This week the Disco Biscuits announced that their annual festival, Camp Bisco, which has been held almost-annually since 1999, will take a year off. In its place, City Bisco will return to its original home, The Pavilion at The Mann Center for Performing Arts in Philadelphia for 2 nights over July 9 & 10.
Camp Bisco deserves the absolute best, and we didn’t want to compromise on that.
So, we are canceling the festival this year and refunding all ticket buyers in full. These refunds will begin to process immediately, and will be completed over the next 7-10 days.
— The Disco Biscuits 🌲👽🌲 (@disco_biscuits) June 1, 2021
City Bisco features both The Disco Biscuits and Lotus for two nights, with interlocking DJ sets from Orchard Lounge on Friday and Luke the Knife Saturday.
We’ve been lucky enough to have had a few opportunities over the last year to play shows to our hometown here in Philly – at Citizens Bank Park, the Fillmore and elsewhere – but none of them have had an in person audience. This is the first time we’ve been able to perform at home for a large audience in over a year.
It’s exciting, and there’s something very classic about Lotus and Orchard Lounge being there with us. Our fans are constantly asking us to team up with them – it’s an old school lineup. It’s going to be a special weekend.
The Disco Biscuits’ Jon Barber.
The return to The Mann will mark the fourth official City Bisco, after residing in both Philadelphia and New York City throughout the years since its inception in 2012. Tickets go on sale Friday, June 4 at 12 noon ET at Ticketmaster.com.
While Camp Bisco takes a year off, the festival has a great history, spanning over 4 decades. Read our history of Camp Bisco IV, held in Van Etten, NY in August 2005.
If you’re looking for your Biscuits fix this weekend, tune into Couchtour.tv and Fans.Live for a weekend simulcast of the the Disco Biscuits two-night run from the Westville Music Bowl in New Haven, CT.
Couchtour.tv has been the virtual host for The Disco Biscuits’ fall and spring tours, presenting each broadcast in hi-definition audio and video in real-time and then making them available via video on-demand.
Fans can purchase the livestreams through both platforms, which air Fri. June 4th and Sat. June 5th at 6:30pm ET/ 3:30pm PT.
This summer, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead (JRAD) performs monthly at Westville Music Bowl in New Haven, CT. With shows from Memorial Day weekend through September 4, there are ample opportunities to see the fantastic reimaging of the extended Grateful Dead catalog, along with a heavy dose of improvisation.
Revisit the shows below with photos by Vince Brazen, video from the band, and the detailed setlists for each night.
JRAD at Westville Music Bowl – September 4, 2021 Setlist
Set 1: Don’t Ease Me In*> Cats Down Under the Stars w/ Norwegian Wood and Throwing Stones teases> Tell Me, Momma w/ Jessica tease> Mama Tried, Candyman, Jam w/ The Other One tease> Truckin’ w/ The Other One teases and New Speedway teases
Set 2: Feel Like A Stranger> Help on the Way> Throwing Stones w/ Shakedown teases> Shakedown Street W/ throwing Stones teases> Throwing Stones reprise w/ Land Down Under and Shakedown teases, Comfortably Numb> Morning Dew**
Joe thanks the crowd, tells them we all need live music! Dave Niedbalski from Westville Music Bowl/Lovely Day Presents thanks everyone, said it was the best 9 nights of the summer! Then they unveiled a banner from the upper deck commemorating the 9 show residency.
Encore: One More Saturday Night***>Sugar Magnolia
*First since 3/3/19, 5th time played by JRAD **First time played since 9/13/19 ***First time played since 9/14/19
JRAD continued their no repeat streak in their Westville Bowl residency from July 30-August 1. Amid perfect weather all weekend, a nice change of pace from their two previous runs this summer. The partial capacity crowd (~3,000) at Westville had more seating on the floor this weekend, making it feel a little more crowded, but still short of 50% capacity at the tennis stadium.
Saturday’s show had a jam of Pink Floyd’s “Pigs” during “Birdsong,” bassist Dave Dreiwitz singing “Broken Arrow”, and a monster “Terrapin Station” suite to end the second set. The venue erupted during “Sugar Magnolia,” marking 16 sets of no repeat Grateful Dead covers.
JRAD at Westville Music Bowl – July 31, 2021 Setlist
Set 1: Stagger Lee > Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again* > West L.A. Fadeaway^ > Unbroken Chain jam > West L.A. Fadeaway > I Need A Miracle@ > Birdsong > Pink Floyd Pigs (Three Different Ones) jam > Birdsong Set 2: Broken Arrow > Throwing Stones$ > Ship of Fools > Dark Star > Terrapin Station (full suite) Encore: Sugar Magnolia
*w/ Big Boss Man and Eleanor Rigby teases ^ w/ Uncle John’s Band, Let It Grow and “Your Party” (Ween) teases @ w/ vocal jam and Dark Star teases $ w/ 2001 teases and Phishy Duo jam
On Friday, “Jack Straw” > “Wharf Rat” > “King Solomon’s Marbles” closed a strong first set, and they returned with no let up for set two, with a stellar stretch of “Althea” > “Lost Sailor” > “Saint of Circumstance,” and an acoustic “China Doll” as well, featuring Eric Johnson of Fruit Bats taking lead.
