The Resonance Music and Arts Festival has recently announced its initial 2021 lineup featuring multiple sets from Resonance alumni, including Tipper, Lotus, Lettuce, Papadosio, Umphrey’s McGee and many more. The fest will run from September 16-18 at a new location – Marvin’s Mountaintop Campground in Masontown, West Virginia.
The lineup announcement comes on the heels of a recent change in location for the fest, now taking place at Marvin’s Mountaintop. Cooper’s Lake in Slippery Rock, PA hosted the festival in 2019, after a five-year run at Legend Valley in Thornville, OH.
We’re so happy we have a new home for Resonance at Marvin’s Mountaintop. Despite all of the challenges we’ve encountered, we’re looking forward to a fantastic weekend with a ton of incredible artists.
Casey Schneider – Founder of Resonance Fest
Resonance Festival will continue its tradition of special sets from a range of performers, including a mountain sunrise set from Tipper and a sunset set from jam-band Spafford. The special sets continue with “TAUKing Wonder,” a Stevie Wonder tribute set and Keller Williams’ “Grateful Grass,” a “psychedelic bluegrass” set inspired by the Grateful Dead.
Papadosio at Resonance 2019 Photo Credit: Keith Griner
Known for providing a blended lineup ranging from electronic to instrument-driven music with everything in between, Resonance is expected to stay true to form this year. In the past, the Resonance Festival 2021 has featured art tents, light shows, interactive displays, and scenic views.
In the coming weeks, attendees can expect updates on lineup additions, visual artists, activities, and more. Tickets are on sale now through the event website with weekend, RV, car, camping and VIP packages available.
Resonance Fest 2019 Recap Video Credit: Sacred StoryWeavers
Scaling back an annual weekend of music and art in Burlington, VT, Higher Ground will present Double Down, with Twiddle performing at the Midway Lawn at Champlain Valley Expo on Friday, August 6 and Saturday, August 7.
The annual Tumble Down weekend, headlined by two nights of Twiddle with multiple bands performing each day as well as late night at Nectar’s and Higher Ground, will be scaled back as Double Down this year. Offering two nights of music along with support acts, fans can enjoy Twiddle’s annual Burlington summer jaunt as they have since 2015.
On August 6, Robert Banks Trio will open for Twiddle, while on August 7, Gubbilidis and Frends will kick off the night.
Tickets are $49 advance, $53 day of show, and $79 2-day pass. Gates open at 5:30pm, with the show starting at 7pm. Both shows are all ages, with children 12 & under are free. $2 of each ticket sold will help to combat Vermont’s opioid crisis. Tickets are now on sale at highergroundmusic.com
Higher Ground has a few other concerts planned at Champlain Valley Exposition. On Wednesday, July 28, Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats performs, with The Marcus King Band and Tre Burt. Tuesday August 3 will find Billy Strings on the shores of Lake Champlain, and on Saturday, October 2 Primus will perform, with Wolfmother opening.
Each Sunday evening from 7-9pm you’ll find EQXposure on WEQX, featuring two hours of local music from up and coming artists. Tune into WEQX.com this Sunday night to hear new music fromthe Grandstand Jockeys, Timbre Coup and many more!
WEQX has long been the preeminent independent station in the Capital Region of New York, broadcasting from Southern VT to an ever-expanding listening audience. NYS Music brings you a preview of artists to discover each week, just a taste of the talent waiting to be discovered by fans like you.
The Grandstand Jockeys
The Grandstand Jockeys’ debut EP, Win, arrives on June 18. Its first single, “Better Days,” is a nostalgic call to long-past good times, holding out hope for their eventual return. The song is especially timely in the wake of many COVID-19 restrictions being lifted: “Time to begin, the time is now / Get yourself off the ground.” The Grandstand Jockeys’ Facebook page describes their sound as a mix of Tom Petty, Nirvana and QOTSA, but “Better Days” has the former written all over it.
Timbre Coup
Timbre Coup’s latest single, “Running Always,” is an indie rock piece that occasionally delves into prog and funk. The song’s scarce lyrics contrast its vast, sometimes trippy soundscape, replete with a sweeping electric guitar that wouldn’t sound out of place on OK Computer. The four-piece band from Albany will release their fourth studio album, Sudden Urge, on June 25.
