FreshGrass 2021 will be hitting Mass MoCa’s multiple stages despite the delta variant of COVID-19 raging on. The festival will take place September 24-26, 2021 for it’s 10th anniversary.
The 2021 FreshGrass festival takes place annually at Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art or more commonly known as Mass MoCa in North Adams, MA. The festival is a three-day bundle of fun that highlights bluegrass and progressive roots music. The festival is dispersed across the 16 acres sized museum which has 4 stages.
This year is featuring: Dispatch (acoustic), Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Béla Fleck My Bluegrass Heart (featuring Michael Cleveland, Sierra Hull, Justin Moses, Mark Schatz, and Bryan Sutton), Watchhouse (formerly Mandolin Orange), Sam Bush, Steep Canyon Rangers (FreshGrass Artist-in-Residence), Sarah Jarosz, Aiofe O’Donovan, Watkins Family Hour, Noam Pikelny, Bonny Light Horseman, Alison Brown, Amythyst Kiah, Darol Anger, Hawktail, Dedicated Men of Zion, A Tribute to Sister Rosetta Tharpe featuring Felicia Collins, Willi Carlisle, CJ Field, and more.
FreshGrass is also hosting other programming apart from the live concerts including: FreshScores (a silent film with original live music), FreshGrass commissions and world premieres, instrument and industry workshops, pop-up performances and retail, and local Berkshire food and spirits vendors.
Tickets are on sale now. 3 Day pass general admission weekend passes and single-day general admission day passes are available. A full COVID-19 vaccination or negative COVID-19 test will be required to attend the FreshGrass festival this year due to the ongoing pandemic. Tickets can be purchased here.
For more information on the 10th annual FreshGrass festival visit their website here.
A new album from Smithsonian Folkways challenges the historical conception that New York was the sole epicenter of the 1960s folk revival. The Village Out West: The Lost Tapes of Alan Oakes compiles extensive field recordings from the revival’s burgeoning center in Northern and Central California, all carefully taped by autodidact documentarian Alan Oakes.
The vibrancy and creativity of the 1960s folk scene in New York has been well-documented. From the epicenter of Greenwich Village, where Bob Dylan and Joan Baez rose to prominence, to Upstate’s lasting legacy of Woodstock ‘69, folk music has deep roots on the East Coast, and the 1960s revival would inspire generations of artists to come. But on the other side of the country, an equally spirited musical movement was occurring in the San Francisco Bay Area, where traditional musicians came together, and up-and-comers learned from their techniques while establishing their own legacies.
The “self-appointed sonic Boswell” of the 1960s California folk revival, Alan Oakes was born in Fresno in 1940. After his death in 2019, his wife Marnie Oakes connected with album co-producer Deborah Robins and shared she planned to discard some of his unknown archives of recordings. Robin’s desire to properly preserve the collection, an invaluable window into the early days of the folk reemergence, resulted in the creation of the album.
Oakes recordings, taken from over 60 open reels made between 1960 and 1975, capture the enthusiasm and palpable excitement of the early movement. The recordings span a variety of venues: storied festivals like the Jabberwock and Berkeley Folk Music Festival, clubs like The Cabale and the Blind Lemon, and many workshops, interviews and intimate house concerts.
The two-CD set features never-before-heard live performances from legendary musician Doc Watson, whose distinctive flatpicking technique on acoustic guitar helped shape the sound of bluegrass, country and folk during the 60s. A live recording of classic tune “Billy in the Lowground,” finds Watson joined by lifelong fiddle master Hank Bradley and banjoist Rick Shubb, whose “Shubb capo,” which features an adjustable clamp, is still a top-stelling capo style today.
Via Smithsonian Folkways
The eclectic combination of musicians at the peak of their craft, frequently documented in New York, was also a key aspect of the Bay Area musical community. Just as important was the influence, inspiration and integration of traditional masters with up-and-coming musicians of the time, like Kathy & Carol. The Vista, California duo began singing together in high school in the early 1960s, and claimed Baez as a central influence. Their haunting harmonies reflect the way the folk movement spread from coast to coast, rooted in shared love for classic Americana techniques.
The album, co-produced by Deborah Robins, Henry H. Sapoznik, and Jeff Place, will be accompanied by an 80-page booklet containing essays from all three producers, as well as extensive biographies of the featured performers and the historic time period they shared. The full album will be released on September 24th, but a preview of 4 selected songs is available now for streaming:
Legendary ambassadors of traditional New Orleans jazz and music, Preservation Hall Jazz Band is celebrating their 60th anniversary in 2021 and are making their way to The Ridgefield Playhouse on Friday, September 3. The band is led by Ben Jaffe (bass/sousaphone) whose father founded the band in 1961, and is the touring group of the larger Preservation Hall collective of New Orleans musicians and Preservation Hall Foundation. Over the years the band has infused its repertoire with collaborations extending beyond jazz. A recent project of theirs, original documentary ‘A Tuba to Cuba,’ brings to life compositions created out of the band’s trips to Cuba.