JRAD at Westville Music Bowl – July 30, 2021 Setlist
Set One: Jam -> Friend Of The Devil -> Jack A Roe, Jam -> Black Throated Wind @ -> Jack Straw > Wharf Rat # -> King Solomon’s Marbles Set Two: MB Solo -> Yazoo St Scandal $ -> Jam % -> Golden Road To Unlimited Devotion, Althea > Lost Sailor ^ > Saint Of Circumstance &, China Doll *+, Box Of Rain * Encore: Never Been To Spain *, When You Love Somebody * @@
@ – With a Jack Straw Jam – With Dark Star Teases (TH) $ – With Tennessee Jed Teases (Band) % – With “Maze” (Phish) Teases (Band) ^ – With Let It Grow & Playing In the Band Teases (JR) & – With Terrapin Station Teases (MB & TH) and a “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)” (Four Tops/Holland-Dozier-Holland) Tease (DD) With Eric D. Johnson (Fruit Bats) on Acoustic Guitar and Vocals Not Played by Almost Dead since 2017-10-13, Brooklyn Bowl Brooklyn, NY, a gap of 101 shows @@ – Fruit Bats Cover, Not Played by Almost Dead since 2019-08-16, Greek Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, a gap of 25 shows
Six shows into their run at Westville Music Bowl and JRAD has still not repeated a song. More than 70 songs have been performed since their Memorial Day weekend run, meaning that perhaps, when JRAD returns to Westville July 30-31, they may still continue this streak. To start the night, a 5-piece brass band walked through the crowd towards the stage. Many of them sat in throughout the course of the show, which had four The Band covers, with violinist Katie Jacoby sat in on “Rag Mama Rag.”
JRAD at Westville Music Bowl – June 20, 2021 Setlist
Set 1: Iko Iko, China Cat Sunflower, Ophelia, Operator, Why Don’t We Do It in the Road?, Hard to Handle, Casey Jones
Set 2: Alabama Getaway, Feel Like a Stranger, Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo, Good Lovin’, Let it Rock, Road Runner, Rag Mama Rag, Cats Under the Stars, C.C. Rider
Encore: The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down
Highlights from June 19 include JRAD playing the Bob Weir solo tune “Gonesville” as well as working in a few Allman Brothers tunes. “Whipping Post” was teased during “Cumberland Blues” and in Set 2, “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed” got the full band treatment.
JRAD at Westville Music Bowl – June 19, 2021 Setlist
Set 1: Jam ->They Love Each Other ->Gonesville ->Cumberland Blues @, Row Jimmy, Mr. Charlie # ->Viola Lee Blues ->Brown-Eyed Women Set 2: Jam ->Here Comes Sunshine >Uncle Johns Band, Alligator >Man Smart, Woman Smarter $, In Memory of Elizabeth Reed %, Peggy-O Encore: Brother Esau @ – With “Whipping Post” (The Allman Brothers Band) Teases (Band) # – Unfinished $ – With a “Reveille” (Traditional) Tease (SM) % – With Dark Star Teases (TH) & a JR Solo
On June 18, JRAD returned to Westville Music Bowl for their second run of the summer. With five bustouts and covers including “All Along The Watchtower” and “Atlantic City,” a sold out crowd was treated to a rare cover of Warren Zevon’s “Werewolves of London” to close the night.
JRAD at Westville Music Bowl – June 18, 2021 Setlist
Set 1: Jam @ ->New Speedway Boogie # ->Let It Grow, Black Muddy River >All Along The Watchtower$ > Greatest Story Ever Told % -> Dear Prudence Jam -> Greatest Story Ever Told Reprise ^ Set 2: Atlantic City & ->Tell Me Mama * ->Big River, Tennessee Jed +, Cryptical Envelopment @@ ->Crazy Fingers -> The Other One > Stella Blue Encore: Werewolves Of London ##
@ – With “Spoonful” (Willie Dixon ) Teases & Truckin’ Teases (TH) # – With a Playing In The Band Jam & Let It Grow Teases (Band) $ – Scott Vox, Not Played by Almost Dead since 2014-12-29, Capitol Theatre, Port Chester, NY, a gap of 212 shows % – With a “Dracula” (MMW) Tease (MB) ^ – Not Played by Almost Dead since 2018-03-17 State Theatre, Portland, ME, a gap of 74 shows & – With “China>Rider Transition” Teases (Band) * – With a “Chuckles” (Wolf) Tease (SM) + – With a Hell In A Bucket Tease (Band) and a bit of a “Becky” (Benevento Russo Duo) reference (MB & JR) @@ – Part One, With a Dark Star Jam, Not Played by Almost Dead since 2019-03-16 Masonic Auditorium, Cleveland, OH, a gap of 34 shows ## – Not Played by Almost Dead since 2019-03-01 Palace Theater, Albany, NY, a gap of 40 shows
Over three rainy nights at Westville Music Bowl in New Haven, CT, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead (JRAD) brought music back to life and satiated sold-out crowds with their improvisational takes on the music of the Grateful Dead.