Ciarra Fragale
Indie-pop singer-songwriter Ciarra Fragale’s self-titled EP is out on July 2. Described by Fragale as “a love letter to my anxiety (and yours),” single “It’s Only Raining” isn’t concerned with the weather so much as the stressful hypothetical situations our brains create for us. Fragale’s vocals are effortless yet passionate, and the staccatoed keys will stay with you long after listening.
Preference in music is the very definition of subjectivity, definitively so in fact. Whereas reviewing a live show is more of a this is what happened and what it felt like to be there kind of thing, album reviews, on the other hand, tend to read like conclusive statements of what the reader will hear, feel, or whether the album’s intent will resonate with the reader/listener in any deeper sense. Really though, who am I to lay claim on how an artist’s creation might reach you?
That ledge is the only thing I ever see
I am the sum of my experiences, each and every one of which led me to this time and place and all serve to inform my unique perspective. So to feign objectivity or pass off an album review as anything more than my proprietary interaction with an artist’s intent would be to serve the reader a forced helping of bullshit.
Born in the heat to keep it always out of my reach
Rick Mitarotonda, lead guitarist, vocalist, and chief songwriter for Goose, had this to say with respect to the intent behind his art, “Music at its best form, really encompasses everything that its creators are experiencing. But yeah, it comes back to the point that I think if there is a spiritual intention behind the music you create, whether or not it’s being spelled out… but trying your best to express what’s authentic to you, if that happens to be a spiritual thing, maybe someone will resonate with it and maybe it will open some kind of door for them in some way.”
Grab on a hold each treasure while you gobefore they turn to sand this man is all alone
*Perhaps* as intended by the artist, but *definitely* as needed by my circumstance, Goose’s latest album reached this audience of one in a heightened state of readiness. “A nine-track collection of music written over the past decade, Shenanigans Nite Clubpresents musings on a journey through life and a quest for fulfillment, all while saluting the important figures along the way.” As this past year has been one of pervasive loss followed by global healing, never has my quest been more heightened. Perhaps our suffering has differed on both an individual and global scale, but as sure as you’re reading these words, we’re still here, which isn’t to minimize the permanent loss of death experienced by so many, but rather to celebrate the collective transcendence and fulfillment of those who remain.
So ready for this
The opening track to Goose’s first album in five years actually debuted six years ago. A live staple of the modern era setlist dressed up for the studio, “So Ready” and its accompanying instrumental, “(s△ttelite),” are high-energy, disco funk dance tracks whose message is short, sweet, and, like all good art, timely as hell.
Take it slow, I’m burning baby you know
In addition to having an exponentially high fun quotient as a live offering, “Madhuvan’” references the story of Dhruva and his quest for enlightenment, originally written in the Bhagavata Purana. The song is an exploratory journey, examining life’s most beautiful offerings and most dangerous pitfalls.” Wait, what?!?!
If I had it all, if I had it all, what life would leave me satisfied?
Even as its live counterpart often clocks in at twice the length, “Madhuvan” jams twenty minutes of perfection into a ten-minute track, reminding us that on the path to enlightenment, the joy *is* the journey. “SOS” (Same Old Shenanigans)–another old, new song that debuted in 2018 and has only been played live three times–will likely see more play and exploration once summer tour resumes. In the narrative of the album and the pursuit of higher awareness, it warns of the perils and false idols draw our attention.
The power of bottles and cans, when do the answers arrive?
As “Dawn” metaphorically ushers in a new day, that ledge is no longer the only thing I see. Beginning with a reverse chorus, Dawn is the album’s pivotal track, bridging past, present, and future. Says Mitarotonda, “[I] envisioned someone stepping away from this crazy party scene (SOS) and having a moment of self-realization and growth occurring.” One of just two tracks to debut on the album, this stunning and reflective track has yet to be performed live.
It’s a new life creeping out
Literally speaking, “Flodown” could very well be the end of the very same day ushered in by the rising sun of its predecessor, but to me is more likely the backend of a symbolic pilgrimage. While these consecutive tracks couldn’t be more divergent sonically (think square dance vs. acid trip), they are more connected than at first they appear, especially with ambient drones bridging the tracks as lyrical day turns to night.
