King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard are back with another new album, LW. The band’s 17th studio album is the follow up to 2020’s KG and also the third installment in their series of microtonal explorations (which also includes 2017’s Flying Microtonal Banana). The record comes right on the heels of the recently released live-studio music video “Pleura,” directed by John Angus Stewart.
King Gizzard intended LW to be a seamless continuation of 2020’s KG as all of the songs were recorded together with the same stylistic and experimental tendencies. The double album is bookended by separate but similarly titled tracks “KGLW.” The first, being the opening track on KG, is a one-and-a-half-minute melody reminiscent of medieval minstrel music while the second version of “KGLW,” the closing track on LW, is a slow burning thrash metal epic. Even the noisy outro of KG closing track “The Hungry Wolf of Fate” extends into the opening minute of LW opener “If Not Now, Then When?” before abruptly switching into a slinky funk jam.
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On LW, King Gizzard continue their dive into “microtonal tunings,” a unique musical style that comes from using instrumentation designed to give distinct tones between those found on western, indexed instruments. Frontman Stu Mackenzie described the effort by saying “we wanted to make new music that was somehow more colorful this time around, and which maybe reflected the many new things that we have learned along the way.” The band relies heavily on the bağlama, a Turkish stringed instrument, to create layers of psychedelic and mystical microtonal passages that transports the listener right to the deserts of the Far East. Mixed with Stu’s unique metal-tinged vocals and garage rock guitar structure, the band delivers a truly innovative experience on LW.
King Gizzard at Central Park Summerstage, 8/28/2019 – Photo by Buscar Photo
However, King Gizzard do not just stick to one sound here. In fact, the band fine tune many of the different stylistic directions from their back catalog in the theme of Eastern microtonal tuning. On both KG and LW there are tracks with a disco/funk rhythm, heavy thrash metal tracks that could fit right on Infest the Rats’ Nest, and prog-folk odysseys. The Melbourne based band have dedicated entire albums to these influences over their career, but on KG and LW they all come together in a whole new way. The result is as if you threw 70s era prog and folk rock, Revolver era Beatles, and early Black Sabbath into the Gizzard song machine.
King Gizzard at Central Park Summerstage, 8/28/2019 – Photo by Buscar Photo
Standout tracks include the lead single “Pleura,” a driving garage rock song with a stringy folk passage in the back half, “Static Electricity” which features layers of swirling woodwinds and acoustic guitar arpeggios, and closing track “KGLW” which is a sprawling 8-minute thrash metal banger with a creepy “K-G-L-W” vocal mantra buried into the mix. You can find both albums to download right on King Gizzard’s own site (HERE) where $1 from every download of LW is being donated to Greenfleet, a charity aimed at replanting biodiverse forests in Australia and New Zealand.
If one thing is certain, given the extra time from not being able to tour, this is only the beginning of another rabid burst of musical output from King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard.
Check out more photos from King Gizzard’s headline show at Central Park Summerstage back in August 2019 below.
Thursday, February 22, 2001 was a frigid night in Syracuse, yet Armory Square was alive and well. With no Phish for the foreseeable future, and no New Year’s Eve performance that past December, the energy this evening was unmistakably palpable as Trey Anastasio Band made their debut performance at Syracuse’s Landmark Theatre.
Only their second show of 2001’s Winter Tour, Trey Anastasio Band (TAB) offered fans a glimpse of what was to come from this new yet familiar cast of supporting musicians joining Trey, and how the void left by Phish’s hiatus would be filled by the band leader.
Trey had originally played with drummer Russ Lawton and bassist Tony Markellis in 8 Foot Fluorescent Tubes in 1998, making the trio the core of a band that continues to perform today, even through the pandemic. Trey added in a three-piece horn section alongside Russ and Tony, bringing in Andy Moroz (trombone), Giant Country Horns member Dave “The Truth” Grippo (saxophone) and Jennifer Hartswick (trumpet/tuba). The sextet was an early version of the TAB lineup Trey has modified over the years, and did not yet include soon-to-join members Ray Paczkowski, Natalie Cressman and Cyro Baptista.
The night began with the Chuck Berry number “In the Wee Wee Hours,” a perfect way to start an evening where the setlist was anyone’s guess. The first original of the night, “Push On ‘Til the Day” would follow, and when the horns stepped out into the light, the crowd roared with approval. “Push On” segued neatly into “Tube Top Flop” (later Tube Top Wobble), and then the emotion-heavy “Sunday Morning” (later “Ether Sunday”).
