Guitarist Marcus Rezak has teamed up with members of Trey Anastasio Band for his latest EP, Truth in Sound. Approaching the album with a songwriter and story-telling mindset, Rezak wrote, recorded, and produced Truth in Sound over the course of 2020, in the hopes of creating an album that has the power to heal through both music and lyric, hence, Truth in Sound.
After a Shred is Dead show at Nectar’s in November 2019, Rezak discovered a newfound musical chemistry with Russ Lawton that needed to escalate beyond the one-off performance. Rezak invited Lawton and his TAB colleagues to record new material that he had been writing, and they enthusiastically obliged.
I first met the Trey Band guys at a Shred is Dead show I played in Burlington and was thrilled that they enthusiastically obliged my invitation to be a part of this record. It was a very natural feeling coming together and playing in the studio, almost as if we had been playing together for years. All the guys are unique in their style when together which creates a one-of-a-kind synergy, plus they are super warm and kind humans.
Marcus Rezak
Truth in Sound was recorded at Tank Recording Studio in Burlington, VT and engineered by studio owner/operator Ben Collette, who has served as an audio engineer for Trey Anastasio and Phish since 2004. The band took the energy sparked by the initial Shred is Dead performance and transferred it into four tracks with Rezak’s preparation and eloquent compositions. All of the guitar tracks and mixing were done by Joe Hettinga of Third Coast Recording Company.
While the album displays the same fierce jams and guitar shredding that his debut Gateway to the Galaxy emitted into the universe, Rezak’s focus on Truth in Sound is showcasing heartfelt lyrics and musical healing to mirror his experiences since his initial release. During the challenges of COVID-19, he felt compelled to uplift and fill in where depression and confusion had become a part of so many people’s everyday lives. In those initial lockdown months, renegade-style drive-up concerts were some of the only ways to keep music present for both musicians and music lovers alike. He saw a new purpose while observing his music keep those isolated in good company and helping release some endorphins.
The final outcome of this record truly encapsulates a time in my life, through a sound, that I hope brings healing, joy, and excitement to those with open ears.
Marcus Rezak
Truth in Sound features Russ Lawton, Tony Markellis, and Ray Paczkowski from the Trey Anastasio Band, plus Kalyan Pathak on world percussion and tabla. The album’s first single “Light of the Moon” is a true story about people of the night connecting through their love of music, celebrating cathartically in the light of the moon reveling in dance, joy, and memories. The late Tony Markellis lays down a one-of-a-kind strut on the bass and Pathak’s percussion work adds an element of global music flavors with his tabla work during the solo section and expressive nuance on chimes, congas, shekere.
“Borderline” is another true story about modern love and the primal connection humans can have with one another, drawing inspiration from the compassion humans uncontrollably have to want to heal the unfortunate trauma of others. “Leaving” details traveling musicians’ life on the road, with a psychedelic jam accompanying the journey. The instrumental track “Glitter Pillow” is a magnum opus of progressive rock, funk, and jazz, with a ’70s harmonic vibe propelling into a mystical minor improv section that builds and compounds into fierce energy from the entire band. Visit Rezak’s Bandcamp to pick up the album.
In 2015, Eric Clapton celebrated his 70th Birthday with a pair of sold-out shows at Madison Square Garden. Although his birthday is March 30, the shows didn’t actually take place until May 1 and 3. Clapton was joined by special guests Derek Trucks, John Mayer, Doyle Bramhall II and Jimmy Vaughan on both nights.
Clapton was backed by a band featuring drummer Steve Gadd, bassist Nathan East, keyboardists Paul Carrack and Chris Stainton, and vocalists Sharon White and Michelle John. After a quick salutation to the crowd, Clapton started the show with “Somebody’s Knocking,” and “Key to the Highway.”
The setlist was pretty much the same both nights with John Mayer being the first guest. Clapton and Mayer traded fiery guitar solos with an outstanding version of “Pretending.” Other highlights included a Billy Preston cover of “You Are So Beautiful” with Paul Carrack on lead vocals and an electric version of “Before You Accuse Me” with Jimmy Vaughan.
Trucks and Bramhall helped Clapton close the main set with “Let It Rain.” Late in the night Clapton addressed the crowd “Thank you very much for helping me celebrate this wonderful gift with these wonderful friends.”
For the encore, Eric Clapton brought all the guests back to the stage and ended his ‘birthday’ night with a cover of Joe Cocker’s “High Time We Went.”