Been sweatin’ in the haze all day, and somethin’s gotta take this edge away
On the heels of what is likely the most fun song in the Goose catalog, “Spirit Of The Dark Horse” brings an abrupt end to the “rowdiest shindig I ever seen,” at once snapping our attention back to serpentine spirits lying in wait and hiding in plain sight–the devil you know and all that. A serious track, the levity of its intent is inextricably woven into Mitatotonda’s piercing guitar even as Anspach’s keys lighten the outro. Written in 2014, “Dark Horse” and its newly named but accompanying jam “(7hunder)” have recently returned to the live rotation with widespread fan approval after being released as the album’s first single in March of this year.
Dark he fights, won’t let the night steal our soul
If one singular track is to define this record, let it be “The Labyrinth.” A musical odyssey and compositional masterpiece, this wordless juggernaut leaves all interpretation to the listener. Personally, I imagine it to be a reflective trip back through time, not just through the previous eight tracks but through the lifelong journey that brought me to this time and place. You know the old saying, “If I knew then what I know now?” Well, with its happy chords and its bounding solos, its acoustic sentiment and its electric joy, “The Labyrinth” hearkens that passage of time with a heavy sense of accomplishment, of knowing. And what could be more appropriate for a song first written by Mitarotonda for his *high school* band–The Shenanigans, ha!– that we are just hearing now for the first time. “It’s the very old, new thing,” he admits. And while its title suggests a complicated irregular network of paths in which it is difficult to find one’s way, its effect is to imbue the listener with a feeling of having conquered the maze that is life. Transcendence. As the song reaches its conclusion and the track fades away, Peter Anspach’s heartfelt laughter is the last thing we hear. Perfect, just absolutely perfect.
An intricate composition, “The Labyrinth” is an ambitious track even for the studio. Having never been performed live and with summer tour just a few days away, my loins tingle with excitement as I contemplate how this compositional piece will debut in the improvisational setting of a live show. This could easily be the best piece of music in the catalog.
Deep into the forest he will go
I came for the party in the woods, but I stayed because I found a place where my insides match my outsides. The Flodown may have drawn me in, but The Spirit Of The Dark Horse cast its spell. The Universe makes no mistakes, and the emergence of this music and the people it brought into my life are amongst the beautiful offerings that elevated me as I confronted my demons. The human body is an incredible machine, the mind the world’s finest supercomputer. Given our instinctive ability to adapt, getting stuck in The Same Old Shenanigans is almost too easy. Echoing Rick Mitarotonda’s thoughts, “It’s hard to really need to dig, to need to seek when you’re comfortable. Life has a way of driving you to certain places. You’re not going to … start asking questions in a very poignant way until (you) need to.”
No more demon roars
A forced helping of uncomfortability left me So Ready for heady excavation. Now, over a year later, revelations on the personal front, coupled with a change in national leadership and baby steps toward Uniting our States have freed us from our collective Labyrinth. In addition to a seemingly overnight emergence from a year-long pandemic, the stage has been set for an artististic, cultural, and individual Renaissance of biblical proportion. Dawn. If you find yourself unwilling or unable to experience the beauty of the rising sun, consider this timeless quote, “A skeptic is a person who, when he sees the handwriting on the wall, insists it is a forgery.”
Pure pure pure
In a world where authenticity is in woefully short supply, Shenanigans Nite Club is refreshing and honest. But it wasn’t easy. “While we’ve been touring, the record has been happening in the background,” says Mitarotonda. “It’s been quite the process. At times, it was difficult. The record is a companion to those growing pains.” A testament to longevity, focus, hard work, growth, and friendship, it’s also proof positive that everything happens for a reason. Darkness both follows and precedes light. And vice versa. But don’t take the meaning that I found in it, give it a listen and let it speak to you. Can’t wait to see y’all out there as we trudge the road of Happy Destiny.
Tanglewood, the home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, has announced a significant increase in capacity from the previously announced attendance cap of 25% to 50% for the 2021 Tanglewood Season this July 9 – Aug 16.