“Mozambique” was raucous, a funky tune with a big band-meets-Salsa sound; the prize in the early versions of these new compositions was how they allowed for room to improvise both individually and collectively. Althought not played this night, “Last Tube” would serve the same purpose in 2001 for TAB’s cohesiveness.
The first Phish cover of the night, “Gotta Jibboo” included Trey’s signature ‘whale call‘ making an appearance early in the song and continuing on a loop as the band found a groove to tuck into for nearly 12 minutes. In the final two minutes of “Jibboo,” listen closely and you can hear the band hinting at the song to follow, “Burlap Sack and Pumps,” soon to be a funky fan favorite.
To close the set, Trey dispatched the band and brought out his acoustic guitar for “Guyute.” With the audience whistling along, the attention focused on the Bad Lieutenant sitting center stage.
After a 43-minute set break, Set 2 began with a snare beat that perked ears up, signaling the start of Bob Dylan’s “Rainy Day Woman #12 & #35,” which the audience ate up and sang along to. An 18-minute “Sand” followed, with horns chiming in and Trey on keys, both soon to be staples of TAB shows.
The Band’s “It Makes No Difference” felt especially touching, as did Bob Marley’s “Mellow Mood,” a cover debuted by Phish just a few months prior in Albany, and which Trey admitted the band had only practiced once prior to the show. Dedicated to sound engineer Paul Languedoc, “Happy Coffee Song,” off Trey’s initial solo album One Man’s Trash, stayed true to the original recording and worked nicely for the larger band format.
Listen below, and if “Nothing But an E Thing” sounds familiar, that’s because it eventually came to be known as “Pebbles and Marbles,” debuted here as a fully instrumental piece, with horns taking turns on what amounts to the current “Pebbles and Marbles” intro section.
Rounding out Set 2 was another One Man’s Trash track, “At the Gazebo,” later outfitted for performance with orchestras and string quartets, and “Drifting,” which included band intros, notably for Tony “the Meaning of Life” Markellis. An encore of Billy Preston’s “Will It Go Round in Circles” would close the night, one that saw the start of Trey’s next musical venture, one that continues to evolve and grow, 20 years later.
Trey Anastasio Band, Landmark Theatre, Syracuse, NY – February 22, 2001
Set 1: In the Wee Wee Hours [1], Push On ‘Til the Day > Tube Top Flop, Ether Sunday, Mozambique, Gotta Jibboo, Burlap Sack and Pumps, Guyute [2]
Set 2: Rainy Day Women #12 & 35[1], Sand, It Makes No Difference, Mellow Mood[1], Happy Coffee Song [3], Nothing But an ‘E’ Thing[3], At the Gazebo [4], Drifting
Encore: Will It Go Round in Circles
[1] TAB debut. [2] Trey solo acoustic. [3] Debut. [4] Trey acoustic. This show at the Landmark Theatre features the debuts of Happy Coffee Song and Nothing But an ‘E’ Thing, and the Trey Anastasio Band debuts of In the Wee Wee Hours, Rainy Day Women #12 and 35, and Mellow Mood. Gotta Jibboo contained Burlap Sack and Pumps teases. Trey performed Guyute solo acoustic. The Happy Coffee Song was dedicated to sound engineer Paul Languedoc. At the Gazebo also featured Trey acoustic.
After the show, fans headed out into the cold night around Downtown Syracuse, with plenty of bars and restaurants to choose from. Over at Armory High (also known as Styleen’s Rhythm Palace) Strangefolk was playing a post-show to a packed crowd. Trey stopped by around 12:15-12:30am, and joined the band for a jam in the song “Neighbor” before taking off. Give a listen hereand read below for Strangefolk guitarist Jon Trafton as he recalls the night.
That was such a fun night. The story behind Trey’s sit in is that a good friend of ours was Trey’s daughters’ nanny for several years around that time, and she put the bug in his ear leading up to that night. TAB was playing in Syracuse and the timing worked out perfectly because he was in a theater, so his show ended around 11 pm. We were in a bar with a 1 or 2 am curfew so it just lined up. We knew he might come by, but it was one of those things where we weren’t expecting it to happen. It was cool to look up mid-song and see him standing by the side door. I think we were already into our song “Neighbor,” which has a nice open jam section, so I waved him on. (Guitarist Luke) Patchen graciously switched to acoustic so Trey could play his Fender Strat, and off we went. My recall of it was that we stayed in kind of a mellow groove. I was sort of hoping we would launch into the stratosphere but we had a nice little floaty thing going for a little while. Then, just like he appeared, he was off again into the night.