Setlist May 1, 2015
Somebody’s Knocking (J.J. Cale cover), Key to the Highway (Charles Segar cover), Pretending (With John Mayer), I’m Your Hoochie Coochie Man (Willie Dixon cover), You Are So Beautiful (Billy Preston cover), Can’t Find My Way Home (Blind Faith cover), I Shot The Sheriff (Bob Marley cover), Driftin Blues (Johnny Moore’s Three Blazers cover), Nobody Knows When You’re Down and Out (Jimmy Cox cover), Tears In Heaven, Layla (Derek and the Dominos cover), Before You Accuse Me(Bo Diddley cover), Wonderful Tonight, Let It Rain (With Trucks and Bramhall II), Cross Road Blues (Robert Johnson cover), Little Queen of Spades (Robert Johnson cover), Cocaine (J.J.Cale cover), High Time We Went (Joe Cocker cover)
Setlist May 3, 2015
Somebody’s Knocking (J.J. Cale cover), Key to the Highway (Charles Segar cover), Pretending (With John Mayer), I’m Your Hoochie Coochie Man (Willie Dixon cover), You Are So Beautiful (Billy Preston cover), Can’t Find My Way Home (Blind Faith cover), I Shot The Sheriff (Bob Marley cover), Driftin Blues (Johnny Moore’s Three Blazers cover), Nobody Knows When You’re Down and Out (Jimmy Cox cover), Tears In Heaven, Layla (Derek and the Dominos cover), Before You Accuse Me (Bo Diddley cover), Wonderful Tonight, Cross Road Blues (Robert Johnson cover), Little Queen of Spades (Robert Johnson cover), Let It Rain (With Trucks and Bramhall II) (J.J.Cale cover), High Time We Went (Joe Cocker cover)
New York City in the 1980s was a creative caldron where anything could happen. Painting, graffiti, performance and emergent video art, film, dance, theater and music of every conceivable genre were blending into one another, often in unprecedented ways. In the arts, and maybe music first and foremost, boundaries were not for division but blurring and breaking to make the wholly new. So when Philip Glass, the esteemed minimalist composer, teamed with The Raybeats, the neo-surf guitar super combo, it was the kind of collision of seeming opposites that made perfect sense in these freewheeling times.
The Raybeats formed in 1979 out of the ashes of the legendary New York no-wavers, The Contortions. The band’s bassist George Scott and drummer Don Christensen joined with guitarist/keyboardist/sax man Pat Irwin (8-Eyed Spy and later the B52s) and guitarist Jody Harris (Golden Palominos and an original member of The Contortions featured on the seminal No New York compilation produced by Brian Eno). When Scott died of a drug overdose in 1980, he was replaced by Danny Amis. Amis would later go on to form the groundbreaking, masked surf guitar band, Los Straitjackets.
The Raybeats sound was an artsy update on the gutsy guitar instrumentals of fuzz pioneer Link Wray and the twangy surf of Dick Dale. Added to this were copious amounts of space age bachelor pad swank and spy movie mysterioso, along with Stax/Volt grooves and, of course, the experimental noise/skronk of no-wave. It was a high-energy, eminently danceable brew, one that made The Raybeats a popular touring band on the underground rock circuit. With Amis, they recorded an EP Roping Wild Bears (1981) and the acclaimed full-length album, Guitar Beat (1982). After his departure, they waxed just one more album, It’s Only A Movie!, before disbanding in 1984.
The Raybeats went into SoHo’s Greene Street Recording on June 4 – 5, 1982, with Philip Glass, his pianist of choice Michael Riesman and co-producer Kurt Munkasi. None of the parties really knew what to expect according to Irwin. And the world would not hear the fruits of their collaboration until 31 years later, when Glass released the seven tracks on CD in 2013, on his Orange Mountain Music label.
Philly and NYC based label Ramp Local is now putting out the first-ever vinyl pressing of this incredible collection, called The Lost Philip Glass Sessions, just in time for Record Store Day, June 12. The vinyl package includes new cover art and an insert, with liner notes by Pat Irwin and rare archival photos.
The disc kicks off with “Jack the Ripper,” a cover of the classic instrumental recorded by Link Wray of “Rumble” fame. As with many of the offerings here, the tune is anchored by a pounding jungle beat, with some nice retro slapback delay. It also boasts thick sheets of dreamy feedback from Jody Harris to complement Irwin’s heavily-reverbed, deep toned melody guitar.
“Pack of Camels” is one of the tunes that gets a more obvious Glassian treatment. This is snake charmer music, an Eastern modal dance groove with oodles of reverbed melody guitars and spooky Lena Lovich/Laurie Anderson-like vocal accents by Dora Ohrenstein.
According to Irwin’s liner notes, “Black Beach” was intended to recreate the experience of riding Coney Island’s famed roller coaster, the Cyclone. Drummer Christensen had the idea of recording the sounds of the Cyclone and the screams of the riders for use as a drum break, a thought that ended up on the cutting room floor. The B section of has the most obvious Glassian flavor on the album – a hypnotic swirl of interlocking keyboard figures played by Michael Riesman, a longtime member of The Philip Glass Ensemble.
“The Sad Little Caper” features a five-note melodic figure, a baritone guitar counter melody and a cavernous ambience that brings to mind a James Bond flick. Add to this spooky keyboard answers arranged by Glass. These are reminiscent of P-Funker Bernie Worrell’s contributions to Stop Making Sense-era Talking Heads.
The most no-wave flavored piece of the album, “I Do Just What I Want,” comes from a 1985 session at the Living Room, Glass’ studio in TriBeCa. Dirty tenor sax growls, slip slidey fuzz bass and a four-on-the-floor surf beat propel the piece, which features a vocal refrain of the title and punchy orchestral synth hits.