The decision is in response to recent health and safety issuances by the Centers for Disease Control, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and Berkshires’ Tri-Town Health Department, as well as feedback from the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s own team of experts – including 9Foundations.
In support of regulations set by the Tri-Town Health Department and the Lenox and Stockbridge health boards, Tanglewood will limit attendance capacity to 9,000—50% of its usual capacity of 18,000. With this significant increase in capacity, they will now be able to welcome up to 2,400 patrons inside the Shed and 6,600 patrons on the lawn. While physical distancing will no longer be enforced on the lawn, the approximate 50% capacity will ensure ample space for voluntary physical distancing should patrons choose that option.
Tanglewood will now maintain three-feet physical distancing between patron parties seated in the Koussevitzky music shed for all Boston Symphony Orchestra related performances, from July 9 through Aug 16. In addition, they will no longer require patrons to wear masks, though it is recommend masking and physical distancing for people who are unvaccinated based on Center for Disease Control guidelines.
The new 9,000 overall capacity limit also applies to the new 2021 Popular Artists schedule, though there will be no capacity restrictions in the Koussevitzky Music Shed. Performances that have been rescheduled for later this summer include:
Brandi Carlile, with opening artist Mavis Staples, originally scheduled for July 27, will now perform on Aug 21, with ticket sales resuming on Monday, June 21.
Judy Collins, Richard Thompson, and Jesse Colin Young, originally scheduled for June 20, will now perform on Aug 22, with ticket sales resuming on Monday, June 21.
Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me will take place on the originally scheduled date of Aug 26,with tickets on sale now.
Performances by James Taylor, Ringo Starr, and The Mavericks & Los Lobos, originally scheduled to take place on June 17, June 27 and Aug 31, respectively, have been rescheduled for the 2022 Tanglewood Season. The Trey Anastasio concert Scheduled on June 19 and the John Legend concert on August 28 have been canceled.
Additional tickets affected by the 50% capacity change will go on sale to the public on Monday, June 21. Existing ticket inventory remains on sale now. To stay up to date on shows, see highlights from the season, and acquire tickets visit the BSO website.
For more information about safety guidelines and protocol visit the Safe and Sound section on the BSO website.
Fresh off a triumphant three-night headlining run at the world-renowned Red Rocks Amphitheatre the previous weekend, Philadelphia’s own Disco Biscuits took to the court at the new Westville Music Bowl in New Haven, CT.
Over June 4-5, an instant classic run took flight, with the venue making the best of the end of COVID-19 restrictions and raising the bar for outdoor venues everywhere.
The former tennis stadium that had seen the likes of tennis legends such as Andre Agassi and Martina Navratilova perform at historic levels seemed primed for a special weekend of the improvisational, electronic-rock hybrid, nicknamed “Trancefusion,” that the band invented back on Halloween night 1997 when keyboardist Aron Magner introduced his Roland JP-8000 synthesizer. This one piece of hardware threw the rulebook out the window. Old and new fans embraced and smiled everywhere as the band sauntered out onto the stage for the beginning of what will surely be a signpost of this wonderful post-COVID iteration of the band.
While everything felt new and refreshed, the connection between the band might be the very best that we know in the jamband scene (one cannot imagine how many in attendance had seen well over 100 concerts – when I say obsession I mean it). This was made increasingly evident by the fact that the set list for the evening had been co-written by two fans along with bassist Marc Brownstein. The opening “Safety Dance,” a Men Without Hats cover that has become a staple of the Biscuits’ live experience got everyone dancing right from the start.
As the first improvisation of the weekend coalesced, the slinky funk riffs of “Mr. Don” sprang from guitarist Jon Barber and already everyone in attendance was out of control with delight. The jam after the lyrical portion of “Don” started to slow in pace as the opening notes of “Rocket Science,” a newer Barber original instrumental created a long volley between band and crowd, a give-and-take of energy so crucial to the live experience and so missed over the last 18 months.