Jon Trafton, Strangefolk
Strangefolk guitarist Luke Patchen Montgomery performing at Armory High, February 22, 2001. Photo/clipping via The Daily Orange
Although Trey was only on stage with Strangefolk for a few minutes, the memory and record of that night is one fans and band members alike have not forgotten. After the jam in “Neighbor,” Strangefolk worked into a “Norwegian Wood” jam, as Trafton puts it, “a way of saying, ‘Wow, that happened, and now he’s gone, this bird has flown.’” That tip of the hat from Strangefolk saw Trey take off into the night and head downstate for the next night’s show at Roseland Ballroom in New York City.
February of 2018 happened to be the warmest February on record in New York State, and part of the reason was probably due to the Tedeschi Trucks Band two sold out shows at The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester on the 20th and 21st. I was at the first show and, as usual, the band was on fire during their impressive set just shy of 20 songs, opening with a tight version of “Do I Look Worried” from the 2013 album Made Up Mind.
Much like Derek’s former band The Allman Brothers, TTB gets right down to business with very little talk directed to the audience, if any. Susan is an absolute powerhouse. She proved this once again during the epic “Until You Remember” from the 2011 album Revelator. The first set had a few covers such as Neil Young’s “Alabama” and Charles Segar’s “Key to the Highway.”
The set closed with an amazing “Idle Wind” jam from the group’s second album Made Up Mind. The second set started with “Statesboro Blues” which is actually a Blind Willie McTell song that was made famous by The Allman Brothers Band. The rest of the second set was very blues heavy and included some great covers like “Goin Down Slow” by St. Louis Jimmy Oden and “How Blue Can You Get” by Johnny Moore’s Three Blazers in which Susan played lead guitar and thanked their late friend B.B. King at the conclusion. The second set ended with a gospel song written by Bill Taylor called “I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free.”
The encore started with a fantastic cover of “You Don’t Know How It Feels” by Tom Petty who had passed away suddenly just 3 months earlier. The show ended with a extraordinary version of “Laugh About It.” During the chorus, Susan said, “Put your hands up for those kids,” referring to the tragedy at Parkland High School in Florida.
TTB was scheduled to tour in 2020, but due to Covid19, The Wheels of Soul Tour has been rescheduled to start in the summer of 2021. Starting on February 18th, the band is presenting a six-episode series of home performances called Fireside Sessions available on nugs.net. For more info visit the band’s website.
Tedeschi Trucks Band, The Capitol Theatre, February 20, 2018
Set 1: Do I Look Worried, Just as Strange, Until You Remember, Key To The Highway (Charles Segar cover), Don’t Miss Me (The Derek Trucks Band cover), Alabama (Neil Young cover), Talking About, Idle Wind
Set 2: Statesboro Blues (Blind Willie McTell cover), Part of Me, It’s So Heavy, Let Me Get By, Right On Time, Goin Down Slow (St. Louis Jimmy Oden cover), Made Up Mind, How Blue Can You Get (Johnny Moore’s Three Blazers cover), I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free (Bill Taylor cover)
Encore: You Don’t Know How It Feels (Tom Petty cover), Laugh About It
Phish revisits their February 22, 2019 show from Barceló Maya Beach, Riviera Maya, Mexico for the February installment of Dinner and a Movie stream series. Tune in on Tuesday, February 22, 2021, at webcast.livephish.com at 8:30pm ET.
The all-inclusive event was a must-attend for die-hard fans, especially those looking to combine a tropical getaway with six sets of the Vermont quartet. Mexico also serves special distinction as the location of the most recent Phish shows, held over February 20-23, 2020, just prior to the music industry shutdown.
On the dinner menu this evening are Classic Chile and Cheese Tamales and Black Bean Soup. Full recipes can be found here. Don’t forget to tag your dinner photos #phishdinnerandamovie.
Established in 1979, the NILC is the leading national legal advocacy org in the U.S. exclusively dedicated to defending and advancing the rights and opportunities of the most vulnerable immigrants and their loved ones. Believing that everyone living in the U.S. should have equal access to justice, resources, and economic opportunities that allow them to achieve their full human potential, NILC advances its mission through a racial, economic, and gender justice and equity lens, and works to challenge laws and policies that contribute to systemic inequities.