Ticket holders for Friday’s show can participate in a silent auction to raise money for the Kitty Rosa Preservation Fund, which goes toward preserving The Ridgefield Playhouse in honor of Rosa’s efforts in launching the theater. There will also be a complimentary wine tasting in the lobby at 6:30pm for ticketholders. A special VIP Party Pass is available, which includes priority parking and free house wine and beer from 6:00 to 6:30pm.
A limited number of tickets remain and can be purchased from the Ridgefield Playhouse event page or by calling the box office at (203)-438-5795. Don’t miss out on an exciting opportunity to explore the genuine sounds of the French Quarter right here in the Northeast!
Preservation Hall Jazz Band Tour Dates:
Sep 2, 2021: The McKittrick Hotel, New York, NY Sep 3, 2021: Ridgefield Playhouse, Ridgefield, CT Sep 5, 2021: Greenwich Town Party, Greenwich, CT Sep 11, 2021 – Sep 12, 2021: Park City Song Summit, Park City, UT Oct 1, 2021 – Oct 3, 2021: Gasparilla Music Festival, Tampa, FL Nov 18, 2021 – Nov 21, 2021: SFJAZZ Center, San Francisco, CA Mar 2, 2022 – Mar 5, 2022: One Big Holiday, Cancún, Mexico (with My Morning Jacket) May 6, 2022: Orpheum Theater New Orleans, LA (featuring special guests TBA + Preservation Hall Legacy Band) Jun 10, 2022: Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, CO (with The Revivalists)
Jam band supergroup Dead & Company make their summer tour stop at the land of chocolate, Hershey Park, on August 28. With them as always, following is their eclectic, eccentric, and electric fanbase: the Deadheads, as colorful as their kaleidoscopic visions can take them. The fanbase is incredibly kind, tight knit, dedicated, and functions as a self sustaining community that follows the band.
The band started the night with “The Music Never Stopped,” a good way to get things going. “Touch of Grey” proved to be a most apropriate song, one whose message we can all relate to in the midst of a worldwide health pandemic. Mayer shines on “Tennessee Jed” with some fancy chicken picking and long time superstar vocals on “Mr.Charlie.” The band wrapped up the first set with an incredible “Cassidy,” featuring iconic Weir vocal parts and a fast, fun, everyone sing a long “Don’t Ease Me In” to end the set.
The second set blasted off with a psychedelic “Here Comes Sunshine”, featuring Mayer leading everyone into the sun, vocally and theoretically speaking ofcourse. Now Bobby gets to shine on vocals as the band goes into an epic “Estimated Prophet”. Dancing shoes are coming on and the band pulls of several extended, even for Grateful Dead standards, improvised sections on a massive “Eyes of The World”. Mayer gets to shine on vocals again with “Althea”. And now comes time for the rhythm devils as the rest of the band leaves.
After “Space” Dead & Co went into an unexpected Miles Davis cover of “Milestones,” a most psychedelic and sonically unexpected spectacle. They switch gears into “Going Down The Road Feeling Bad” and quickly again into “Death Don’t Have No Mercy.” This featured a somber Weir on vocals, really belting out about death and loss. And to close out the set, a most apropriate “One More Saturday Night” played with all the vigor and groove a Saturday night show should have.
Bobby declares that there is a strict curfew in play so they’ll skip the formalities of getting off stage and get right to the encore which was a thumping sing along, “Quinn the Eskimo.”
Dead and Company – Hershey Park Stadium, Hershey, PA – August 28, 2021
Set 1: The Music Never Stopped -> Easy Answers -> The Music Never Stopped, Touch of Grey, Tennessee Jed, Mr. Charlie, Black Throated Wind, Cassidy, Don’t Ease Me In
Set 2: Here Comes Sunshine > Estimated Prophet > Eyes of the World > Althea > Drums > Space > Milesstones > Going Down the Road Feeling Bad > Death Don’t Have No Mercy > One More Saturday Night
Angélique Kidjo will return to Carnegie Hall on November 5, headlining the Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage. This special one-night-only presentation is entitled Mother Nature: Songs For New York and the World Beyond. With a setlist focused on Kidjo’s just-released and trenchant new album, Mother Nature, and special guests, the performance will pay timely tribute to resilient New Yorkers and also serve as a rallying cry for the planet.
The Carnegie Hall performance will be the first full New York City performance for Angélique Kidjo in nearly two years. In March of 2020 she was slated to perform at Carnegie Hall as part of her four-concert Perspectives Series at the legendary venue, but just a day before she was set to take the stage, it was cancelled as the city went into lockdown due to the pandemic.
Kidjo has had an impressive summer, releasing Mother Nature, her first album of original music in seven years to widespread international praise. The album represents the remarkable influence that Kidjo has had on younger generations of musicians, and features collaborations with a host of budding stars including Burna Boy, Sampa The Great, Yemi Alade, Shungudzo, Ghetto Boy, Earthgang and others. Together they address a host of complex issues, from political upheaval to the destruction of the environment, that in Kidjo’s hands transform into music that is radiantly joyful.
This one-of-a kind performance of Mother Nature: Songs For New York and the World Beyond, will feature world renowned artists including Josh Groban, Andra Day, Cyndi Lauper, Philip Glass, EARTHGANG, and Ibrahim Maalouf. The programis a musical rallying cry for our planet, exploring the great importance of human beings to each other and to the natural world.