JRAD at Westville Music Bowl – May 28, 2021 Setlist
Set 1: Not Fade Away@ -> Ruben & Cherise -> New Minglewood Blues, Sugaree#, The Wheel$ ->Touch Of Grey% Set 2: When I Paint My Masterpiece^, Foolish Heart& -> Help On The Way -> Slipknot!* -> Hey Bulldog Jam+ -> Slipknot! Reprise, Hell In A Bucket, Dancing in the Street@@, Ripple## Encore: Fuckin’ Up $$ @ – With a “Serpentine Fire” (Earth Wind & Fire) tease (SM) # – Not played by Almost Dead since 2018-01-13 $ – With a “Cold Rain & Snow” Jam (Band) % – With “Ruben & Cherise” Teases in the intro (TH) ^ – Bob Dylan Cover, second time played. Not played by Almost Dead since 2016-11-12 & – With Slipknot! Teases (TH) * – With a “Tom’s Diner” (Suzanne Vega) Tease (SM & JR) + – With some lyrics. Not played by Almost Dead since 2016-11-12 @@ – Proceeded by a Dark Star Tease, with a Loose Lucy Tease (SM), a DD Solo, an MB Solo, hints of “The Wizard” (Black Sabbath), and a JR Solo ## – Not played by Almost Dead since 2019-01-18 $$ – Neil Young Cover, with Chris Harford on Vocals and Guitar
JRAD at Westville Music Bowl – May 29, 2021 Setlist
Set 1: Silvio ->Bertha, Me & My Uncle ->Shakedown Street@, Black Peter# >Music Never Stopped Set 2: Such A Night, Cream Puff War >Truckin$ -> New Speedway Jam% -> Truckin Reprise^ ->St. Stephen& >Tough Mama > I Know You Rider Encore: On The Road Again * @ – With Let It Grow Teases (Band) # – Not played by Almost Dead since 2018-07-19 $ – With a Cryptical Tease (TH) % – Not played by Almost Dead since 2017-08-31 ^ – Not played by Almost Dead since 2018-07-19 & – With Not Fade Away and Good Times Bad Times Teases (JR) and a Caution-esque Jam * – Not played by Almost Dead since 2016-12-29
JRAD at Westville Music Bowl – May 30, 2021 Setist
Set 1: Eyes of the World> Estimated Prophet, Cassidy > Going Down the Road Feelin’ Bad > Candyman, The Eleven, Franklin’s Tower Set 2: Scarlet Begonias > Fire on the Mountain, Beat It on Down the Line, He’s Gone >Playing in the Band, Samson and Delilah Encore: Born to Run
Stuart Bogie sat in on saxophone and flute throughout the night
Soule Monde went to Mad River Road at Sugarhouse Soundworks in Waitsfield, VT to musically start their sound for 2021, having just cut their new recordMimi Digs Iton site. The duo treated fans to a live performance of the material this past Saturday May 29 to kick off the Laughing Eagle Summer concert series on location.
Some Hollow and Mark Legrand kicked the sunny Saturday afternoon off. Legrand threw a nice cover of the Wood Brothers “I Got Loaded” to close their set. Lawson’s finest liquids sip of sunshine IPAs was the exclusive tent for drinks to celebrate the evening.
Sometime after sunset Soule Monde took the outside sugar shack stage. It being just a few yards away from where they recorded their new album. The band was playing off the energy of a live audience to receive these new sounds. Everyone in attendance was grooving into the starry, chilly Vermont night. The duo covered material from their first gig ever all the way through their most recent collaboration.
As Afro beat funk jams dominated the sound all evening the duo took time to dedicate a song to Tony Markellis. Ray Paczkowski’s mic cut out and ran to the front of the stage acapella to regale everyone with an important story of his band mate.
My friend Tony Markellis told me this story once. He met this guy from New Orleans in New York City. So Tony loved to know where to get good food. But he’s talking to none other than Dr. John. Tony asked him where do I get the best New Orleans food in New York? Dr. John said you to go to the Balkan Dog. So Tony looked for it and weeks went by and he thought oh it must be closed. He ran into Dr John later and said hey I looked for that place Balkan Dog and it’s nowhere. Dr John’s reply…A Balkan Dog? It’s a BarKing dog…Woof!!!! Soule Monde then launched in to their newly recorded tune from Sugarhouse titled “Theys a Balkan Dog”.
Soule Monde started an outdoor groove the right way with Mimi Digs It, for the much anticipated return of live music across the land. Check out their upcoming 2021 dates to catch them funk out yourself
Independent Venue Week returns July 12 – 18, 2021, bringing together venues from all across the country for a series of shows and programming in celebration of the spirit of independence.
The venue-curated programming will be combined with the return of #IVWTalks, a virtual conference series that discusses current live music industry issues and includes Get Schooled, a full day dedicated to student participants interested in a career in live music to take place on Thursday, July 15.
Among the more than 450 shows to take place as part of Independent Venue Week are performances by hip-hop icon Snoop Dogg at Phoenix’s Celebrity Theatre,roots music icons Steve Earle & The Dukes at Ram’s Head On Stage in Annapolis, midwest indie-pop sensation Beach Bunny at Milwaukee’s The Cooperage, world-class Afro-Cuban percussionist Pedrito Martinez at NYC’s DROM, New Jersey DIY favorites Long Neck, Whiner and PYNKIE at WhiteEagle Hallin Jersey City, legendary rock’n’rollers The Marshall Tucker Band at Missoula’s KettleHouse Amphitheater,and bass virtuoso George Porter Jr. for his reopening run at Garcia’sin Port Chester.
Getting ready for this year’s event feels particularly meaningful. For the past 14 months, independent venues and promoters have collectively fought for their very survival and this feels like the turning point that we’ve all been working for. We were happy and proud to grow Independent Venue Week last year—to even have it, under the circumstances. This year, we hope and believe that fans will return with a renewed appreciation for these uniquely important spaces.