Tune in Tuesday, February 22 at 8:30PM ET at webcast.livephish.com for the latest Dinner and a Movie with fingers crossed for Phish returning to Mexico in 2022.
Setlist via Phish.net
Phish, February 22, 2019, Barceló Maya Beach, Riviera Maya, Mexico
Set 1: You Enjoy Myself, Turtle in the Clouds, 46 Days, No Men In No Man’s Land > Emotional Rescue, Tube > Shade, Saw It Again
Set 2: Set Your Soul Free > Mercury > Slave to the Traffic Light > Possum > Sanity > Walk Away
Encore: More
Emotional Rescue was played for the first time since August 31, 2012 (233 shows). Page teased I’m a Man (Spencer Davis Group) in Set Your Soul Free and She Said She Said in Mercury.
What is it about Upstate New York Winter’s that make great music artists bring their multi-colored California concepts here to heat things up? Forty-one years ago today, Jerry Garcia Band came to be an act for the Lake Ontario sound at Laker Hall on SUNY Oswego campus February 17, 1980.
A then 37-year old Garcia had his second touring band outside the Grateful Dead since collaborating with Howard Wales on hooteroll?. His four piece ensemble consisted of John Kahn on Bass, David Ozzie Ahlers on Keyboards, and Johnny De Fonseca on drums. The band set up atop the cold brick Route 104 venue on the hill, overlooking Lake Ontario, for three hours of music played to around 2,000 people.
They certainly let Jerry’s influences play out in the performance with covers of Allen Toussaint, Marvin Gaye, Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, Jimmy Cliff, J.J Cale, The Beatles, and his own material with the Grateful Dead. Like a typical New York Winter, Syracuse Deadhead Vinny Randazzo remembers the drive to the Oswego show as “covered in snow and sound.” The group immediately stretches out for fifteen minutes to start the show on Toussaint’s “I’ll Take A Melody” to let you know “I understand why the old fisherman, sails along, someday he’ll be gone.” Perhaps it was a quick nod to the windy docks of the Great Lake that sat next to all. There’s some devil out there that’s for sure, which launched them into “Friend of the Devil,” a friend Jerry normally plays with. Just three days after Valentine’s Day and three songs into the performance, love for the faithful is shown on “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You).” The band then casts a line out to the crowd at shore, for a muddy version of “Catfish John.”
Jerry Garcia, Laker Hall, SUNY Oswego
The Grateful Dead anthem “Deal” comes up next, with Jerry reminding you of tours past: “ If I told you all that went down, it would burn off both of your ears!” There is a 4th Street in Oswego, and Jerry covers the waterside corner during his take on Dylan’s “Positively 4th St” singing, ” You see me on the street, you always act surprised, you say “How are you?,” “Good Luck” But you don’t mean it.”
They close the set with a rockabilly tribute to Elvis for “That’s Alright Mama.” Yea, that first set was more than alright for all in attendance… “any way you do.”
Lake Ontario Winter Melody: “The Sky was Grey with a Spec of Blue, Peek through a Hole in the Clouds, The Sun was Screaming “Hey You!”
After the set break, Elvis had not left the building. The quartet kicked off with the King’s version of “Money Honey,” that got everyone in GA hound-dogging back on the floor. During the set break the crowd certainly felt like they had been “Sitting Here in Limbo,” which is what the band dropped next. David Ozzie Ahlers brings you to Jimmy Cliff’s islands with a two part keyboard solo. Jerry reflects on an American working day for the the next track “Later in the evening when the sun is sinking low, all day I’ve Been waiting for the Whistle to Blow” on “Let It Rock.” Garcia lights up his delta licks on this Chuck Berry classic.
Up next is one of the greatest live improvisational segue ways in rock and roll history. On the famous tape you might recognize the “After Midnight —> Eleanor Rigby Jam—>After Midnight” jam that was only played in the beginning of that decade. This is one of Senor Garcia’s sweetest unplanned moments to be captured.