“1.2 Girls” and “Hoodlum Priest” both come from sessions at Surf Sounds begun in 1983. The former owes a ton to the jungle rhythms of Gary Glitter’s 1972 hit, “Rock-n-Roll Pt. 2.” A stomping beat, more tenor growl and a bit of vocals singing the title, one that purportedly was swiped from a tabloid headline. “Hoodlum Priest” begins with the sound of thunderstorm captured outside the studio. More cool spy vibes to a dark funk beat, with lush stereo pans of the bitey guitars – acoustic, electric and a bit of backwards psychedelia.
Like Guitar Beat, this disc proves that The Raybeats were the real deal. They were true sonic minded guitar innovators, working in a punk era that minimized any guitaring that seemed to showcase chops, anything beyond three chords, a grimace and a grunt. Though their career was short-lived, their influence was lasting, with the neo-surf they pioneered in their recordings and in the further works of its members when they dispersed. The meeting with Glass produced some real magic here. It is guitar art of the highest order, one that proves that this quartet was on the level of the critic revered Tom Verlaine/Richard Lloyd-helmed Television.
If you like this disc, you should also check out the exceptionally creative, lo-fi masterpiece Escape, a duo disc made on a budget of $7 (for tape) by Raybeat Jody Harris and Robert Quine of Voidoids and Lou Reed fame. Irwin has been keeping great instrumental guitar art alive via his long stint with The B52s, his contributions to soundtracks like The Rugrats and, most recently, his great PI Power Trio. You can hear what he’s been up to on their debut EP The Walk or at live performances at downtown NYC venues like the Treehouse at 2A. Recommended Tracks: Jack The Ripper, The Sad Little Caper and Pack of Camels
Live music is making its way back into our weekend plans. The Oteil Burbridge band featuring Pete Lavezzoli on drums, Tom Guarna on Guitar, and special guest Jason Crosby on keyboards performed for two nights at the North Beach Bandshell in Miami Beach, FL on April 24 and 25. Over two days the quartet had a Grateful Dead heavy setlist, nicely blended with Oteil’s originals and covers of his favorite artists.
The breeze kicked in to start the two night run. They open with a cover by The Weather Report that brought all of the “Elegant People” from the beach. It got the whole crowd immediately grooving. A first set dead classic “Sugaree” start the psychedelic blues for the sun soaked masses. A cover of Jerry Garcia Band “Cats Down Under the Stars” keeps it flowing with Melvin Seals drummer Lavezolli and Oteil locked in ” Cats on the bandstand, give em each a big hand, Anyone who sweats like that must be all right.”
Believe it or not the band follows with another Grateful Dead classic that was played under the Miami Beach haze during soundcheck for “Here Comes Sunshine.” “Hard to find” an end of a first set, the quartet close with “King Solomon’s Marbles” to send everyone looking for their own after they cleared the stage.
The second set started with a beautiful Jerry solo classic “Rubin and Cherise.” The words on the Florida shore singing “the breeze would pause to listen in before going on its way again, Masquerade began when the nightfall finally woke.” Another Jerry tune up next for “Gomorrah” helped “Blow the City off the Map, left nothing there but fire”
Oteil brings you back to Brooklyn Bowl for a “Butter Biscuit” next, then a transition to a Grateful Dead S.O.S. on the beach. “Help on the Way” into “Slipknot” gets another Oteil original weaved in with “Too Many Times” before crescendoing into “Franklins Tower.” It was a funky roll in the dew to close the first set.
Keeping the crowd in a Grateful Dead like glow the band starts the encore so quiet you can hear the ocean. Oteil’s voice on “Stella Blue” reminds you the wave is crashing “In the end there’s still a song, comes crying like the wind, down every lonely street, that’s ever been.” As expected after a Dead heavy show like this you would assume this was the end.
Nope, during the encore the band paid tribute to Sugarloaf with their cover of “Green Eyed Lady.” Its lyrics perhaps another nod to a day on the beach. “Green Eyed Lady windswept lady , moves the night the waves the sand, Green eyed lady…ocean lady.” Out of nowhere, Oteil’s ensemble threw everyone for a loop on their way back to the Miami scene.
After an hour long soundcheck in Miami Beach, Oteil Burbridge took some time to talk with NYS Music
Matthew Romano: I am so glad I got to see the show last night before speaking today. Do you remember the Buddy Miles record that had a cover of Allman Brothers Band tunes “Dont’ Keep Me Wondering” and “Midnight Rider”? I can’t help but hear your same soulful interpretation of these Dead songs.
Oteil Burbridge: Yes I do! I kind of just do it. You can’t do anything to suppress your roots. Not really trying, it just comes out like that. But there was something that really gave me confidence to lean in more on my approach. I don’t know if you’ve heard George Porter sing “Eyes of World”? It’s my favorite “Eyes of the World.” The way he sings it, holy crap, just blew me away seeing that. So I was like yea man do it like you feel it. You know just let it come, let it be what it is.
MR: Well being here in Miami where you just recorded with Page McConnell and Vida Blue for a record we didn’t know what to expect out of your catalog this weekend for a set.
OB: I don’t with Vida Blue material because they are still on the road and we still play. Allman’s aren’t playing, I mean Dead and Company is playing, ya know as slow as we are doing everything. If you notice we do a lot of different versions with this band. We do the the old funkier, sluttier “Loose Lucy” and the faster funky kind of “They Love Each Other,” the long “Eyes” the “Terrapin.” What else? The funky “Bertha.”