Cecilie Nielsen, Director of Special Projects at Marauder, the firm that runs Independent Venue Week in the US.
The team behind Independent Venue Week has released the first episode of its new podcast series, Independent Venue Speak. Like its namesake, Independent Venue Speak will celebrate the spirit of independence, through the vehicle of deep-diving conversations. The series will be hosted by a different guest artist each episode and focus on how a specific independent venue has shaped the narrative in their music community.
For its inaugural episode, Independent Venue Speak invited the Grammy-nominated, Brooklyn-based artist and songwriter J. Hoard to tell the tale of the iconic Lower East Side room Arlene’s Grocery and its ties to The Lesson, a world-renowned hip-hop jam ensemble that forged an entire music culture.
To truly make Independent Venue Speak as incredible in execution as it was in concept, we enlisted the artists and venue operators to tell these stories themselves. These stories are about extraordinary people who helped inspire prolific music movements and about the venues that offered these movements not just a stage, but a home.
Cecilie Nielsen, Director of Special Projects at Marauder
#IVW21 PARTICIPATING VENUES (So Far!)
Princess Theatre Center for the Performing Arts (Decatur, Alabama)
Theatrikos (Flagstaff, Arizona)
Jeremy’s Juke Joint (Lake Havasu City, Arizona)
The Neighborhood Comedy Theatre (Mesa, Arizona)
The Nile Theater (Mesa, Arizona)
Last Exit Live (Phoenix, Arizona)
The Rebel Lounge (Phoenix, Arizona)
Club Congress (Tucson, Arizona)
Groundworks Tucson (Tucson, Arizona)
The Wayfarer (Costa Mesa, California)
T-Bar Social Club (June Lake, California)
Marvyn’s Magic Theater (La Quinta, California)
1720 (Los Angeles, California)
Globe Theatre (Los Angeles, California)
The Paramount LA (Los Angeles, California)
The Sardine (Los Angeles, California)
The Glass House Concert Hall (Pomona, California)
Crest Theatre Sacramento (Sacramento, California)
Harlow’s (Sacramento, California)
Sacramento Comedy Spot (Sacramento, California)
Belly Up (San Diego, California)
The Casbah (San Diego, California)
Soda Bar (San Diego, California)
Spin Nightclub (San Diego, California)
Amado’s (San Francisco, California)
Bimbo’s 365 Club (San Francisco, California)
Great American Music Hall (San Francisco, California)
The Riptide (San Francisco, California)
Center Stage Theater (Santa Barbara, California)
Kuumbwa Jazz (Santa Cruz, California)
Boulder Theater (Boulder, Colorado)
Fox Theatre (Boulder, Colorado)
The Black Sheep (Colorado Springs, Colorado)
Monkey Barrel (Denver, Colorado)
Roxy on Broadway (Denver, Colorado)
Aggie Theatre (Fort Collins, Colorado)
Ridgway Chautauqua Society / The Sherbino & The Courtyard at 610 (Ridgway, Colorado)
Bijou Theatre (Bridgeport, Connecticut)
The Midpoint (Hartford, Connecticut)
Arden Concert Gild (Arden, Delaware)
9:30 Club (Washington DC, District of Columbia)
The Anthem (Washington DC, District of Columbia)
DC9 Nightclub (Washington DC, District of Columbia)
Lincoln Theatre (Washington DC, District of Columbia)
Pearl Street Warehouse (Washington DC, District of Columbia)
Pie Shop (Washington DC, District of Columbia)
Songbyrd Music House (Washington DC, District of Columbia)
High Dive (Gainesville, Florida)
Murray Hill Theatre (Jacksonville, Florida)
North Beach Bandshell (Miami Beach, Florida)
Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall (Sarasota, Florida)
The Village Theatre (Atlanta, Georgia)
The Blue Door (Brunswick, Georgia)
Grant’s Lounge (Macon, Georgia)
Hargray Capitol Theatre (Macon, Georgia)
Hilo Palace Theater (Hilo, Hawaii)
Hawaii Theatre Center (Honolulu, Hawaii)
ProArts Playhouse Maui (Kihei, Hawaii)
Hey Nonny (Arlington Heights, Illinois)
Annoyance Theatre & Bar (Chicago, Illinois)
Beat Kitchen (Chicago, Illinois)
The Lincoln Lodge Theater (Chicago, Illinois)
The Promontory (Chicago, Illinois)
Reggies (Chicago, Illinois)
Subterranean (Chicago, Illinois)
The Wild Hare & Singing Armadillo Frog Sanctuary (Chicago, Illinois)
Winter’s Jazz Club (Chicago, Illinois)
Egyptian Theatre (DeKalb, Illinois)
Skooter’s Roadhouse (Shorewood, Illinois)
Buskirk-Chumley Theater/BCT Management, Inc. (Bloomington, Indiana)
Mojo’s BoneYard (Evansville, Indiana)
Hi-Fi (Indianapolis, Indiana)
Hoyt Sherman Place (Des Moines, Iowa)
Wooly’s (Des Moines, Iowa)
xBk (Des Moines, Iowa)
East Of Omaha (Griswold, Iowa)
The Englert Theatre (Iowa City, Iowa)
Hutchinson’s HIstoric Fox Theatre (Hutchinson, Kansas)
Liberty Hall (Lawrence, Kansas)
Stiefel Theatre for the Performing Arts (Salina, Kansas)
The Warehouse at Mt Victor (Bowling Green, Kentucky)
Alhambra Theatre (Hopkinsville, Kentucky)
Headliners Music Hall (Louisville, Kentucky)
Old Forester’s Paristown Hall (Louisville, Kentucky)
Renfro Valley Entertainment Center (Mount Vernon, Kentucky)
The Southgate House Revival (Newport, Kentucky)
Texas Club (Baton Rouge, Louisiana)
Carnaval Lounge (New Orleans, Louisiana)
Howlin Wolf (New Orleans, Louisiana)
The Grand (Ellsworth, Maine)
Regent Theatre (Arlington, Massachusetts)
Narrows Center for the Arts (Fall River, Massachusetts)
Atac: Downtown Arts + Music (Framingham, Massachusetts)