1980 Eleanor Rigby Jam in to After Midnight at Oswego
Jerry takes another stab at Dylan’s seasonal lyrics “Now the wintertime is coming, the windows are filled with frost, I went to tell everybody but I could not get across, well, I wanna be your lover baby, I don’t want to be your Boss” for “It Takes A Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry” Jerry’s Tiger guitar Quartet immediately melt the ice with the last song for “The Harder They Come.” “The Harder they Fall, One and All” to bring back the island vibe beats to close out the evening.
Jerry Garcia Band 1980 winter tour rolled through New York State from Oswego to The Palace Theater in Albany, The Landmark Theater in Syracuse, The Calderone Theater in Hempstead and SUNY Stonybrook. They came back to Laker Hall under new personnel one last time on December 11, 1983 with Melvin Seals. Jerry Garcia kept a solo band outside of The Grateful Dead for the next 15 years with Melvin Seals How Sweet It Is: Melvin Seals at The Westcott Theater who carries the JGB touring torch to this day.
In a 1981 interview someone asked Jerry Garcia “What are the virtues playing with your own band compared to the Grateful Dead?” Garcia responded “Its a real resonate consonance experience, its like harmonious, every bodies musical taste is similar to my own, ya know?, and our concept of what music should be, were an accord, so my band is playing the kind of music that I think of the way music is constructed , in terms of the roles and the instruments, The Grateful Dead is interesting because everyone has a different concept of what music is about, which creates a lot of friction and tension to it”
Jerry Garcia Band, February 17 1980, Laker Hall, Oswego, NY
Set 1: I’ll Take A Melody, Friend Of The Devil, How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You) Catfish John, Deal, Positively 4th Street That’s All Right, Mama
Set 2: Money Honey, Sitting Here In Limbo, Let It Rock, After Midnight > Eleanor Rigby Jam > After Midnight, It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry, The Harder They Come
The music is starting to return… LonCon, a two-day music event to be held in the Southern Tier of New York’s scenic Catskills will feature national touring acts at the legendary Arrowhead Ranch over August 27-28, 2021.
In 1991, music producer Bill Graham brought a vision to Arrowhead Ranch, making the summer of 199 legendary, with acts including Phish, The Band, Richie Havens, Billy Preston, Hot Tuna, Blues Traveler, Widespread Panic, and many more. 30 years later, LonCon will hold its inaugural weekend at the historic venue over Friday August 27 and Saturday August 28, 2021.
“The event is going to be so humbling to all three of us in Baked Shrimp. Being younger and going to outdoor music concerts in the mountains has been something we’ve all been doing for much of our lives, and we’ve always dreamed that one day Baked Shrimp would do something similar and keep it going for years to come. Now that we can finally announce that we’re helping put together what will be a beautiful two-day event at such a historic venue, it’s really a dream come true. The lineup is also filled with artists who we have looked up to over the years, so we are unbelievably excited to share the stage with them.”
Jared Cowen, Baked Shrimp
Cowen also shared his thoughts on putting the event together in honor of Lon Conscious.
“The Live for Lon stream was so humbling in it’s own way. Where we’re at in the world is something no one could really prepare for. When Lon left us, we had to think of a way despite these hectic times to honor his incredible legacy and spirit. The stream was the best way we could have thought to do this. The night had a true sense of community, like we were all together, Baked Shrimp, our fans, family, friends, and so many of Lon’s hundreds of friends who he meant so much to. The performers were incredible, and we were able to raise over $2,700 for a really great cause, the White Light Foundation. The stream was our way to honor Lon, to reminisce, to laugh, to cry, and everything in-between. LonCon is our way to continue the Lon Gellman legacy. LonCon is how we will make sure Lon is always remembered, and we’re brainstorming things to include over the course of the two days and hopefully make traditions.”
Jared Cowen, Baked Shrimp
Health and safety are the number one priority for attendees at LonCon. Promoters are dedicated to ensuring all proper COVID-19 restrictions in New York State that are in place at the time of the event are followed.
PEAK announces parts 3 and 4 of their ‘Live From The Studio’ series. The series features full sets from the band and will be free and open to the public.
PEAK is a Brooklyn based band that formed in 2016 with frontman and guitarist, Jeremy Hilliard, who originally went under the name before members Kito Bovenschulte (Particle) on drums, Josh T. Carter (Hayley Jane and The Primates) on bass, and newcomer-extraordinaire Johnny Young on keys joined in 2019. PEAK released their critically acclaimed debut album Electric Bouquet,produced by Dave Brandwein (Turkuaz) in 2018. The band has spent a decent amount of 2020 writing, rehearsing and recording an album in their Brooklyn studio, with hints of their sophomore album being in the works.