With a slick little change the band locked into the fan-favorite of “Aceetobee,” which with its message of newfound freedom rang much more true than any time this writer can remember. The juxtaposition of the jazzy, darker key of “Aceetobee” and the pure 1977 disco vibe of the Giorgio Moroder/Donna Summer classic “I Feel Love” was brilliant and worked as a nice way to tap into the glorious vein of tennis puns permeating the last few months since the show’s announcement. However, that cheery vibe was short-lived as the band had a change of plans up their sleeve and violently closed out the opening set with “Confrontation,” the climactic zenith of Brownstein’s rock opera, “Chemical War Brigade.”
After a comfortably long break in the action the band surprised the crowd with an opener of “Sister Judy’s Soul Shack,” a personal favorite that had not been played since 12/28/17. Now I know they tell you that you can’t always get what you want, but it seemed as though the entire venue was getting what it needed. This little gift was quickly forgotten for the intense jam into the Biscuits original “Helicopters;” a song close to my heart as it was played at my very first show 21 years ago a few miles down the road at another classic New Haven venue, Toad’s Place.
The band, keeping everyone on their feet, segued out of “Helicopters” into a massive, metal-styled intro to the maniacal tune “Munchkin Invasion” – the crowd erupted with delight. This segment of “Helicopters-> Munchkin-> Helicopters-> Munchkin” will surely be held high as a highlight of this magnificent run in the Elm City and explored the creative genius of keyboardist Aron Magner and drummer Allen Aucoin. With so many changes in both tempo and texture, this doubles team made it look easy.
As the set came to a close Jon Barber showed everyone why the return of “Sister Judy’s” was so special earlier as he shredded the ending and brought the crowd to ecstatic heights. A quick but happy run-through of the Brownstein tune “Naeba,” only its second encore appearance since being debuted back in ’09, sent the crowd out to chaotically search for Ubers and Lyfts with smiles on their faces – advantage, Disco Biscuits.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whyagg28Djc
Saturday brought beautiful sun, slightly aggressive heat, but much less humidity – a perfect Connecticut day to enjoy the sights and sounds of the City while trying to consume as much a pizza from Sally’s, Pepe’s, Bar, and Modern as humanly possible (what can I say, I like the pie in New Haven). The party got started with “7-11” and never looked back. As the crowd settled into the stadium the band settled into a fierce jam that truly expressed the joy and elation painted across everyone’s face.
After such a whirlwind performance the night before it felt as though the atmosphere was super patient and had a delightfully old school vibe, nothing was out tonight, we were all just happy to be ‘relaxin’ with the Disco Biscuits once again. Slowly, like an old friend’s voice you hadn’t heard in years, the opening notes to another 1995 Biscuits original “Pat & Dex” reared its head for only the second time since late 2015 (last time played was 5/26/18) and the song never sounded so nice. Maybe this song has a brand new mission and this won’t be the last we hear of it this year, one can only hope.
Once the three-part jazz odyssey was finished the band took a much-welcomed break as fans could not contain their excitement anymore and let the four guys from Philadelphia know that the band they put together was serving up aces that some more pessimistic fans might not have thought possible after such a long layoff – the band had kept itself busy during COVID closures though and it showed. The Frank Zappa classic “Pygmy Twylyte” got the crowd right back into it as the venue security, who were amazing all weekend, desperately tried to stay the ever-vigilant line judges in the pit – but the emotions were just too high.
The jam out of the Zappa cover shape-shifted yet again, the guttural, repetitive bass line to the newer Barber instrumental “4th of July” gave the crowd a little bit of a respite before careening off into the ether itself in swirling synths delivered by Aron Magner – the guy is a mad scientist of melody and has more hooks than a New England fisherman. The patience was evident once again as Jon Barber waited just to the very last second of a beat to introduce the song “The Great Abyss,” an Aron Magner creation debuted once Allen Aucoin had taken his seat as Biscuit drummer previously filled by Dr. Samuel Altman. Barber’s two-note hook, affectionately named the “Beep Boops” by the crowd, was delivered perfectly on time and might be the smoothest segue I have heard in years. While short, the song propelled the Biscuits past all competition once again and found its denouement in the ridiculously well written Biscuit classic “Story of the World.” The energy in the stadium once again peaked and proved once this band just gets setlist development better than almost any other band I’ve seen outside of the Grateful Dead.