Kidjo also represented the continent of Africa during the Tokyo 2020 Olympics Opening Ceremony, singing “Imagine” alongside John Legend, Alejandro Sanz and Keith Urban. She will also perform from Paris as part of the 24-hour Global Citizen Festival broadcast event on September 25.
Tickets are on sale here for Angélique’s show at Carnegie Hall on November 5.
Angélique Kidjo International Tour Dates 2021-22
Friday September 10, 2021: Parc Des Expositions L’ile Aumone in Mantes-la-jolie, France Friday September 11, 2021: Parvis des Chais Magelis in Angoulême, France Thursday September 23, 2021: Théâtre de Cornouaille in Quimper, France Sunday September 26, 2021: Palace of Arts and Congress in Vannes, France Saturday October 23, 2021: Flynn Center For The Performing Arts in Burlington, VT Friday October 29, 2021: Remain in Light in Berkeley, CA Friday November 5, 2021: Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall in New York, NY Wednesday November 17, 2021: Rosey Concert Hall in Rolle, Switzerland Friday November 19, 2021: Kilden Performing Arts Centre in Kristiansand, Norway Saturday November 20, 2021: Bærum Kulturhus in Sandvika, Norway Thursday November 25, 2021: Hall Vigean in Eysines, France Saturday November 27, 2021: Festival un Weekend Avec Elles 2021 in Le Garric, France Tuesday November 30, 2021: The Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Netherlands Monday December 6, 2021: Wiener Konzerthaus in Bezirk-landstrasse, Austria Saturday December 18, 2021: Théâtre du Jura in Delémont, Switzerland Tuesday January 11, 2022: Chateau Rouge in Annemasse, France Friday January 14, 2022: Espace Malraux in Joué-lès-tours, France Tuesday March 8, 2022: L’Ancienne Belgique in Toulouse, France Friday March 11, 2022: La Faïencerie in Creil, France Wednesday March 16, 2022: Musikverein in Wien Austria Thursday March 17, 2022: Festspielhaus St. Pölten in St. Pölten, Austria Saturday March 19, 2022: Theater of Chelles in Chelles France Thursday March 24, 2022: Theatre of the Vesinet in Le Vésinet, France Friday March 25, 2022: Arsenal in Metz, France Sunday April 3, 2022: Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts in Scottsdale, Arizona Saturday April 23, 2022: Yemandja in Berkeley, CA Saturday April 30, 2022: Music Hall in Portsmouth, NH Thursday May 12, 2022: Bass Concert Hall in Austin, TX Thursday May 26, 2022: Africa Festival in Würzburg, Germany Saturday June 11, 2022: Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris France
Lake Street Dive performed for a sold-out crowd Sunday night at the Shelburne Museum in Shelburne, VT. The show marked their third date on a U.S. tour promoting their acclaimed new record Obviously.
Formed in 2004, Lake Street Dive first gained viral recognition after a series of sidewalk singing videos and a jazzy, lilting cover of “I Want You Back” by the Jackson 5, highlighting lead singer Rachael Pierce’s powerhouse voice.
The group has always incorporated aspects of jazz, pop, soul and R&B into their offbeat covers and originals, and on Obviously the blend has never sounded more seamless. With production from Grammy-winning hip-hop producer Mike Elizondo, each song delicately showcases each band members mind-blowing musical capability while keeping a brisk, light pace. Though the production quality is notable, the “magic in a bottle” the quartet captures live has energized their fan base for years. Sunday was far from the first time the band has drawn a crowd to Shelburne or Burlington.
Though Hurricane Henri’s clouds were especially menacing on the eve of the show, they didn’t stop attendees, lawn chairs in hand, from flocking to the outdoor venue. Canadian musician Allison Russell, who will open for LSD on a few tour dates, kicked the night off with songs from her latest album, Outside Child. Supported by Larissa Maestro on the cello and Mandy Fer, of the band Sway Wild on electric guitar, Russell’s mesmerizing voice anchored the opening set. A light rainfall at sunset got the crowd excited. Many shouldered on rain jackets and rushed to the stage to celebrate the imminent rainbow as Russell belted her soul out on “Nightflyer.”
As mentioned, Vermont is no stranger to a good LSD show. The excitement for their set was palpable as fans of all ages rushed the barrier, eagerly awaiting the group to step on stage. The bounce of Pierce’s red hair as she strutted onstage sent waves of cheers through the crowd, soon replaced by dancing as the band jumped onto the steppy, yacht-rock tempo of opener “Know That I Know.” Pierce’s unique and show stopping voice does front flips over the bands steady, physical grooves.
Leading into an older song, “Mistakes,” Pierce took the mic to speak about the band’s return to touring.
“We’re a little rusty, and we’re gonna have to make some mistakes,” she said. “But we have to play through the mistakes. You play through the mistakes because you don’t want to teach yourself to fear the mistakes.”
The statement felt deeply relatable and also ironic, as the group went on to play a harmonious, heart-pumping 19-song set. Lake Street Dive have been playing together for nearly two decades, and their musical bond and attunedeness to each other were apparent with every beat.