The first of PEAK’s ‘Live From The Studio Series’ started back on November 14, 2020. The second session took place on December 5, 2020. Both sessions were available on their YouTube Channel and on Jamcast. Each of the performances was a little over an hour in length and featured lots of original music from fan favorites to some straight jams.
The third session will take place on February 27, at 8 pm. The fourth session will take place on March 20, at 8 pm. The sets will be streamed live and for free on PEAK’s YouTube Channel and their Facebook.
They will be accepting donations though to their virtual tip jar through Venmo @jeremy-hilliard1. People can also support the band and their efforts by visiting their Bandcamp page and checking out their audio releases. Head to their online store and pick out some PEAK merch, including new pins and T-shirts designed by the formidable Dave Vertino.
The shows are being supported by MKDevo, Michelle Young, and Matt Calabrese who are going to be bringing the audience a pro-shot video, multitrack audio, and light shows.
For more information on PEAK and their upcoming parts 3 and 4 of their ‘Live From The Studio’ series visit their website.
Meditation and mental well-being go hand in hand and there’s never been a period in time quite like the current that demands a positive mindset. Enter Sounds from the Bardo Volume II, presented by Psychedelic Sangha. This undertaking, an album-based series of immersive journeys into liminal states of consciousness, is the brainchild of Ethan Covey and Doc Kelley and a follow-up to Volume I which was released on Bandcamp this past December.
Spanning almost 90 minutes, this project was created to provide the means to meditate while immersing yourself into beautiful music as a means of finding inner-peace. It features Tony Leone on percussion, Scott Metzger on guitar and Jeff Hill on Bass and was recorded live in November at the Judson Memorial Church in NYC. The release consists of 4 tracks, which include a meditation and instrumental track, each containing the same jam performance with and without guided meditation, and 2 additional soundcheck jams from the same session. Additionally, this multi-media collection also includes a video of the full length original light show produced by Bubba Ayoub.
The meditation begins with Jessica Angima’s soothing voice helping to bring calm to your surroundings while Scott Metzger’s guitar begins to playfully dance around her words. As her words began to fade away, the trio begins their gentle improvisation into the soundscape. The journey they start is akin to a sunrise and sunset, slowly building and shining more light as the meditation progresses and flowing into ambient sounds as the hour reaches it end.
The delicate jamming begins to give way to delightful melodies halfway through journey and this continues to a beautiful crescendo before bringing the participant back to an ambient outro. The paths that this trio takes between each of Jessica’s guided meditations are a phenomenal example of what these three talented musicians are able to create together. This release is the first published recording of these three musical geniuses performing together and hopefully it’s not the last that we see of them collaborating together on something special.
Also included on this release are additional 2 soundcheck jams from Leone, Metzger and Hill. These bonus tracks continue the psychedelic energy that the trio brought to the meditation and show the trio stretching themselves and their abilities out, as you’d expect from any soundcheck. Both of these tracks flow between genres, tempos and energies while showcasing the themes and strengths that each of the artists would bring to their magnum opus. At the end of the second jam, you’ll find yourself agreeing with the band when you hear them exclaim, “We’re vibin’ so hard!”
Psychedelic Sangha’s Sounds from the Bardo Volume II will be released via Bandcamp on February 5th and can be purchased for a minimum of $12 USD. This release is a must-own for anyone who engages in or is considering dipping their toes into meditation, and certainly for everyone who is a fan of ambient jamming or improvisational soundchecks.
Mikaela Davis has put the Flower City in Upstate New York on the map as a region where the harp and its sound has spread from Rochester to across the world. The last time we spoke to Mikaela was back in 2012 and was anticipating on what the future would bring for her. She took some time with us in the beginning of 2021 to talk about her past, present, and future music experiences in New York State.
The harp has been known since antiquity in Asia, Africa and Europe, dating back at least as early as 3000 BCE. The oldest description of a harp can be seen in the wall paintings of ancient Egyptian tombs in the Nile Valley. In the Americas, harps are widely but sparsely distributed, except in certain regions where harp traditions are very strong.
Matthew Romano: Who was involved in your musical education for the harp in New York State?