OB: So we can just lean in the funk.
MR: I was able to speak with John Mayer on Tales From the Golden Road on Sirius XM and got his angle on bringing his own texture to the Dead and Co. sound. You are in the same boat bringing a whole new edge and vibe to this music that gives it a new form of life.
OB: I mean it just comes out that way. It’s really about being given permission by yourself, the original members, the crowd, and especially the old crew.
OB: Ya know it mattered to me, what AJ thinks, what Jarukie thought. It matters what Derek Featherstone thinks. Ya know all the original crew that’s been here much longer than me. So even to have them and friends approval means the world.
MR: Well how about big Steve Parish who has come Upstate New York to go on his own tour speaking about all his years behind the amps of the Dead for every show?
OB: When you get Parish’s seal of approval, wow. All those guys, Dennis McNally, Bill Walton. When Bill Walton says you’re good, you quit worrying. But John and I have been very lucky to be graced by all those people, the crowd, the original members. I count them as family.
MR: Well being at the first Dead and Company show on October 29, 2015 at Times Union Center (The Old Knickerbocker Arena), it was only appropriate for you and John to open with “Playing in the Band.”
OB: (Laughter) For sure. That was a harrowing night. That was a trip, that beginning time.
MR: Well, I love that 6 years later your able to lead the pack with some funk on this repertoire for two nights on the beach in Spring 2021.
OB: Well i mean there is so much funk in the Grateful Dead’s music. The Jerry Bands’ music. Its just like there for the picking. So i just lean in to it
OB: Thats where I come from, ya know? I come from James Brown and Parliament Funkadelic. Earth Wind and Fire, Stevie, Larry Graham, J.V Collier and James Jamerson.
MR: How about Larry Graham creating the slap bass technique to fill for the drummers spot that was absent
OB: Yeah the drummer didn’t come so he had to bass the drum with his thumb and the snare and hi hat with his slap and the plucking part yeah. Tonight we’re gonna do a tribute to Paul Jackson in Head Hunters that just passed. It was the last tune we did during soundcheck today was “God made me Funky.”
MR: That had me dancing outside and threw me for a loop before I came in to talk to ya. I walked in the room feeling like Cleo McDowell in Coming to America…”I’m not sure what to do…I feel like break dancing.”
OB: (Laughter) For Sure. I’ve seen it at Dead shows, people start popping and locking! This weekend has been the biggest amount of people this band has played for. It was great to see that many bodies in motion again.
Later that night Oteil and Friends played one more Saturday night for an audience on Miami Beach.
The crowd immediately responded to the Oteil instrumental “The Happy Dance” to start the evening. Another highlight of Oteil’s solo catalog came next with “Rooster.” His words nailed it over the old Peacemakers groove, “There’s not much time to get your house in order, you can watch as the darkness grows, keep on trying to disguise yourself, but the ugliness still shows, you better clean it up before the rooster crows…”
Then a Dead heavy first set that included the funked up “Bertha” and “Loose Lucy.” The Dead vibes unfolded at the end of the first set with “China Cat Sunflower” > “China Doll” > “I Know Your Rider.” A set ending fake out with “No More Doubt,” another Oteil and the Peacemakers original. With even deeper lyrics “Call out to the grave, I am a mirror to the clouds, you can rest assure there will be no more worry,” to officially end the set.
After a short break the band opened with two covers, Jaco Pastorius’ “Opus Pocus‘ and Donny Hathaway’s “Magnificent Sanctuary.” These tunes are certainly hand picked by Oteil as they are a major influence on his sound.
Oteil Burbridge in Jaco Pastorius Park, FL
The band then closes the rest of the set with The Grateful Dead catalog where ocean breezes flow. After a funky “They Love Each Other” they launched into “Estimated Prophet” > “Terrapin” > “Morning Dew.” Oteil was quoted on his first vocal take on Dew, “I feel like I’ve been through enough in life to do it justice, I hope you enjoyed it.”
Oteil Burbridge Band Setlist April 24 25
The encore for the two night beach run was a tribute to Paul Jackson of the Head Hunters for “God Made me Funky.” Let’s be glad he is out touring this kind of music in 2021. Oteil helps carry the torch for new comers to the scene. It was Miami Beach resident Chris Collins first show who celebrated his father Bobs birthday Friday night. Bob toured for four years with the Dead.
In between shows you can listen to Oteil’s podcast with great artists. The crew heads to B Chord brewing Company in Virginia on June 4 and 5 for their next two night run. Dead and Company 2021 tour will be kicking off August 16th in Raleigh, North Carolina, and running through Halloween, with a three-night stand at the iconic Hollywood Bowl on October 29th, 30th, & 31st.
The Grateful Dead played their one and only show in Alfred, New York, 51 years ago today. After gigs at their usual stomping grounds like the Fillmore West and the Family Dog in San Francisco the previous month, May 1970 kicked off with the Dead going to school, playing this evening at Alfred College and the following night at Harpur College in Binghamton. These legendary performances serve as the first known “An Evening With The Grateful Dead” shows, where the band would be joined by others and play interlocking sets.
