery down below.
A few songs into The Dude of Life Band’s first set at Lark Hall, Steve Pollak (aka, The Dude of Life) announced that after the show, they’ll be streaming the Phish show from San Francisco, which started shortly after 11pm ET on Saturday, October 16. “So we’re opening for Phish a few time zones away,” said Pollak, much to the crowd’s delight. And in a way, the band was opening for Phish, a band with whom Pollak has a decades-long connection.
The Dude of Life Band, a genre-bending group led by the Dude of Life, Steve Pollak, includes Pollak on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Fred Scholl on lead guitar, Charlie de Saint Phalle on bass, Doug Schneider on drums, and Jon Liebowitz of God Street Wine on keyboard and organ.
For several decades, The Dude has been writing songs in an ongoing collaboration with Phish, and first teamed up with Trey Anastasio while the two were in high school. The Dude wrote lyrics for a number of Phish’s most beloved songs, including “Fluffhead,” “Run Like an Antelope” and “Suzy Greenberg,” and has also been a mythical sideshow with the band, making random guest appearances often highlighted by the throwing of uniquely-inscripted rubber chickens into the crowd. The Dude’s debut album, Crimes of the Mind, was recorded with Phish for Elektra Records and released in 1994.
In recent years, The Dude of Life has developed a more refined sound, and a recent burst of creativity has yielded an album’s worth of new material which was recently recorded by acclaimed producer Bryce Goggin.
The Dude of Life Band performed some of these new songs – “Automatic Pilot,” “Dilaudid Nurse” and “In Case You Didn’t Know,” alongside his Phish classics, plus a handful of Grateful Dead covers, “Ruby Tuesday” by The Rolling Stones and “Badge” by Cream. The flow to the show was smooth and the hits kept coming as the evening progressed. Pollak wrapped up the show with an appropriate “Show of Life,” right before turning the mic over to Phish, live from the Chase Center in San Francisco
Setlist: Crazy Too, Althea, Can’t Always Listen, Ain’t No More Caine, Nobody Finer, Mississippi Blues, Automatic Pilot, Franklin’s Tower, Suzy Greenberg, Dilaudid Nurse, Fluffhead, She Belongs to Me, Sugaree, Space -> Lost Moments in Time, In Case You Didn’t Know, Crimes of the Mind, Ruby Tuesday, Badge, Goin Down the Road Feelin Bad -> Show Of Life
Pigeons Playing Ping Pong were joined by Neighbor on October 15, for the second of a two night run at The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester. Dogs In A Pile started the party at Garcia’s at The Capitol Theatre.
The atmosphere at “The Cap” felt familiar and comfortable. It was that cool uncle with the cool T-shirts that was very excited about legalization of certain herbs. It was a relaxed vibe that did not take itself too seriously, which helped cultivate pure enjoyment from fans. Most employees resided at the venue since its reopening and seemed to love working there. The rich history of the venue contributed to a feeling of experience and familiarity. For those cautious to attend an indoor concert.
Fans of Pigeons filled with anticipatory excitement for the next cue in their favorite song. The crowd burst with joy every time their part in the collaboration, and were beautifully illuminated for each moment.
Pigeons Playing Ping Pong – The Capitol Theatre – Saturday, October 15, 2021
Setlist: Pop Off, Fall in Place, Melting Lights > Poseidon, Paperboy, Porcupine > Ocean Flows, My Own Way, Water, Skinner, Dawn A New Day, Snake Eyes, Living for the City (Stevie Wonder), King Kong, Day in Time, Overrun, Doc
Embarking on their first tour since 2019, Dopapod chose a familiar setting in Saratoga Springs’ Putnam Place to kick things off, which they did in remarkable fashion. A mostly packed house was treated to a first set that began, and ended, with a cover of Pink Floyd’s “Echoes.”
photo by Pete Mason
In fact, that’s all they played for a full hour, finding room to jam and improvise without any let up. After 25-30 minutes of “Echoes,” fans looked around at each other wondering “Is this still Echoes?” and simultaneously realizing “This is all they’re going to play this set.” There were no complaints, and no one second-guessed the band’s choice here, rocking out for the full 63-minute set with teases of The Beatles and Dopapod originals mix in, the crowd reveling in the awesomeness they witnessed during setbreak on the Putnam patio.