Soundcheck Studios (Pembroke, Massachusetts)
Electric Haze (Worcester, Massachusetts)
Pyramid Scheme (Grand Rapids, Michigan)
Kalamazoo State Theatre (Kalamazoo, Michigan)
7th St Entry (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
Fine Line (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
First Avenue (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
The Parkway Theater (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
TAK Music Venue Inc (Moorhead, Minnesota)
The Fitzgerald Theatre (St. Paul, Minnesota)
Palace Theatre (St. Paul, Minnesota)
Turf Club (St. Paul, Minnesota)
RecordBar (Kansas City, Missouri)
Uptown Theater (Kansas City, Missouri)
Kettlehouse Amphitheater (Bonner, Montana)
The Music Hall (Portsmouth, New Hampshire)
Crossroads (Garwood, New Jersey)
Hopewell Theater (Hopewell, New Jersey)
White Eagle Hall (Jersey City, New Jersey)
The Newton Theatre (Newton, New Jersey)
Township Theatre (Township of Washington, New Jersey)
Boston Calling Festival has announced their return to the Harvard Athletic Complex on May 27-29, 2022, with headliners Foo Fighters and Rage Against the Machine.
Foo Fighters and Rage Against the Machine were both set to headline Boston Calling in 2020 with the Red Hot Chili Peppers before the festival was cancelled due to the pandemic. These two iconic rockers will top the bill of a lineup with over 60 performers next year, including an additional headliner, that have yet to be announced.
RATM’s performance will be the band’s only New England show on their 2022 North American tour, where the band will be reuniting for the first time after a decade. Foo Fighters, who are celebrating their 25th anniversary and their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, will be performing at Boston Calling as the fourth stop on their 2021-2022 tour.
A limited number of early bird 3-Day General Admission, VIP, and Platinum tickets are on sale now on the Boston Calling website. According to festival coordinators, the early bird period features all three ticket tiers at its lowest pricing for Boston Calling 2022.
Anderson .Paak’s performance at Boston Calling 2019
Aside from musical performances, Boston Calling plans to showcase new forms of entertainment from DJ sets to comedy shows, alongside extensive food and drink offerings from over 35 vendors.
A shot from Boston Calling at City Hall Plaza in 2016
Expanded offerings in the VIP and Platinum tiers in 2022 have also been announced. Fans can expect new viewing areas within the sections, including views of both the Red and Green Stages, and an expanded viewing deck within the Platinum section.
More information will be shared as it is announced. Check out the Boston Calling website for more in-depth details on the festival’s offerings.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHX72IH79a8
Boston Calling 2022 Teaser Video
Update on 7/14/21: Run the Jewels and Black Pumas join the lineup. This will be Run the Jewels’ third time performing at the festival. Black Pumas are making their Boston Calling debut. A limited number of early bird 3-day tickets are on sale now at www.bostoncalling.com. The early bird 3-Day General Admission tickets ($299.99), 3-Day VIP tickets ($799.99), and 3-Day Platinum tickets ($1,599.99) are on sale now. A special limited 2-pack of early bird 3-Day GA tickets ($549.99) is also available. This early bird period will offer the lowest pricing for 3-Day tickets for Boston Calling 2022.
The new album by The Tragically Hip, Saskadelphia, is a compilation of songs recorded by the band back in 1990. Recorded in New Orleans in an old mansion that looms over the neighborhood called Vieux Carré, better known as the French Quarter.
Saskadelphia album cover
The Canadian band that has gathered a large following over the years no longer put out new music after the sad death of their front man, Gord Downie. But the band is happy that they were able to put out a ‘new’ album for all of their fans.
With the only exception of ‘Montreal-Live’- you are able to feel the soul of New Orleans come out whether it be strong vocals or the instrumentals that seem to have a southern twist to them. This entire album comes out in perfect time for the summer one that can be played in the car with windows down and playing the drums on the steering wheel while listening to it.
Songs that stand out are “Ouch” and “Just As Well” that have vocals that could fit any country instrumental but are instead met with a harder rock sound that make them unique and frankly better than a lot of other bands. Then it transitions to “Reformed Baptist Blues” that keeps the country undertone but has a heavy classic rock sound.
Just two songs in, “Not Necessary,” is the best song on the album. This song brings back the angst of the early ’90s and late ’80s to now. This song could not only follow along with the trend of playing it in the car on a summer’s day but also could easily be the end to any classic high school movie.
The Tragically Hip’s album Saskadelphia is not only a blast from the past but has turned into a pleasant surprise that will be being played by all fans and hopefully some non-fans alike.