Their friends in New Riders of the Purple Sage would join the Grateful Dead at Alfred College this evening, and the following night, playing a joint opening acoustic set, before a set of their own music, with a set of electric Dead wrapping things up. It can be argued that this helped lay the groundwork of the formation of a traditional Grateful Dead show: an opening set with more acoustic, straightforward tunes before a set of heavy improvisational numbers.
The show starts off with an acoustic “Deep Elem Blues” with guitarist Jerry Garcia on lead vocals. The harmonies are certainly a little richer on this one, thanks to the additional backing support from their friends in New Riders. In an interview later this year, Garcia would explain this brand new format and the kind of live show it created.
What we’ve been doing in the States lately is having like ‘an evening with the Grateful Dead.’ We start off with acoustic music with Bobby and I playing guitars, light drums and very quiet electric bass. Pigpen plays the organ. Then we have a band we’ve been travelling with, The New Riders of the Purple Sage, where I play pedal steel, not guitar, Mickey plays drums, and three of our friends from the coast, musicians that we’ve known for a long time, are fronting the band. So we start off with acoustic music and then The New Riders of the Purple Sage — it’s like very snappy electric country-rock; it’s kinda hard to describe — and then we come on with the electric Dead, so it keeps us all really interesting, and it’s six hours of this whole development thing. By the end of the night it’s very high.
Jerry Garcia, 5/24/70
After “Elem,” a traditional blues cover the band recently re-adopted after playing once in 1966, the opening set carries on with a unique version of “I Know You Rider.” This one is played at a super slow, folksy tempo compared to the traditional Dead version of later years and features an additional verse with the lyrics: I’d rather drink muddy water / Than sleep in a hollow log.” Definitely not your customary “Rider.” Following this, fellow guitarist Bob Weir promises the rapt Alfred College crowd a song about “simian creatures behind the wheel” and the band delivers a quick take of “Monkey And The Engineer.” At its conclusion, Garcia does not cease strumming and quickly leads the group into a flawlessly acoustic “Candyman.”
At its conclusion, Garcia beckons their friends David Nelson and John “Marmaduke” Dawson from NRPS to join them on stage. They make their collective presence immediately felt with a super-harmonized take on “Me And My Uncle.” This alt-country tune about gambling and betrayal sits square in the Riders’ musical wheelhouse and their presence make this one a truly pleasant version. The same can be said of the “Mama Tried” that comes next.
“Cumberland Blues,” a Dead tune that lends itself perfectly to vocal harmonies, goes off without a hitch next, with all guitars (and voices) on stage very much in synch. Nelson and “Marmaduke” stay on stage for the rest of the opening acoustic set and later contribute to a cover of The Everly Brothers’ “Wake Up Little Susie” which is succeeded by “New Speedway Boogie.” It’s only the tenth ever version of this Dead original penned by Garcia and famed lyricist Robert Hunter and the first ever on the East Coast. It’s a version so tight that it has Garcia and a least one other audibly “whooing” in delight mid-song.
The incredible musicianship and harmonies that serve as this opening act comes to a close with “Cold Jordan,” another traditional cover with hymnal-like lyrics that the Dead and NRPS would play together this year. And then a pristine take of “Uncle John’s Band,” replete with three-part harmonies. While it may not have all the accolades of the following night’s acoustic set at Harpur College in Binghamton, it’s beautiful in its own right and certainly merits a listen.
At its conclusion, Garcia states they’ll be back later with their “electric” stuff and preps the crowd for an incoming Pigpen performance. To start this last portion of the evening, “Not Fade Away” is the selection, done in traditional Grateful Dead-style. Garcia fires off a bevy of emotional guitar riffs and the double drumming tandem of Hart and Bill Kreutzmann only add to the power this one generates. Then, as promised, Pigpen takes center stage and lends his signature vocal prowess and swagger on a cover of Otis Redding’s “Hard To Handle.”
For a listen to this classic acoustic set and the opening two “electric” numbers check out the video below or go here.
The Grateful Dead close out the Alfred College gig with an absolutely ferocious “The Other One,” that’s sandwiched by “Cryptical Envelopment” on both sides, quite commonplace during this era. Bassist Phil Lesh finally gets a chance to let loose and explore the fret board, leading the band through this high octane, psychedelic sequence. The latter half of “Envelopment” gets particularly spacy and intricate at parts.
“High Time” gives Garcia one last chance to sing lead, justifiably slowing things down significantly from the improvisational madness that preceded it. Pigpen then sends the crowd home on a high note, ripping through another R&B-infused cover, this time Bobby Bland’s “Turn On Your Lovelight.” It serves as a more than fitting final number for a show that may have subconsciously helped shape the way live Grateful Dead shows are formatted for years to come.
Grateful Dead – Alfred College, Alfred, NY – May 1, 1970
Set 1: Deep Elem Blues, I Know You Rider, Monkey and the Engineer -> Candyman, Me And My Uncle, Mama Tried, Cumberland Blues, The Race Is On, Wake Up Little Susie, New Speedway Boogie, Cold Jordan Uncle John’s Band
Set 2: Not Fade Away, Hard To Handle, Cryptical Envelopment ->Drums -> The Other One ->Cryptical Envelopment, High Time, Turn On Your Lovelight
Psychedelic funk-rock group, The Chris Ruben Band, released their new album Madness on Repeat on April 20.