Though founding member Mike “McDuck” Olsen departed the band after 17 years this May, the music feels anything but lacking. Touring keyboardist Akie Bermiss, who officially joined the band in 2017, is the perfect foil to Pierce’s vocals, apparent on the soaring and playful duet “Same Old News.” As both a keyboardist and vocalist, Bermiss is as versatile as he is singular.
Performing “Alone Again,” a Bermiss release with Greg Mayo, his vivid scenes and casually bleak humor are an exciting contrast to an initially mourning piano riff. The line “I’m learning how to microbrew” struck a chord in craft-beer heavy VT. “He knows his audience,” a woman laughed to her friend as they swayed to the beat.
Bassist Bridget Kearney, a commanding force within the band from the start, inarguably showed her prowess, absolutely shredding an upright bass as nimbly as an electric guitar. On standout performance of “Neighbor Song,” a track from Lake Street Dive’s 2010 self-titled project, Kearney’s gentle performance was expressive and haunting, psychically in tune with Pierce’s lilting cabaret-style performance.
After the emotional “Nobody’s Stopping You Now,” the band came together at the center of the stage and performed three quieter numbers, “Stop Crying,” “Feels Like The Last Time,” and “Neighbor Song,” every one of them to lush harmonies. In moments like these, it’s clear how the band can combine and defy genres so smoothly; they have the skill to do so.
After closing their main set with the arena-worthy crowd favorite “Good Kisser,” the band happily came on for a 2-song encore. They performed Obviously’s stunning closer “Sarah,” the complex harmonies of which could comfortably fit over a full symphony. As the band closed with a cover of The Beatles’ classic “Don’t Let Me Down,” a full moon peeked out from behind the clouds.
Lake Street Dive’s Sunday show captured what makes them so great: their playfulness and skill, their eclectic interest in genre-bending rhythms and the pure joy they capture in so many of their songs. One could even say the band captured what’s so great about live music in general – a band and their audience, grooving together in heartbreak, happiness or healing over the same beat.
Under the hazy light of 2021’s August Full Moon, it became apparent that attendees of Fred The Festival at LOCKN’ Farm were, in fact, getting involved. Fred, a festival hosted by Goose, included side projects of the band itself like Vasudo, Elephantproof, and the aGOOSEtic trio, as well as Peter Anspach’s debut acoustic solo performance. The festival provided a refreshing and wholesome interpretation of what a music festival could look like without ever compromising on the quality of production and music.
Stormy weather
Is It The Wind Upon My Neck?
Turned Clouds
Despite threatening skies that seem to always make for the most beautiful sunset, security guards seemed disinterested in the potential weather and said that the storms always passed behind the farm. They did.
Is It The Glowing Of The Moon?
On the weekend of August 20-22. the full moon illuminated the rolling fields at Lockn Farms in Arrington, VA.
It is said that if a seeker perceives their environment to be safe, then the light of a full moon can illuminate new intuitive understanding about how to navigate through darkness or uncertain times. New and excellent music can be medicinal in properties. ElephantProof gave the entire crowd a dose of the rare form of stoke that only comes from that ear-tingly reserved only for future favorite artists.
Sam Bardini and Andrew Goedde making Garcia’s Forest a safer, brighter, more musical place
The real magic of this moon, this gathering, and this grand reveal was that many found out just how loved they were by their chosen family. The plot twist theme seemed to be that the haze hills and dark pathways were much easier to navigate when in the company of others.
Oasis in the depth of the night illuminated by the Lover’s hoops and serenaded by the wise minstrel himself
It proved to be especially helpful when that company happened to be carrying an illuminated hula hoop at a silent disco half way back to camp. Doey Joey and Becky provided more than just a boogie-down pit stop. They offered their love and shared their creativity without hesitation. Those wise guiding lights and silent dances helped some of those that might have been lost to find their way.
The more time I spend with this (Goose) community the more I realize⦠the people you do things with become a part of you and who you will be. In your blood, family.
Doey Joey
Seekers On The Ridge
LOCKN’ Farm hosted Fred the Festival. At about a day’s drive for most participants, the rolling hills are located in the midst of the stunning Blue Ridge Mountains. The environment allowed for all seekers on the ridge to separate themselves completely from everyday responsibilities. To truly detach allowed for the examination and reevaluation of moonlit discoveries.
Get Involved
The rolling hills and open fields provided the perfect place for games. The “Get Involved Games” were held on the lawn adjacent to the main stage and in front of the much smaller Porch Stage. Color coded teams assembled every morning to play games like tug-of-war, noodle hockey and giant Jenga. Band and crew members captained the teams and provided support from afar due to Covid restrictions.
Participants were actively partying less because they did not want to let their team down during the games. One team member recalled meeting with the captain bright and early to discuss potential strategies for the games ahead. A festival that had games scheduled during an hour that required early bed times with dedicated participants begs the question of if Fred the Festival itself have been an illusion.