Set 2 found far more songs, nine to be exact, with a range of material from across Dopapod’s catalog. The recent debut “Velcro” kicked things off, followed by “Happy Song” off 2009’s Radar and fan favorite “Braindead” from Redivider, Luke Stratton’s lights silhouetting the band throughout.
“Black and White,” a highlight of Dopapod’s 2017 Halloween show at Putnam Place, featured teases of “I Might Be Wrong” by Radiohead and “Funky Duck” by Vulfpeck. The final segment of “Onionhead” > “Grow” > “Present Ghosts” capped the night perfectly, bolstered by room shaking bass from Charles Jones.
For an encore, while the setlist only showed “French Bowling,” an audible was called with AC/DC’s “T.N.T.,” preceded by Eli Winderman fist pumping and engaging the crowd to add in “OY! OY! OY!” before Eli and Rob Compa led the band through the 70s rocker. “Bowling” did indeed then close out a fun night of music afterwards.
Dopapod, who just released their new single “Think” today, arrives at Buffalo Iron Works on Wednesday, October 27 before heading to the Midwest. Get your tickets here.
Dopapod returned to The Dock in Ithaca, a premier music venue on Cayuga Lakes Inlet, for the first time since 2012. Rob Compa gave the crowd an A+ for their vibe, saying, “This is exactly how we want a Dopapod show to be.”
The four piece crushed their first set with a standout “Trapper Keeper” jam that the fall crowd boogied down on. Whether you had a Jansport or an Eastpak to store it in, you probably had your video game cartridges in there as well. Dopapod fired up their old consoles for the “Donkey Kong Country Theme” -> “Something from Zelda.”
Cornell’s infamous Barton Hall that sits in The Dock’s sightline sent a sonic wave to crash in the set. During their original “Sonic,” Dopepod took the Grateful Dead’s classic “Dark Star” on an uptempo disco vibe that sent people dancing in the boat launch.
The band opened the encore on drummer Neal “Fro” Evans who laid down a tight groove of improvisation before launching the band back into the 1990s. Dopapod rocked the dock with Alanis Morissette’s classic “You Oughta Know” to close the night out. Rob Compa noted told NYS Music after the show “I think Taylor Hawkins (current Foo Fighters drummer) is on the original studio drum beat for that.”
Dopapod – The Dock, Ithaca, NY – October 21, 2021
Set 1: Freight Train > Mucho, STADA, Trapper Keeper, Numbers Need Humans, Vol. 3 #86
Set 2: Bats in the Cave, Donkey Kong Country Theme -> Something from Zelda > Trickery, Nerds -> Sonic¹
Encore: You Oughta Know²
¹ Dark Star (Grateful Dead) tease ² Alanis Morissette cover, Nerds tease
Syracuse is a host to a bunch of local venues, one in particular, The Lost Horizon which was established in 1976 was host to The Black Dahlia Murder “Up From The Sewer” tour but they were not alone. The tour was also accompanied by After The Burial, Carnifax, Rivers Of Nihl, and Undeath.
All bands on this tour have been traveling together, so there weren’t any local acts but one band is a familiar sight to many, Undeath is actually a Rochester native. The Lost Horizon may not be a big venue when compared to others but many came out to the show and many circle pits were made. Head over to their site and check out the upcoming shows.
The Fillmore East was called “The Church of Rock and Roll” for good reason; between 1968 and 1971, promoter Bill Graham made music history as he brought the cream of rock royalty to New York audiences in astounding triple-artist bills with ticket prices ranging from $3.50 – $5.50. Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, The Who, Cream, Led Zeppelin, Jefferson Airplane, The Doors, Sly and the Family Stone, Santana and The Allman Brothers were just some of the stars that graced the stage, with several recording classic live albums at the Lower East Side venue.