Cover Art Credit: Will Wood Visuals and Mark DiMattei
This six-piece Long Island band is nothing short of their fiery and forceful reputation. What started off as Chris Ruben writing his own songs at 16 began to turn into something more in 2014. At this time, The Chris Ruben Band was initially formed, but players got interchanged until the ideal lineup was created.
The band started off playing in basements, but they shortly made their way onto the local music circuit. The group consists of Chris Ruben on lead guitar/vocals, Brendan Allan on bass, Frank Iovine on synthesizers/saxophone, Eugene Iovine on keyboards/cello, Nick Marino on guitar, and Russell Miller on drums.
Photo Credit: Mark DiMattei
Madness on Repeat is the culmination of eight years of songwriting and use of numerous studios. The album is reminiscent of old-school rock while also layering a psychedelic tone. Ruben’s vocals drive each head-banging track alongside the dynamic guitar work. The group smoothly blends their sounds together to develop a modern funk.
“Unsure” opens the album with a sense of groove and hard-hitting lyrics. It eases listeners into the liveliness of Madness on Repeat, and the high-octane energy developed. The Chris Ruben Band keeps the album upbeat throughout with an epic guitar solo in “Starfish” and driving drums in “Prayer for Sadness.” Madness on Repeat closes with a sensational saxophone on “Hernia” while not losing that driven passion they provide.
The Chris Ruben Band has become a staple in the Long Island music scene. They have performed at various venues there in addition to their performances at SXSW, The Jones Beach Bandshell, and more. Until those events are back up and running, The Chris Ruben Band has a livestream performance on April 29. The group will be live-streaming Madness on Repeat, tickets available here.
Buffalo based four-piece rock group, Grosh, is locked and loaded for their release of Not Down for Long. The group, consisting of Grace Lougen (guitar), Josh English (drums), Megan Brown (vocals), and Dylan Hund (bass) are some of the area’s most talented musicians.
Grosh is a high energy rock band that regularly sells out shows in Buffalo, showcasing their heavy-hitting style of hard rock. Recorded and mastered at GCR studio in Buffalo, Not Down for Long is Grosh’s second full-length album. The album offers tunes reminiscent of bands like Led Zeppelin and Pearl Jam. But overall, it has a clear Grosh stamp on it.
The band never abandons their fast-paced energy throughout the album, with hard hitters like “The Fight” offering a great idea of what Grosh brings to the table. The band isn’t afraid to break out of the hard rock element, and sprinkle in some dirty funk in the second track, “Not Down for Long”. Lougen’s guitar riffage is absolutely spot on, chugging the song along and breaking into face-melting solos that soar over Hund’s thick bass line and the ever-climaxing drum beat.
Relentless, this album grabs the listener and holds them throughout the long jams, and even pop melodies in songs like “Mr. Rogers.” Brown’s vocals hold their place among a luscious instrumentation, with the lyrics featuring a trade-off between her vocals and male vocals. The conversation-like feeling of the song yields a nice story as well. The horn section shows an alternate side of the band’s heavier sound earlier in the album.
The band has a soft side too, as they show their ability to create a beautiful dynamic arc in “Don’t Forget Me.” The acoustic track feels like a musical number, with yearning vocals and a wonderful transition to the final song, “Tread the Wave.” Here, the band rounds out the release by offering another harder song with some prog-rock influence. English’s work on the hi-hat is stuff of gold, and a master-class in how drums, when played this well, can give a song rhythmic layering.
Lucky for listeners and supporters, Not Down for Long is set to be released on May 1. You can find the album streaming on Spotify and Apple Music. You can keep up with the band on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. The group also has a YouTube page with official videos and quarantine recordings. Keep a look out for the group to be playing live as things continue to clear up and venues open at some capacity.
Key Tracks: Mr. Rogers, The Fight, Don’t Forget Me
It is rare to see an arena rock show where the headliner gets completely overshadowed by the opening band. It is even rarer when that headliner is a legendarily mighty live performer like ex-Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne, with Metallica opening the show. But on April 27, 1986, 35 years ago tonight, the exalted Ozz was utterly outshined by a youthful, ‘Master of Puppets’-era Metallica at Glens Falls Civic Center.
James Hetfield – photo by Dino Petrocelli
Master of Puppets – hailed by many as the best thrash metal album of all time, along with Slayer’s Reign in Blood, released the same year – had come out around 2 months before this gig. Metallica was the best heavy band in the world in 1986. Period. It is inarguable. I know you might think they suck now, and that there were a ton of great other metal and punk bands then, but I don’t care – in April 1986, Metallica were better.
Cliff Burton – photo by Dino Petrocelli
During Metallica’s “Ecstasy of Gold” intro tape there was a curtain in front of the stage, and this writer remembers a good crush down the front, as about half the crowd – Metallica were relatively new then, and many of those present that night did not know them – surged down towards the front. Legendary Metallica bassist Cliff Burton came out from behind the stage-left curtain to check out the crowd, smoking a cigarette and nodding at the people down front. Then the curtain dropped to reveal a stage-set modeled after the Master album cover, and the band opened with a blasting “Battery,” sounding as ferocious and tight as you’d want. The band utterly crushed for 55 minutes, with James, Cliff and Kirk headbanging madly the whole time – and a good 2/3 of the crowd were right there with them.