In Search Of An Honest Place To Call My Home
Elmeg in Love
One dedicated couple chose Fred to be the place for wedding vow renewals in celebration of their five-year wedding anniversary. After enduring years of tumultuous societal overtones, this couple learned what it truly meant to find meaning in the grounding comfort of the earth and all it has to offer. They live and love in harmony with the land and have honed the ability find joy in the most uncommon places (hint: turn over a rotting log and watch her lose her mind at all the fungi growing). Multi-tiered snow forts and multi colored livestreams filled their time together until restrictions were lifted enough to dawn their chef and spaghetti costumes for Halloween at South Farms in Connecticut way back in November. Goose helped them stay involved with each other.
Adorable Hour
One benefit to waking up early, regardless of game status, was seeing Goose Guitarist Keyboardist, Vocalist Peter Anspach deliver his first solo set on the extremely intimate Porch Stage setup. What could easily make a fabulous segment on a TV show, some fans had their heart strings pulled at the music so much that they lovingly came up with the segment intro that goes a little something like, “On this episode of The Adorable Hour with Peter Anspach: Things that make you say, “Aww.” Peter’s set truly showcased a side of vulnerability and artistic ability in himself that created a bond between the crowd and the man in only the way accepting someone when they try something new can. To lead by example in that difficult and personal way set a precedent for others to take into consideration what can be gained with honesty and vulnerability.
Danny taking a compliment
It is said that the moon represents illusion and that what might have been seen under the moonlight could have been skewed. Fred the Festival revealed the depth of misinterpretation held about what a music festival should look like. Many traveled far and wide to attend even just a day of FRED, but it was not simply a music festival to which they were so drawn. The seekers were drawn to an evolution from participants to chosen family that has occurred over the last year as a result of what Goose likes to call “getting involved.” A little over a year ago, many seekers met in chat boards during the virtual interactive Bingo Tour. As reopening began, many of the people that met and remained in contact through message boards and streaming chat rooms got to meet in person and form more personal connections.
Many felt the undying support and safety of this familial bond. Conditions like these made it possible for some to consider seeing their own inner beauty. Fred was a safe place to consider possibilities like being more athletic, or to smile genuinely in a photo.
So Ready
Disco gaggle
Fred the Festival was special because this time, it seemed like not only were most of the usual subjects present, but it was like some sort of family reunion. Those that were meeting for the first time appeared to connect through shared love for a mutual fan friend or their favorite show. The amount of streaming music Goose has put out over the last year has been a great unifier for fans.
Fearless leader and contributor to the “El Goose Times” Marc Komito, aka “Scarf Guy”
Attendees of Fred the Festival truly appeared to begin to reveal their true nature of filling familial gaps for those lonely or in need. Goose cane-wielding uncles were able to connect with grandparents of tie dye wearing sloth mayors.
Children attended and parents were rejuvenated by remembering what it was like to see live music for the first time and connect with others that shared the same values. Walking the pathways during the day or night seemed like endless reunion after reunion. Grand reunions, quick catchups and then boogying down to a song seemed to be the pattern repeating over and over.
Take Your Troubles
Brothers at boards
The complete synergy among the crew illuminated group flow with familial bonds stretching out further than the Goeddes. At front of house, the flow between Sam Bardini and Andrew Goedde was reminiscent of a synchronized wingsuit team. Sound and light existed as one and because Sam and Goedde can pivot and finesse knowing the other will by right there without having to speak. If they did take the time to talk about what adjustment they might make next, the moment would have been long gone.
Goedde flexing
This healthy, family relationship atmosphere reflects in both the product as well as the constant inspiration and motivation for everyone on crew to push their craft to the next level. This transcends the band, the crew and the attendees. Everyone seemed to be excited for another’s new venture as if they were a proud grandma.
Having a chance to be away from “real life” created a new space for gratitude as well as a space to accept new music. Fred removed any stress that might disallow the space to give new music a try. Some attendees recalled a time where listening to one song or one set helped sooth anxiety during shutdown. The signs of curiosity indicated for many that their mental space was improving as the country began some semblance of a reopening.
Cory finding optimal position for photosynthesis
Stand out performer Cory Wong captivated the audience with attention grabbing musical know-how, a charismatic band and his charming personality. There were no still feet to be found because everyone seemed to be up and dancing for Cory’s set. To win over an audience largely filled with fans that have only been out to see one act and one act only spoke volumes for those that took notice. One die hard “Gong Gang” member recalled giving Cory’s set a few minutes because the nautical shirt was reminiscent of Jeff’s sailor hat. That person ended up staying the whole set and could not wait to listen to more of Cory’s music on the way home.
The Don
Mayor Little Baby Crepes making his rounds
To travel far and wide to be with people that mean a lot and for one common connector, like Goose, had words like “family” and “vacation” being used a lot. It was rare to hear the words “music festival” because it felt like so much more than that.
Guess the song you think this face happened for!
Fred the Festival was the result of the entire Goose community working hard over the last year to cultivate an atmosphere that is conducive to those that might not normally consider a music festival an option. The Hot Tea Party on Facebook had a showing of fans in recovery and made sure to provide support for anyone that might have been struggling.