Mikaela Davis: Cynthia Andrews, who just retired this past year, she started me on the harp at Penfield School District in Rochester. I think Penfield is the only public school in Rochester that offers harp, then private lessons with Grace Wong who was the principal harpist in The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. I joined the Rochester Philharmonic Youth orchestra, that toured Canada and Europe. Then I went on to college at SUNY Potsdam to learn under Jessica Suchy-Pilalis at Crane School of Music.
MR: Are there any live music experiences in New York State during that time that stood out, that influenced you?
MD: Well, I remember in High School I used to ask for a Jazz pass for Christmas every year. Me and my high school buddies would go to every show at Rochester Jazz Festival we could, from 2007 to 2011. I’ve gone to so many concerts at this point they all blur together. At Mountain Jam 2016 where I sat in with Marco Benevento, Wilco played, after seeing them for the first time it confirmed that this is my favorite live band, it was the best live show I have ever seen.”
MR: Tell me about your history of the collaborations with Marco Benevento over the years?
MD: A friend of mine, who has a recording studio in the Catskills, where Marco lives, had passed my info along. Then he had me go open for him solo on the West Coast for some dates. That was where we met. My first time playing at Levon Helm Studios was with Marco. We’re really good friends, my band and his band and his family. We always play a couple shows together every year, I love hearing from Marco to play a show and it’s great, always a fun time. We joke about going to his studio to record a country record. It was his choice to cover David Bowie’s “Heroes” and to hang out at Mountain Jam to have me sing on it.
MR: How did your first collaborations with Bob Weir and Wolf Brothers come to fruition in Syracuse at The Landmark Theater and in Buffalo at Shea’s Performing Arts Center?
MD: Someone sent a live video of my band covering “Down by the River” by Neil Young in London to them and said, hey this harpist is cool she should guest with Bob. The Wolf Bros usually have friends sit in with them from around the world and they didn’t have anyone scheduled for Syracuse. That’s how it happened, being at the right place in the right time I suppose.
Mikaela Davis and Southern Star covering “Down By the River” in London
MR: How did you land on the song selections for the set?
MD: Bobby wanted me to play on “Birdsong,” I suggested “China Cat” into “I Know Your Rider,” and “Wharf Rat,” maybe. Yea, then last minute I suggested “Down by the River,” three days prior they said Bobby hasn’t done that before, let’s do it. So that was really magical, really fun. That was probably my favorite sit in, even though I was so nervous to play with these legends, Don Was, he’s incredible and Jay Lane
Jay Lane, Bob Weir, Mikaela Davis, Don Was
MR: Was the second encore at Landmark where you all did “Ripple” planned?
MD: No, he threw that one at me, “lets go do ‘Ripple,’ come on”, he does that every time I sit in with him. “Hey I want you to play on this too,” so I have to be ready. Cian McCarthy, my band mate, who’s a massive Dead fan, helped me learn all these songs inside out and assisted me in the back with the chord changes
MR: Hearing your harp on the song “Peggy O,” a cover of an old Scottish ballad from 1644 that the Dead made popular inside the Shea Theater in Buffalo,. really made that venue come alive with art and history
MD: That’s great, that was magical too, I forgot about singing “Peggy O” with them.
Mikaela Davis with Bob Weir & Wolf Bros at Shea Theater in Buffalo, NY
MR: Did these collaborations help influence you and Southern Star to cover the Live/Dead 69′ Album in October of 2019?
MD: Oh yea definitely, that’s why we chose to do it , learning Live Dead was really fun and difficult, we rehearsed like twice a week for a month because we really wanted to play through like the record with no stops. It gives me so much respect for that band, they were really innovative and incredible in what they were doing. I think “Feedback” was possibly my favorite.
MR: You and Southern Star stayed at Stone House Cottage on Oneida Lake in Summer of 2020 for a recording of “Cumberland Blues” How was that experience?
MD: There was five of us in this tiny house, we rented it and hung out on the lake, played music and did psychedelics. We just played that live with two microphones and recorded it for an Australian Radio Show for the 50th anniversary of Workingman’s Dead.
“I don’t know now, I just don’t know if coming back again” Oneida Lake 2020
MR: In Summer of 2019 you were in attendance for The Particle Kid, Lennon-Claypool Delirium, Flaming Lips Concert at Saranac Brewery in Utica, NY between Southern Star shows that also had Krist Novoselic from Nirvana in the crowd, any cool takeaways from that night on the town?