James Hetfield – photo by Dino Petrocelli
There was a great song selection for the near-hour they played – a few new songs (“Master of Puppets”, “Sanitarium”), plenty of ‘Ride The Lightning’ stuff (the title track, “For Whom the Bell Tolls”, set-closer “Creeping Death”), “Seek & Destroy” from Kill ‘Em All, and a crushing encore medley of Diamond Head’s classic “Am I Evil?” and the now-immortal thrash god-song “Damage, Inc.” Still one of my favorite shows ever. Sadly, this was the last time I saw Cliff Burton play – I had tix to see them in August in Montreal before Cliff’s untimely death, but James had that skateboard accident and it was cancelled. By the next time I saw them, Thanksgiving ’86 in Poughkeepsie, it was Jason on bass.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Qcn2wVG9aI
And Ozzy played too. He went down well, naturally, bringing the house down as he descended from the ceiling on a “monster Ozzy” throne. But, as pro and energetic a live performer as Ozzy and his always-professional band is (in those days led by guitarist Jake E. Lee), it was anticlimactic. Of course I mean no disrespect to Ozzy, who after all sang for the greatest band of all time and has always rocked live – I’d seen him before and many times since and this was easily the least awesome, contributed to, no doubt, by having to follow a hungry, young Metallica at their utter peak. To be sure, he didn’t suck – it’s hard to truly fall flat with songs like “Suicide Solution”, “I Don’t Know”, “Flying High Again” or his old band’s “Iron Man” – but it seemed like standard arena-rock after what had come before.
Also, Ozzy in 1986 was promoting the flaccid ‘Ultimate Sin’ record and flirting with a glittery, frosted-hair-and-makeup, almost glam image, which didn’t work for him – after 3 songs he was his usual sweaty self and the glittery outfit and frosted hair made him look like some bloated, middle-aged, hysterical, sweaty housewife who’d had too many glasses of wine. He opened with “Bark at the Moon”, closed with “Paranoid”, played lots of first album classics and crappy then-new songs from ‘The Ultimate Din’ and not enough Sabbath. Ozzy Osbourne lost, Metallica won.
All hail METALLICA, 1986-edition.
Metallicasetlist: Battery, Master of Puppets, For Whom The Bell Tolls, Ride The Lightning, Sanitarium, Seek & Destroy, Creeping Death, Am I Evil?, Damage, Inc.
Ozzy Osbournesetlist: Bark at the Moon, Suicide Solution, Never Know Why, Mr. Crowley, Shot in the Dark, I Don’t Know, Killer of Giants, Guitar Solo, Thank God for the Bomb, Flying High Again, Secret Loser, Drum Solo, Iron Man, Crazy Train, Paranoid
By 1971, The Grateful Dead had firmly established the Fillmore East as their New York City base of operations. But as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. The Fillmore East would be shuttered by the end of the summer, but not before one last run of Dead shows, which began 50 years ago today. The five-night run would serve as the band’s last hurrah at Bill Graham’s legendary East Village venue. It’s also the source of material for one of their essential live albums, Ladies and Gentlemen….The Grateful Dead. Tonight’s show features some iconic Dead tunes that were still in the early roll out stages combined with some short-lived classics.
The band wastes no time and dives right into a roaring “Truckin’” to open the show. It’s a crisp, early version of this Dead classic to-be that was barely a year old at the time. It would also serve as the opener for three other shows during this Fillmore run. After requesting some “cranking up” of the monitors, Jerry Garcia then leads the group through “Loser,” carrying over the alt-country psychedelic vibes established earlier by the New Riders. A short, but hauntingly beautiful guitar solo from Garcia highlights this one. The collective mood then gets lifted in a major way with “Hard To Handle.” The charismatic Pigpen, who has several shining moments this evening, takes the lead on vocals in his signature, blues-riddled style. Garcia and drummer Bill Kreutzmann seem to take turn raising the fervor and intensity which yields a hearty early jam.
After a vintage extended tuning session, the show resumes with “Me And Bobby McGee,” this time with Bob Weir leading the way on vocals for a cover song. Afterwards, Weir shouts out some more friendly advice to the monitor guy before “Cold Rain And Snow” lifts off. Garcia’s aggressive guitar tone and thunderous bass notes from Phil Lesh give this always emotional number a little something extra tonight. This sets the stage for Pigpen to take charge once more, this time with harmonica in tow for “The Rub.” This Lightnin’ Hopkins cover, also known as “Ain’t It Crazy,” would only be played 13 times by the Dead, properly shelved for good after Pigpen’s passing.
Weir then gets back on the mic for “Playin’ In The Band,” another soon-to-be Dead classic that was debuted only months earlier at the Capitol Theater in Port Chester, NY. It’s essentially just a run through of the composed portion, with no jam to speak of with the song still in its nascent stage. Garcia then notes that “we used to do this song acoustically” before an uptempo rendition of “Friend Of The Devil” takes place.