Metamorphasis
The festival allowed for participants to come together, play games, be themselves and have a safe space for contemplation. Led by a strong production and management team, the three-day music family vacation event felt extremely wholesome and like “pure happiness.”
Aptly named “Santa Todd” on instagram, one outlier story must not be overlooked. One couple found at one of the cornhole stations admitted to never having heard Goose before and shared that they were attending to see Dawes.
New fan Santa Todd
Santa Todd and Mrs. Santa (Michelle) ended up staying for both sets of Goose and quickly understood the draw.
Goose recently announced that their annual Goosemas show will be on December 12 at Mohegan Sun. Be sure to coordinate with Goose Family to get everyone covered for tickets. The presale lottery was reported to move slowly which is usually an indicator of a quick sell out.
Guitarist/composer Ramiro Marziani is taking the NYC music scene by storm using his international style influenced by a love for culture. The Argentinian-born musician has recently released his newest EP, Sep ’20: From a Living Room in Brooklyn, on Friday, August 13.
Marziani is a young, worldly guitarist based in Brooklyn, New York City. He has previously performed at venues across New York and Europe, from NYC’s Sony Hall, to Le Bal Blomet in Paris and Prague’s Jazz Dock. He has also made appearances at Austin, Texas’ SXSW festival, California WorldFest, and was even featured in a Polynesian string-inspired NPRTiny Desk Concert with ukulele virtuoso Taimane.
Music played an important role in Marziani’s life since the beginning. Marziani notes that his family’s influence inspired him to take up guitar, due part from Argentinian musical culture. After gravitating towards the guitar from a young age, he began taking the instrument seriously at 11 years old.
Old Spanish guitars were always sitting around my family home growing up, I had an intense curiosity to pick it up and start playing.
Ramiro Marziani
Marziani’s earliest inspiration was 80’s rock band Asia, after attending a concert of theirs with his father. The revolutionary rockers opened a new door for Marziani to explore endless genres of music, fueling his passion for all forms of musical expression. He enrolled in professional lessons, studying traditional Spanish guitar as well as rock and other genres as he got into his mid-teens.
1980’s supergroup Asia
When you’re young, you have an aesthetic ferocity to try an instrument. How it sounds, how it looks, what it does. For me, it was the guitar, and the Asia concert made me think “yeah, I’m doing this.”
Ramiro Marziani
His musical training continued into attending Berklee College of Music which sealed his future as a professional guitarist. After graduating from Berklee, Marziani moved to Brooklyn in search of bigger and better things. He uses New York as a headquarters for music production and performance in-between travels while he continues on his journey as a blossoming international artist.
NYC as a culture capital is very romantic to me, it’s filled with amazing musical talent and has provided me with inspiration that I had not found anywhere else.
Ramiro Marziani
Travel is apart of the magic for Marziani, allowing him to indulge in his love for discovering new forms of music. His style is self-described as “putting together techniques from everywhere” to create something truly unique; the exchange of knowledge and culture seems to make music so enticing for Marziani.
It’s the fact that I’m not a tourist, and I have immediate access to meeting and learning from the people of any place I visit, the people that come to your shows. This is the biggest prize for a musician like myself.
Ramiro Marziani
Marziani in the studio
Marziani’s professional studies have guided him to an intuitive way of music-making, comparable to an orchestral composer. His process of creating is much less focused on just throwing things out and seeing what sticks. Instead, he takes an intentional approach, focusing in on the conditions behind the creation of an album. This unique approach to musical artistry allows for a freeform fluidity between genres to properly fit the music’s intended role.
I strive to create an environment of composition with my music that leads into intentional improvisation and collaboration. I want to make things feel purposeful, no matter the genre.
Ramiro Marziani
Marziani released another EP, a meditation music guitar album titled Cielito Blue, in July 2020. Cielito Blue is a short 20-minute album of eight solo guitar songs, written with a service mindset rather than a purely artistic goal. Produced in the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, its purpose is to allow oneself to re-connect with the present, by quieting the mind through meditation, stretching, yoga or daily tasks.
Marziani’s newest EP, Sep ’20: From A Living Room in Brooklyn marks his return to the sound of high energy rock n’ roll guitar and extended jazz improvisation. The meditative period of Cielito Blue, is greatly juxtaposed by this new project, as Sep ’20 marks a return to normalcy.
Sep ’20: From a Living Room in Brooklyn, was recorded shortly after Cielito Blue, but was kept on the back burner while Marziani worked on other projects. It represents a fusion of cultures through collaborations with musicians from Brazil, Indonesia and Argentina. Best described as “jazz and American folk with a little rock n’ roll sugar,” be sure to expect some unique yet enchanting guitar rhythms.
Now is the right time to release Sep ’20, as it marks the moment in time when it was recorded, but allows us to celebrate that things are beginning to open up again.
Ramiro Marziani
Marziani looks to recreate a banjo-like sound through the electric guitar with first track, “Celtic Dreams.” “El Rio,” the second track, is a slower ballad where Argentine folk and country influence become present. The third and final song on the EP is titled “Oliver Oil”, which floats across dreamy Brazilian rhythms.