Key Tracks: Ouch, Not Necessary, Reformed Baptist Blues
One of rock journalism’s most experienced, insightful and productive writers, Joel Selvin, has created a fresh take on the telling of the birth of L.A. pop and the California dream of the ‘60s with his latest book, Hollywood Eden: Electric Guitars, Fast Cars and the Myth of the California Paradise.
When it comes to writing about rock music, and writing about it very well, few can match Selvin. From 1969 – 2009, he was a rock music critic for the San Francisco Chronicle, as well as a contributor to Rolling Stone, Melody Maker, the Los Angeles Times and many more. He has written or co-written excellent books on artists like Ricky Nelson, The Grateful Dead, Sly and the Family Stone and Sammy Hagar, events like Monterey Pop, The Summer of Love, Altamont and the birth of the dance craze The Peppermint Twist at one of the pioneering NYC club scenes, The Peppermint Lounge.
Joel Selvin, author.
With his masterful 2014 book, Here Comes the Night: The Dark Soul of Bert Berns and the Dirty Business of Rhythm and Blues, Selvin rescues from obscurity one of the most innovative producers/songwriters of the ‘60s, a man who was largely forgotten after his death in 1967 at age 38. Berns was the man who brought Latin swing to rock with his first hit production, “A Little Bit of Soap,” in 1961, as well as the architect of many of Atlantic Records’ early hits for R&B stars like Solomon Burke, Esther Phillips, Ben E. King and Wilson Pickett. Berns was also the writer of classics like “Twist and Shout,” “Piece of My Heart,” “Cry Baby” and “Hang on Sloopy,” and the producer of mega-hits like the Drifters’ “Under the Boardwalk,” Barbara Lewis “Baby I’m Yours” and Van Morrison’s “Brown Eyed Girl.”
If all his books have one thing in common, it is Selvin’s skill as a storyteller. His books read like someone spinning a long yarn around a campfire. They are incredibly rich in fact and scene-setting details, and compulsively readable. Hollywood Eden is cut from the same mold.
Selvin’s latest tells the story of a group of young musicians who came together at the dawn of the ‘60s to create the lasting sound that powered the myth of the California dream. Central to the saga is a group of sun-kissed teens from the University High School (Uni High) Class of ’58, which included surf music pioneers Jan and Dean, bizarro rock impresario Kim Fowley, drummer Sandy Nelson, Nancy Sinatra, the Beach Boys’ Bruce Johnston and Kathy Korner, the petite teen surfer who inspired the book and movie Gidget. They came of age in Southern California at the dawn of a new era when anything seemed possible. These were the kids who created the idea of modern Southern California, complete with surf music, hot-rods and electric guitars, that the rest of world saw as a teenage paradise on earth.
The forward to the book sets the Rock-n-Roll high school scenario by also listing the alumni of other schools, like Hawthorne High (Brian Wilson) and Fairfax High (Phil Spector, Herb Alpert, Wrecking Crew sax man Steve Douglas and songwriters P.F. Sloan and Steve Barri), sound-obsessed youngsters who would go on to revolutionize pop music. Some of the Angeleno legends referenced were native New Yorkers or had Big Apple connections, like the Mamas and the Papas and Phil Spector. With all their glorious accomplishments, some of the stories here end with the characters getting burned, for flying too close to the sun or driving too fast and crashing. The latter was the case for Sandy Nelson, who had a smash hit with the drum solo-driven instrumental “Teen Beat” and especially Jan Berry of Jan and Dean.
Berry is the worthy centerpiece of the story, another legend whose accomplishments are getting lost with the passing of time. Tall, blonde, handsome, athletic and with a magnetic personality, Berry’s adventures in music started in the late ‘50s, when he formed a doo-wop group called The Barons, which included folks like Sandy Nelson, Bruce Johnston, actor-to-be James Brolin and, of course, his partner-to-be Dean Torrence.
With his father’s gift of an upright piano and two Ampex reel-to-reel tape recorders, Berry set to experimenting in his garage. He started bouncing tracks and stacking vocals to create a sound that would become the signature of the sunny California dream, it would also serve as the template for a legendary musician he would come to work closely with, Brian Wilson.
When Torrence was conscripted into the army, Berry teamed up with Arnie Ginsburg and scored a hits, including “Jennie Lee” and “Gas Money” as Jan and Arnie. By 1959, he was back in business with Dean scoring a Top 10 hit with the Herb Alpert-produced “Baby Talk.” Even though he was attending medical school, Berry also had the energy to write and produce for other artists like The Rip Chords, The Matadors and actress-turned-singer Shelley Fabares.
Jan and Dean’s commercial peak was from 1963 – 1966, when they scored sixteen Top 40 hits, many in collaboration with Brian Wilson like the Wilson-Berry penned “Surf City,” along with “Drag City” and “The Little Old Lady from Pasadena.” Berry’s fate would be presaged with his #8 hit from 1964, “Dead Man’s Curve.” In April 1966, he would crash his speeding car right near this very curve and suffer serious brain damage and paralysis that would essentially put an end to his creative career.
Also noteworthy in Hollywood Eden is the fascinating career of Bruce Johnston. A child of privilege from Bel-Air, Johnston also made some major strides while still in high school, playing with Richie Valens, The Everly Brothers and Eddie Cochran and producing and playing on Sandy Nelson’s “Teen Beat.” He also produced the Rip Chords and his own string of surf and car singles, with future Byrds producer Terry Melcher. In 1965, he joined the Beach Boys and was featured on some of their classic albums like Pet Sounds, Sunflower and Surf’s Up.