Interestingly, Graham also served as a catalyst for expanding the tastes of impressionable young music lovers in New York and abroad. He accomplished this by using the popular rock headliners to introduce audiences to the more eclectic artists he loved and booked as show openers. These were the cutting-edge names in jazz, soul, R&B and folk music, from Miles Davis, Buddy Rich and Mongo Santamaria to B.B. and Albert King and The Staple Singers. It all ended when rock became a big business, when concerts and Graham himself moved onto larger stages.
New light is now being cast on this institution’s brief run and lasting impact in an in-depth and soulful new book by veteran journalist Frank Mastropolo, Fillmore East: The Venue That Changed Rock History.
Like Legs McNeil’s punk history classic, Please Kill Me, Mastropolo’s new work is an oral history told by 90 of the musicians and crewmembers who lived through the fast times at this pioneering concert hall. Roger McGuinn, Jack Casady, Jorma Kaukonen, Robert Lamm, Dave Davies, John Lodge, Nils Lofgren, Dave Mason and Steve Miller are among the 19 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees who contributed to the book, along with Fillmore crew like lightshow pioneer Joshua White and East Village scenesters like media prankster/artist Joey Skaggs. The book also boasts dozens of remarkable performance photos (many taken by the author himself), along with posters, letters, buttons, contracts and memorabilia, many never before published.
Mastropolo begins with backstory and history of the theater that would become The Fillmore East, The Commodore, and its place as a centerpiece of Yiddish Theater and vaudeville beginning in the 1920s. Rock enters the picture in 1967, when it becomes The Village Theater and hosts a handful of rock concerts by Cream, Procol Harum, The Yardbirds and The Grateful Dead. With the success of his San Francisco-based Fillmore West, Graham decides to buy and re-open it as The Fillmore East. The debut show comes on March 8, 1968, with a triple-bill featuring Big Brother and the Holding Company with Janis Joplin, blues great Albert King and folk rocker Tim Buckley.
The heart of Mastropolo’s book are the remarkable first-person reminiscences of the artists who played there and their contrasting memories of the mercurial empresario who ran it.
Janis Joplin: Photo by Frank Mastropolo
Creedence Clearwater Revival drummer Doug Clifford recalls a night where the audience demanded a remarkable 17 encores. It was an unprecedented occasion, one that Graham commemorated by gifting each member of the band an inscribed gold watch. Sly and the Family Stone drummer Greg Errico recalls Graham’s initial reticence about booking his band, saying of the Fillmore audience: “My people don’t dance!” Then teenaged Television guitarist Richard Lloyd recalls how easy it was to get past the virtually non-existent security to visit Jimi Hendrix, in his dressing room. Chicago’s keyboardist Robert Lamm is one of many artists in the book who think the Fillmore East’s position as the first-choice venue of rockers was a product of its first-rate sound, lighting and staff.
Jorma Kaukonen credits the birth of his and bass player Jack Casady’s Jefferson Airplane offshoot, the acoustic Delta blues based Hot Tuna, to the Fillmore East. “I think the Hot Tuna as a band that the public saw was certainly born at the Fillmore East,” relates Kaukonen. “Jack and I had been messing around in hotels for years, with him playing his bass through a tiny amp and me playing acoustic guitar. My recollection about this is that Paul (Kanter) just out of the blue said – ‘Why don’t you guys go out and play an acoustic song?’ That’s how we were given the opportunity to play and display it in front of other people for the first time.”
John Lennon and Yoko Ono with Frank Zappa and the Mothers: Photo by Dr. Arlene Q. Allen and Ben Haller
Steve Miller recalls the tumult of one of his performances, when his band followed British novelty act Mungo Jerry of “In the Summertime” fame. The fun-loving show openers made the not-so-wise decision of giving 500 kazoos to the boisterous NYC audience, who then jammed along uninvited during Miller’s set. Also recalled is the May 1969 concert where The Who performed their rock opera Tommy in its entirety. The performance was briefly interrupted when a fire broke out at a neighboring supermarket and Pete Townsend attacked a police officer who was attempting to get on stage to command the audience to exit.