Other than creating and traveling, Marziani can be found teaching aspiring musicians of all ages as well as sharing various jam sessions and musical covers on Youtube. From just scrolling down his posts, ranging from Clapton to AC/DC and everything in-between, his musical ambiguity is clear.
Sep ’20: From A Living Room in Brooklyn is available now on all major streaming platforms. Stay up to date with all things Ramiro Marziani through his Instagram and website.
Lespecial, the heavy future groove trio from Kent, CT, is hitting the road for repeaTOUR an extensive run of shows this Fall. Including a show in Niagara Falls, NY and one in East Durham, NY for the Flyday Music Festival.
Dubbed “2021 Fall RepeaTOUR,” the jaunt is named after “Repeater,” a track on the band’s 2020 release, Ancient Homies. Starting on 10/1, the band will travel to upstate NY for a pair of shows, before heading to Portland, ME to support Pigeons Playing Ping Pong at the State Theatre on 10/8. Mid-October will see lespecial host “Le Getaway Part Deux,” a curated overnight music and camping experience at the beautiful Club Getaway in Kent, CT, with support from West End Blend and Cosmic Dust Bunnies. After a 10/28 play at Suwannee Hulaween in Live Oak, FL, lespecial will spend its’ favorite holiday in Asheville, NC for a Halloween throw-down at Asheville Music Hall.
November will see a handful of shows in the mid-Atlantic region, followed by a return to colorful Colorado on 12/2, where the band will headline Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom in Denver for the first time. After a visit to Fort Collins (12/3), the band will hole up at Old Town Pub in Steamboat Springs for two nights. Subsequent shows include a string of appearances in the Midwest with special guest Mike Dillon Band, including much-anticipated returns to Chicago, Indianapolis and Columbus. The tour concludes in Ferndale, MI on 12/18 at Otus Supply
Lespecial repeaTOUR Fall 2021
10/1 – Niagara Falls, NY – Rapids Theatre
10/2 – East Durham, NY – Flyday Music Festival
10/8 – Portland, ME – State Theatre (supporting PPPP)
10/16 – Kent, CT – Le Getaway – Club Getaway
10/28 – Live Oak, FL – Hulaween
10/31 – Asheville, NC – Asheville Music Hall
11/3 – Charlotte, NC – Heist Brewery & Barrel Arts
11/4 – Roanoke, VA – 5 Points Music Sanctuary
11/5 – Baltimore, MD – The 8×10 (w/ Kick The Cat)
11/6 – Asbury Park, NJ – Wonder Bar
11/12 – Ardmore, PA – Ardmore Music Hall (w/ Space Bacon)
12/2 – Denver, CO – Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom
12/3 – Fort Collins, CO – Aggie Theatre
12/4-12/5 – Steamboat Springs, CO – Old Town Pub
12/8 – Kansas City, MO – recordBar (w/s/g Mike Dillon Band)
12/10 – Chicago, IL – The Point (w/s/g Mike Dillon Band)
12/11 – Madison, WI – High Noon Saloon (w/s/g Mike Dillon Band)
12/12 – Milwaukee, WI – Colectivo (w/s/g Mike Dillon Band)
12/15 – Indianapolis, IN – The HiFi
12/16 – Grand Rapids, MI – The Stache
12/17 – Columbus, OH – The Summit
12/18 – Ferndale, MI – Otus Supply
For more information, and to purchase tickets for the Lespecial ReapeaTOUR visit: lespecial.net.
Phish began its three-night siege of Atlantic City last night with a concert on the beach that was a year in the making. Like most of this summer tour, this was the rescheduled date after being postponed last year due to the pandemic. With plenty of fans still masked up and partying safely, Phish more than made up for lost time with a show that surely stood out among the other customary bright lights along the iconic Jersey boardwalk.
photo: Dave DeCrescente
In a fitting nod to the locale, “Cars, Trucks, Buses,” the notable New Jersey Turnpike driving lane designation, was tapped to open the show. This gave way to an “AC/DC Bag” that followed, with Trey Anastasio ad-libbing a “put ’em on the beach” lyric much to the crowd’s delight. The ensuing jam bled nicely into “Blaze On” and Phish was off and running. The first set later featured an appearance from drummer Jon Fishman and his trusty vacuum for “I Didn’t Know” and an explosive “Funky Bitch” contained the first of two distinct “Fire” (Ohio Players) teases from Anastasio this evening. In an all too fitting selection, an exploratory “Sand” later closed out the opening set in grandiose fashion as fans danced and kicked it around on the beach.
In a move that surprised no one, the second set continues to be a warehouse of monstrous, type-II jamming from Phish and the first night of Atlantic City would prove no different. The intensity on the beach reached a new level once the opening notes of “Tweezer” rang loud and true. True to form, “Tweezer” could have been jammed out for the entire second set and there would have been few complaints. Instead, after an extended visit, the music slowly veered into the opening notes of another classic jam vehicle “Bathtub Gin.”