Drummer Sandy Nelson’s story is another interesting one that was, like his good friend Berry’s, derailed by driving too fast. Nelson served as a session drummer on early hits by Phil Spector and the Hollywood Argyles, before scoring a million-selling, Billboard Top 5 hit with the drum solo driven “Teen Beat” in 1959. Nelson pounded out two more Top 10 hits, including “Let There Be Drums,” before a 1963 motorcycle accident led to the amputation of his leg.
Readers will also be intrigued by Selvin’s telling of the story of Nancy Sinatra. He tells how Ol’ Blue Eyes’ little girl went from nowhere in her singing career by playing the “good girl” before scoring a worldwide #1 as the “bad girl” who snarled “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’.”
Selvin’s latest provides tons of enlightenment on the careers of more L.A. legends like performer/record company head Herb Alpert, the Mamas and the Papas and their producer Lou Adler, Phil Spector, Kim Fowley and, of course, Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys. The book ends with the release of Wilson’s crowning achievement, “Good Vibrations,” and beginning of his decline with the commercial failure of Pet Sounds and its abandoned follow-up Smile.
With America hopefully finally coming out of the long Covid-19 quarantine, Selvin’s Hollywood Eden will be a great summer read for music-lovers who want to experience the sunshine sounds and some California dreamin’.
The Windy City will see the return of Pitchfork Music Festival and Lollapalooza for engagements this summer. Grant Park will host Lollapalooza July 29-August 1, while Pitchfork Music Festival will return to the friendly confines of Union Park over September 10-12.
CHICAGO, IL – JULY 31: Recording artist Flume performs on the Samsung Stage at Lollapalooza 2016 – Day 4 at Grant Park on July 31, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images for Samsung)
Lollapalooza celebrates its 30th year as a world-class festival in 2021, and has been known since inception for its multi-genre, diverse lineups. More than 165 bands will perform on eight stages over four full days of music July 29-August 1 in Chicago’s crown jewel, Grant Park. 4-Day Tickets are on sale now at lollapalooza.com.
The all-star lineup for Lollapalooza includes Foo Fighters, Post Malone, Tyler, The Creator, Miley Cyrus, DaBaby, Marshmello, Illenium, Journey, Megan Thee Stallion, Roddy Ricch, Young Thug, Alison Wonderland, Brittany Howard, LAUV, Kim Petras, Omar Apollo, Ashe, LP, Jacob Banks, Olivia O’Brien, Princess Nokia, Trevor Daniel, and more.
Launched by founder Perry Farrell in 1991 as a touring festival, Lollapalooza remains an innovator in festival culture over 25 years later. Lollapalooza was the first festival to bring together artists from a wide range of musical genres on one bill, it was also the first to travel, the first to expand to multiple days, the first to introduce a second stage, the first to blend art and activism, the first to offset its carbon emissions, the first to put electronic music artists on the main stage, the first to create family friendly programming, the first to make its home in an urban city center and the first to expand internationally.
In accordance with current local public health guidance, full COVID-19 vaccination or negative COVID-19 test results will be required to attend Lollapalooza 2021. For patrons who are not fully vaccinated, a negative COVID-19 test result must be obtained within 24 hours of attending Lollapalooza each day. Details on the festival entry process will be available in early July. Lollapalooza is excited to partner with the City of Chicago to encourage vaccination in Chicago in the weeks prior to the festival. If you have questions about COVID-19 vaccines or to find a vaccination location near you, please visit www.vaccinefinder.org.
For 15 years, the Pitchfork Music Festival has delivered an eclectic musical lineup, singular in its ability to place contemporary, cutting-edge acts alongside some of the most revered artists of our time. It’s this unique blend of discovery and tradition that makes the Pitchfork Music Festival stand out as one of the most celebrated weekends of the year.
Pitchfork Music Festival opens on Friday, September 10 with Phoebe Bridgers, Big Thief, Animal Collective, Yaeji, The Fiery Furnaces (their first show in over a decade), black midi, Hop Along, Kelly Lee Owens, Ela Minus, DEHD, The Soft Pink Truth, DJ Nate, Dogleg, and Armand Hammer.
Saturday features St. Vincent, Angel Olsen, Kim Gordon, Ty Segall & Freedom Band, Waxahatchee, Jay Electronica, Jamila Woods, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Faye Webster, Amaarae, Maxo Kream, Divino Niño, Bartees Strange, and Horsegirl.
On Sunday, the festival hosts Erykah Badu, Flying Lotus, Thundercat, Danny Brown, Cat Power, Andy Shauf, Caroline Polachek, Yves Tumor, The Weather Station, Mariah the Scientist, oso oso, KeiyaA, Special Interest, and Cassandra Jenkins.
Pitchfork Music Festival tickets are now on sale here. Three-day passes are $195 and single-day passes are $90. The Pitchfork PLUS upgrade, including a range of exclusive amenities, is $385 for a three-day pass and $185 for a single-day pass. If the festival is postponed or rescheduled due to COVID-19, ticket buyers can keep their passes for the new dates or request a refund. More details are available here.