Jimi Hendrix: Photo by Frank Mastropolo
Many of the musicians featured remark on the epic lengths of the shows, ones that would often culminate in jams that would go on until 6 a.m. and beyond. Also remembered were the post-show meals at Ratner’s, the adjacent 24-hour restaurant manned by surly waiters made even more so by the paltry tips given by Fillmore staff and its cash-strapped young audience. Also are the first-person memories of the many live recordings made at the venue. This just begins with classic sets by The Allman Brothers, Jimi Hendrix and his Band of Gypsys, Johnny Winter, Taj Mahal, Jefferson Airplane, The Byrds and New York’s own mighty Mountain.
The backstage crew who cut their teeth at the Fillmore East, including managing directors John Morris and Kip Cohen and stage manager Chip Monck, would go on to play important roles at various record labels, radio stations and, especially, with other huge concert tours and festivals including Woodstock.
Graham and the above were at Woodstock. There they witnessed how rock was turning into a very big business, where he couldn’t compete with a 2,700-seat theater.
Pete Townsend of The Who: Photo by Frank Mastropolo
In the book, Mastropolo relates the math. Where an artist could command $75,000 for a single show at Madison Square Garden, Graham could only provide $25,000, for four performances over two days. According to the book, Graham also didn’t care for the new generation of bands like Kiss and Alice Cooper and their cocaine-fueled attitudes and demands and their “stockbroker” greed. He and his staff were also tired of “cleaning up vomit,” something produced by the Fillmore audience’s switch from weed and psychedelics to red wine and downs. There was also sadness that Graham could not replicate the 1968 opening lineup for the June 1971 closing weekend, as both Janis Joplin and Tim Buckley were both gone.
Allman Brothers Band: Photo by Ben Haller
The book concludes with a tour of the afterlife of the Fillmore East site. This included a brief attempt to resurrect the name as NFE (The New Fillmore East) and The Village East. There was also its eight-year stint as the site of the gay disco, The Saint, followed by its life as an Emigrant Bank and, finally, the condo of today.
Frank Mastropolo in Greenwich Village, 1968: Photo by Tony Gulisano
Mastropolo’s book will provide a boatload of memories for those lucky enough to have been there and a motherload of info for those too young to enjoy rock’s most classic temple of sound.
The London-bred experimental rock band Black Midi came through Webster Hall on Tuesday night in support of their excellent 2021 LP Cavalcade. The show was their first stop in the city, one night before playing the smaller, niche performance space Pioneer Works in Brooklyn. The band last played in New York back in July of 2019 with a headlining show at Bowery Ballroom. That show was fresh off the heels of their breakout debut LP Schlagenheim.
Black Midi at Webster Hall, 10/19/21. Photo by BuscarPhoto
As the lights went down inside Webster Hall, Black Midi was introduced over the PA as if we were about to witness an old school boxing match. The band took the stage as Sinatra’s always tasteful “New York, New York” played over the speakers. The song would not only be an intro, but the band would recall the chorus of the song several times during the first couple songs of the show.
Black Midi at Webster Hall, 10/19/21. Photo by BuscarPhoto
Black Midi have two studio LPs under their belt (via Rough Trade) and both feature free jazz, math rock, punk and indie all blended together in an experimental guise. The records go through various movements with long, psychedelic passages surrounded by ferocious bits of jazzy punk rock. Even though the music is chaotic and noisy on the surface, it all comes together in a cohesive and well performed live show. Songs from both records were seamlessly stitched together with jams and improvs blending one into the other.
Black Midi at Webster Hall, 10/19/21. Photo by BuscarPhoto
Black Midi have a lengthy tour schedule ahead. The US shows continue until the end of October, with another US leg happening in March and April 2022. In between, the band tour the UK and Europe throughout November and December. Check out the full list of tour dates HERE and the setlist from the Webster Hall show is below.
Setlist: 953, Speedway, Welcome To Hell, Dethroned, Sugar/Tzu, The Defence, Hogwash and Balderdash, Still, Flamenco, Lumps, Chondro, John L, 27 Questions, Slow