The first set then wraps up with a few already established staples of the Grateful Dead’s live catalog. The instrumental segue between “China Cat Sunflower” and “I Know You Rider” is near-seamless, with Garcia delivering a flurry of emotional guitar fills on the latter. “Casey Jones” then drives the Fillmore crowd off to intermission, capping off a whirlwind first set. Garcia and Weir both take it upon themselves to advise everyone they’ll return shortly.
The Dead kick off the second set at the Fillmore in grand fashion with a supercharged “Morning Dew.” Steadily progressive rhythms supplied by Lesh and Kreutzmann secure the framework for another Garcia guitar solo that drips with emotion, much to the crowd’s delight. After a quick run through “Beat It On Down The Line,” it’s Pigpen’s turn again as he and his harp rip through a cover of the bluesy “Next Time You See Me.”
Pig then gets back behind the organ for “Bertha,” another fresh tune at the time, debuted only months ago. Afterwards Garcia seems to make note of Mickey Hart, who had recently begun his hiatus from the band, “not being with us tonight” but that his grandmother was in attendance. This clears the deck for “Sugar Magnolia.” Garcia has the wah effect on full blast for this one, almost overpowering everything else. After some more griping about the in-house monitors, the Dead’s cover of Smokey Robinson and The Miracles’ “Second That Emotion” smooths everything over. It would the fourth performance of this song that the band only ever played five times – all in April of 1971.
But this would not be the cover selection that blows the doors off the second set. That honor belongs to the “Good Lovin’” that follows, sung in Pigpen’s signature style and immediately supplemented with a majestic drum solo from Kreutzmann. As the wave of “Drums” begins to recede, a loose form of “Good Lovin’” reemerges, spurred on by Pigpen and his improvisational crooning. With the rest of the band fully locked in behind him, this sequence sees the Dead at their full powers and steals the show.
Things would slow down considerably after this, with “Sing Me Back Home,” another Dead tune with a short shelf life. Although it would be played the following two nights as well. One of the last inter-song tuning sessions is memorable as this one has a distinct “Spanish Jam” element to it. Finally, the opening shuffle beat of “Not Fade Away” takes shape, initiating the final sequence of the evening. In following tradition, another silky smooth transition follows into “Goin’ Down The Road Feeling Bad” before turning back into NFA. The Grateful Dead then treat the ravenous crowd to an “Uncle John’s Band” encore, wrapping up the first night of this last ever run at the Fillmore East.
Grateful Dead – Fillmore East – New York, NY 4/25/71
Set 1: Truckin’, Loser, Hard To Handle, Me And Bobby McGee, Cold Rain & Snow, The Rub, Playin’ In The Band, Friend Of The Devil, China Cat Sunflower-> I Know You Rider, Casey Jones
Set 2: Morning Dew, Beat It On Down The Line, Next Time You See Me, Bertha, Sugar Magnolia, Second That Emotion, Good Lovin’-> Drums-> Good Lovin’, Sing Me Back Home, Not Fade Away-> Goin’ Down The Road Feelin’ Bad-> Not Fade Away
On Saturday April 20, 1991, when 4/20 was not the national holiday it has since morphed into, Phish performed at the University of Rochester, at Douglass Dining Hall. Presented by the UR Student Union, tickets were $6 for students and $10 for the public.
Show poster, via Amy Baerenklau
Phishâs third ever show on 4/20, the unique venue was named for abolitionist Frederick Douglass, and went through a complete makeover in 2015. UR alumnus Justin Miller described the show as “stale Froot Loops in the morning, then fresh Phish that night,” an apt take on an era when Phish was certainly nascent and making their footprint on college campuses, and would move on to playing sheds with Santana a year later.
The all ages show hosted a reported two hundred people, who would be treated to Jesus Jones right there the following year on 4/20.
photo by J. Adam Fenster
The first set provides standard early 90s Phish fare, ending with the lost acapella song, “Setting Sail,” formally debuted at this show, borne from a “You Enjoy Myself” vocal jam.
Trey welcomed Jon Fishman‘s parents and sister to the show prior to the start of Set 2, noting their recent show at Ithaca State Theater on February 14, 1991, where Dr. Fishman’s car was given away to a fan with fun pre-“Sloth” banter. The wide-ranging second set is chock full of songs, with a short and heavy “Tweezer” moving seamlessly into “The Oh Kee Pah Ceremony.”
With graduation a few weeks away, Phish feted the seniors in the crowd with an encore of “Alumni Blues,” including “Letter to Jimmy Page” sandwiched inside, closing out one of their final dining hall performances.
Phish – 4/20/91 – Douglass Dining Hall, University of Rochester
Set 1: Runaway Jim, Reba, Llama, Fluffhead > My Sweet One, The Landlady, Esther > Chalk Dust Torture, Bouncing Around the Room, You Enjoy Myself -> Setting Sail[1]
Set 2: The Sloth, Ya Mar, Split Open and Melt, The Squirming Coil > Paul and Silas, Cavern > The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday > Avenu Malkenu > The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday > Tweezer > The Oh Kee Pa Ceremony > Suzy Greenberg, Sweet Adeline
Encore: Horn > Alumni Blues > Letter to Jimmy Page > Alumni Blues
[1] Debut.
Trey teased Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas in Reba. Fish led the band in the debut of Setting Sail, which arose out of the vocal jam of YEM. Tweezer contained In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida teases from Page.