To ensure the health and safety of guests, artists, and staff, the Pitchfork Music Festival will adhere to the city of Chicago’s COVID-19 protocol, and will keep attendees updated as federal, state, and local regulations evolve.
For the May installment of Phish’s Dinner and a Movie archival stream series, they’ll go all the way back to Summer 1993 for a performance from Great Woods in Mansfield, MA. The non-profit Groovesafe is beneficiary of the night’s fundraising efforts, through the Waterwheel Foundation.
The July 24, 1993 show was an early popular tape to trade in the 90s, and the second performance for Phish at the venue, where they have to date performed 17 times to date. Featuring stand out versions of “Stash,” “Mike’s Song” and “Weekapaug Groove,” as well as the return of “The Mango Song” after a 150 show gap, the seamless segue from “2001” -> “Split Open and Melt” makes this well worth listening to on Phishtracks.com.
Groovesafe is an initiative to stop unwanted touching and sexual assault at concerts. The mission of this nonprofit is to create a no tolerance environment with an emphasis on building a consent culture. GrooveSafe focuses on educating bands, venues, and fans on tactics that aim to make the live music experience safer. Groovesafe’s longterm goals include educating people on how to respond to assault, how to take action as an active bystander, and tips on staying safe.
Watch an interview with Groovesafe founder Ashley Driscoll here.
Summer 1993 Doniac Schvice
Dave Seigal, executive chef of the Michelin-acclaimed Cull & Pistol Oyster Bar as well as its sister seafood emporium, the Lobster Place Seafood Market, are both located in the heart of NYC’s Chelsea Market. Dave has been a Phish fan since the early ‘90s and has graciously provided recipes for this month’s dinner: Steamed Mussels with Green Coconut Curry and a Thai Salad. Recipes can be found here.
Dinner And A Movie returns this Tuesday with Phish’s July 24, 1993 show from Great Woods Center for the Performing Arts in Mansfield, MA Join us on the couch at 8:30PM ET at https://t.co/5qSvZFl2Dvpic.twitter.com/qwtGBnj83N
Tune in before the show at 6:30pm on the Relix Twitch channel for The Dude of Life Band, who will perform a free livestream on the The Relix Channel, live from Relix Studio.
Dinner and a Movie airs on Tuesday, May 25 at 8:30 pm ET/5:30 pm PT via webcast.livephish.com.
Phish – July 24, 1993 – Great Woods Center for the Performing Arts, Mansfield, MA
Set 1: Llama, Horn, Nellie Kane > Divided Sky, Guelah Papyrus, Rift, Stash, The Mango Song > Bouncing Around the Room, The Squirming Coil
Set 2: Also Sprach Zarathustra > Split Open and Melt, Fluffhead > Maze, Glide > Sparkle > Mike’s Song > Yerushalayim Shel Zahav > Weekapaug Groove, Purple Rain > Hold Your Head Up, Daniel Saw the Stone > Good Times Bad Times
Encore: Golgi Apparatus, Free Bird
This show saw the first Mango Song since May 17, 1992 (150 shows). Fish teased Bouncing Around the Room before Mango. Maze contained Also Sprach Zarathustra teases from Trey. Page teased Under the Boardwalk in Mike’s Song.
Guitarist and composer Marc Ribot has shared the first single, “The Activist,” off the upcoming album from Marc Ribot’s Ceramic Dog, Hope, due out on June 25.
album art for “Hope”
Described by the Village Voice, Ceramic Dog’s bark is just about equal to its bite. The music snarls and snaps with self-awareness, righteous fury, and, inevitably, cynical detachment. The group also features bassist Shahzad Ismaily and drummer Ches Smith of the avant-garde based group Secret Chiefs 3. With this ferocity in mind, Ribot speaks of the first single, “Hope.”
I like to rant. Ranting is a kind of semi-involuntary spewing of something that seems to be very urgent. This particular rant came up after going to a lot of Activist meetings. Now, don’t get me wrong: some of my best friends are Activists. I’ve even been accused of being one myself (although after reading Astra Taylor’s essay “Against Activism” I try to aspire to being an organizer, or at least a radical).
Anyway— I got frustrated at a couple of meetings because of people trying to posture as the most super rad instead of getting things done. Later, I was supposed to be working on a reasonable position paper of something: but stuff like this came out instead: “I don’t accept sidewalks, I walk on my hands in heavy traffic, and even that is a compromise. I don’t accept gravity, or teeth! I don’t accept you, or what the mainstream media refers to as your cute little (and I quote) “doggie.” Shahzad and Ches (my Ceramic Dog comrades) thought it was funny, so we started doing it live/improvised— and eventually came up with this jam. Party!
Marc Ribot
Ribot as born in Newark, NJ and played guitar in various garage bands while studying under mentor, Haitian classical guitarist and composer Frantz Casseus. After moving to New York City in 1978, Ribot was a member of the soul/punk Realtones, and John Lurie’s Lounge Lizards (1984-89). Between 1979 and 1985, Ribot also worked as a side musician with Brother Jack McDuff, Wilson Pickett, Carla Thomas, Rufus Thomas, Chuck Berry, and many others. Pre-order Hopehere.
Marc Ribot’s Ceramic Dog – Upcoming Shows June 6 – Co-presented Burlington Discover Jazz Fest @ The Backyard at Nectar’s, Burlington, VT –
June 6 – Co-presented Burlington Discover Jazz Fest @ The Backyard at Nectar’s, Burlington, VT –