MD: That was honestly one of the most magical shows I’ve been to in a while, My friend Jake Engalls is in the Flaming Lips so we got to hang out, I’ve often collaborated with him for his solo band “Spaceface” A quick Hey thank you for being you was said to Krist Novoselic. Sean Lennon and I exchanged information and I was going to play with him for a residency he was planning at The Stone in New York City that unfortunately got postponed due to the pandemic
MR: You started 2021 with a show at Caffe Lena in Saratoga Springs where Bob Dylan played in 1960, isn’t your harp named Luna?
MD: Yea , I named her Luna when I was a teenager, I guess I named her that because she comes alive at night
MR: You debuted new material that night that came from a Seven day songwriting session with the band Rubblebucket, I think “The Pearl” was a standout as a musical analogy on what’s going on with the world inspired from a story by your Aunt Julia who referenced the dirty muck that we are all kind of stuck inside America right now
MD: Oh thank you, Yea that’s what I thought when my Aunt was talking to me about it , and she’s been wearing her pearl earrings a lot so, I truly believe ya know something great can come out of terribleness, I suppose if an oyster can make a pearl, so can we.
Caffe Luna January 9 2021
MR: At the end of the Caffe Lena Show you said “ I feel alive again, well see ya again soon, cheers” What’s on the horizon for 2021?
MD: I am hoping to make a record with my band, actually not hoping we’re going to do it. we’re going to make a record this year, we have enough songs and basically just trying to figure it out to do it remotely or safely gather and find a spot to record
MR: Marco Benevento or Sean Lennon’s studios in the Hudson Valley could be a great spot or maybe even with the virtual options you can gather a group of friends remotely for a cover of Talking Heads “This Must Be the Place”
MD: Yea great tune, well have to keep that in mind, yea well anything is possible that’s for sure, it’s a new age
It was January 29, 1990 in Central New York and, yes, it was snowing. Fans who attended the Phish show that night at The (original) Haunt in Ithaca did so battling a blizzard and poor roads, which caused the band to arrive late, quickly set up and, after a live soundcheck, got the show on the road.
Phish has played sporadically in the Fingerlakes Region of New York throughout their career, most notably and recently, Superball IX, Magnaball and shows in Canandaigua at CMAC. Their early years in the college town of Ithaca proved to be formative, bringing the band to town multiple times between 1988-1992 before graduating to larger venues like Finger Lakes Performing Arts Center (now CMAC).
The Haunt in Ithaca c.1990 (photo is not from the 1/29/90 Phish show)
From Phish’s bar years, this is an early era show that captures the band when they played to their early fans, many seeing the Burlington group for the first time. After a three-night run in May 1988, Phish would return to The Haunt in Ithaca for a show on January 29, 1990, with a loud and rowdy 18-and-over audience.
The partial tape of the show starts in the middle of “The Lizards” and continues through a “Harpua” and “Fire” encore, a setlist that is culled together thanks to David Schanker’s and Todd Ahrens’ audience recording. Thus, there is no known first set for this show.
You can hear the audience from this show quite distinctly, elated when each song ends, and fans screaming out requests despite the band being barely six years old. You may even catch drunks screaming into the mic, which was set up on the bar. One patron this night can be heard saying “Nothing like this has ever been done at The Haunt, unbelieveable man!” Quite the frozen-in-time seal of approval.
Recording aside, this is a smoking show musically, particularly for the “Weekapaug Groove” and a “Harpua” that has a tough to discern narration but full of “Purple Haze” teases. That said, you’ll get a fair idea of what it was like to see Phish at the original Haunt in Ithaca.
Dan Smalls, Ithaca-area promoter and head of DSP Shows was at the January 29, 1990 show and shared his recollections with NYS Music:
It was about as classic a Phish set as you get from the very early days. I always loved how they chose popular and also odd songs to cover, teases in jams and the like. That was a part of who they are today and was a huge bit of fun at the festivals we produced where they would learn a song backstage between sets.
My recollection is also vague but the room was solidly crowded in this era (unlike 1988 when we had a handful for those first few shows) and the band was on the cusp of the next step at this point. I remember that the band was playing The Haunt at least once a semester and often 3-4 times a year in these days. It’s where I got to know them and these shows were always fun because Fish’s parents would come down from where they lived outside Syracuse.
Phish would go on to play The Haunt another four times in 1990, then move up to the State Theatre of Ithaca for two shows in 1991. They returned the next year to perform at Cornell University campus in November 1992, the last shows for the band in the city.