The final set of this instant classic run at the Westville Music Bowl began with “Strobelights & Martinis,” an instrumental harvested from a segment of improvisation the band first performed on September 1, 2001 in the famous New York underground venue The Wetlands Preserve. On Saturday, “Strobelights” served as the perfect opener to one of my favorite sets of music I’ve seen live from this band in over 200 shows.
The jam was instantly ratcheted up by drummer and rumored robot Allen Aucoin, the guy is a machine – do yourselves a solid and take a few moments every jam to listen to exactly what is happening behind that kit and thank me later. As the main theme to the ascending action of the song “Above the Waves” crested the crowd and the band found each other in the midst of one of the more interesting techniques of setlist magic the Biscuits have ever introduced to the music world – an inversion. An “inverted” version of a song occurs when the band jams from one song into the middle or end of another song (depending on the number of parts in said song).
Once that newly introduced song ends, the band slides back into its beginning without missing a beat – it’s something they have been doing since 1999 and a hallmark of their unique vision of the future of music. The peak of this “Waves” was skull-crushing and I am convinced that the Westville Music Bowl left the ground, ala the Hampton Coliseum’s nifty little trick down in Hampton, VA. This was Bisco, a term coined early on in the band’s tenure to explain the ineffable quality of their music to cleanse one’s soul and wash away the stresses of normal life even if only briefly; it’s what makes fans come back time and time again.
After the lyrical section of “Waves” was done (the only song with lyrics of the entire set) the jam took flight and once again Magner constructed a multilayered behemoth that ominously found itself toying with the penultimate jam song in the band’s catalog “Basis for a Day.” With its barbaric yawp of “lyrics,” the band and audience bellowed into the heavens and released so much pent-up energy that many were left stone still and gaping in disbelief at the level of intensity the evening had reached. The Tractorbeam jam, a dizzying use of samples and Ableton Live the band has been introducing in different ways, was vibrating the soul of everyone there. It’s better heard than explained.
With a sly return to the set opening “Strobelights” and an elated coda of “Basis,” the band closed what is going to be a fan favorite weekend for years to come. The whole deal was sealed with a note-perfect rendition of another new Barber instrumental named “Station” (perfectly suited as an encore) and a slide into the ending of the show opening “7-11.”
They say one should always leave them wanting more, but for Biscuit fans there is never enough – never enough.
The Sea.Hear.Now Festival has announced their return to Asbury Park, New Jersey this year and has revealed their long-awaited lineup. Big names like Pearl Jam, Billy Idol and the Smashing Pumpkins are topping the bill.
The annual fest will take place September 18-19 this year, showcasing live music alongside surfing demos by professional wave surfers on Asbury’s North Beach.
Pearl Jam, The Avett Brothers, Lord Huron, Patti Smith and Her Band, Patti Scialfa and more will take the stage on Saturday, September 18. The Smashing Pumpkins, Billy Idol, Dirty Heads, Grouplove, Orville Peck and more will close out the weekend of music on Sunday, September 19.
New additions to the music lineup include R&B singer/songwriter Cory Henry, as well as rockers White Denim and Strand of Oaks.
Sea.Hear.Now’s world-class lineup of surfers, including 2018 New Jersey Female Surfer of the Year Cassidy McLain, will compete in daily North Beach Expression Sessions. Expression Sessions are “soulful” alternatives to the traditional surf meet, where top surfers come together to show off their best moves. At Sea.Hear.Now, surfers will be grouped into sets of five, where they will have 30 minutes to catch as many waves as they can. The scoring system is based on the surfer’s creativity and style in each ride.
Art installations are the main centerpieces of the event, accenting the beauty of the shoreline. Murals and recycled surfboards will create a walkway arch down the sand called “Stoke Henge,” and Danny Clinch’s Transparent Gallery Pop Up will be on display this year.
According to festival staff, organizers are in regular communication with local health and public safety officials and will follow current recommendations and guidelines at the time of the festival. Patrons will receive regular updates regarding procedures, which will also be shared on their social media.
A limited number of two-day General Admission Tickets are available to purchase now on the Sea.Hear.Now ticket website. Children ages seven and under may attend for free alongside a ticketed adult.
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