At one point, it seemed like the set could very well be just a few songs, all jammed extensively. Instead, Phish threw in a couple more songs, starting with the upbeat and uplifting “Everything’s Right.” A rambunctious “Possum” popped up later in the set, only to be steered directly into an intense “2001” that set off the entire beach into a synchronized frenzy. The late second set “Harry Hood” was perfectly placed and performed to perfection. However, fans will have to wait (at least) one more night for the anticipated “Tweezer Reprise” as the lone encore this evening was a cover of The Rolling Stones’ “Loving Cup,” leaving plenty on the table for nights two and three to follow.
photo: Dave DeCrescente
Setlists via Phish.net
Friday, August 13, 2021
Soundcheck: Theme From the Bottom, My Soul, We Are Come To Outlive Our Brains, Lonely Trip
Set 1: Cars Trucks Buses, AC/DC Bag > Blaze On, Wolfman’s Brother, I Didn’t Know, Funky Bitch, Rift, Sand
Set 2: Tweezer > Bathtub Gin > Everything’s Right > Possum > Also Sprach Zarathustra > Rise/Come Together > Harry Hood > More
Encore: Loving Cup
On Saturday, slow Llamas got Drowned as Phish took stage for night two of their three night run in Atlantic City. The Vermont quartet immediately set the tone with a slow “Llama” to get the funk going. Page McConnell immediately got scratching on his clavinet and stayed atop of the clav for more funk on “Tube” with Trey’s Wah pedal still in effect.
Any first set “Reba” that unfolds naturally like it did on Saturday immediately set the crowd off into a frenzy. A nod to beach side reggae ensues with Bob Marley’s “Soul Shakedown Party” The first set ended with Page’s solo over the quiet ocean for “Squirming Coil.”
photo: Dave DeCrescente
“I Never Needed You Like This Before” a new tune that breathes rock and roll while including Phishy tension. Roger Daltery’s words “Let me get back to the ocean, let me get back to the sea” carried across the Atlantic on a raucous cover of The Who’s “Drowned.” Trey and Page reunited on the wah funk pedals and clavinet during a second set “Ghost” that came full circle with Chris Kuroda’s lights and”No Quarter” by Led Zeppelin brought in another chilling cover for the night.
During the encore Phish sublimated the crowd with the “Life Beyond a Dream” before revisiting the “Tweezer” that started Set 2 Friday night, with “Tweezer Reprise” certainly sending everyone back to the dunes with a smile.
Saturday, August 14, 2021
Set 1: Llama[1], Tube, Destiny Unbound > Ya Mar, 46 Days, Reba[2], Soul Shakedown Party, Split Open and Melt, The Squirming Coil
Set 2: I Never Needed You Like This Before, Drowned > Ghost -> Scents and Subtle Sounds[3] > Chalk Dust Torture[4] > No Quarter > Slave to the Traffic Light > Suzy Greenberg
Encore: A Life Beyond The Dream, Tweezer Reprise
[1] Performed in slow, funk style
[2] No whistling
[3] Did not contain the intro
[4] Unfinished
Never miss a Sunday show. It’s been a mantra for Phish fans since the 1990s, and once again the band delivered an excellent closing to what could easily become a regular stop for the band.
Opening up with the rare “The Landlady” caught everyone’s attention shortly before 8pm. The band dipped into the intro section of “Scents and Subtle Sounds,” which clocks in at under two minutes, but the final line “the moment never ends” segued perfectly, and lyrically, into “The Moma Dance.” Fans who caught this subtle connection were elated, but who couldn’t be when a 16 minute “Moma” was in store for the beach. A well placed “Mike’s Groove” filled the middle of the set, while an energetic 20-minute “You Enjoy Myself” closed the set.
A fiery “Carini” lit up the beach to start the final hurrah of the weekend, leading into “Set Your Soul Free,” giving a release of energy for the thousands elated to be dancing to live music once again. The most perfect placement for the weekend goes to “Beneath a Sea of Stars Part 1” which followed. The timing of this serene and at times ambient number from Ghosts of the Forest has found a home in the exhaust of jams, breathing new life for the crowd here together.
A top notch “Piper” followed, a highlight of the weekend for some, with the requisite “Waves” following and sending fans into the ocean, if they hadn’t been already. The set closed with “First Tube,” as energetic as ever, and setting the stage for a double encore of “Fluffhead” and “Backwards Down the Number Line.”
For a weekend on the shore, amid concerns of large gatherings, Phish pulled off a memorable as ever run of shows in Atlantic City, ones that stand free of time as their best in America’s Playground.
Set 1: The Landlady, Scents and Subtle Sounds[1] > The Moma Dance[2] > The Final Hurrah > Mike’s Song > I Am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove, The Sloth, Roggae > Back on the Train, You Enjoy Myself
Set 2: Carini > Set Your Soul Free > Beneath a Sea of Stars Part 1 > Piper -> Carini > Waves > Simple > About to Run, First Tube
Encore: Fluffhead > Backwards Down the Number Line
[1] Intro only[2] Unfinished Scents and Subtle Sounds was only the intro. The Moma Dance had a Scents and Subtle Sounds tease and was unfinished. Mike’s Song had a Strawberry Letter 23 tease from Trey. Set Your Soul Free had teases of I’m a Man, Carini, and Linus and Lucy. The soundcheck’s jam contained Soul Planet quotes from Trey.
