On March 26th, Long Island funk trio Baked Shrimp released their second studio album, Conscious. Known to many as Long Island’s best kept secret, Baked Shrimp has been expanding their audience and have had sit-ins from Brandon “Taz” Niederauer and Ryan Dempsey of Twiddle.
Cover art by Scott Reill
The band, who were among the finalists on NYS Music’s March Madness bracket, intended to release Conscious in time for their 2020 summer tour, but had to be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Within this time gap, Lon “Conscious” Gellman—a close friend and loyal fan of Baked Shrimp—passed away. To honor Lon’s memory, the band named their album after his nickname.
Conscious has been in production since February of 2020, and was recorded in Patchogue, NY with help from Nick and Mike Rufolo of The Brothers Nylon who assisted in recording, mixing, and performing on all 10 tracks. The album’s final mix was done by Anthony Cimino at Mojo Music Studio in Franconia, New Hampshire.
Throughout Conscious, layers of horns, strings, keyboards, and synthesizers create musical textures that come together to create the defining ‘Baked Shrimp sound.’
The first track of the album, “NO2-4U,” is a fitting start, beginning with a classical acoustic guitar introduction that captures the listener and builds into a lively jam full of funky horn lines that drive the energy of the song.
Across the album, one thing you will always notice is the proficiency of each musician. The rhythm is always locked, the bass is grooving and locked in with the drums kick.
Each of the many instrumental, jam sections found in songs throughout the album fit the moment well and create bridges that effectively link to later sections. These moments help keep the energy of the track, but also allows the band to breath a little bit and show their chops.
Baked Shrimp performing in April 2021
“Rosa” is a good example of the dynamic instrumentals mentioned in the last paragraph. The track begins with a mellow but upbeat instrumental section that is carried by the spacey sound of the guitar and keyboard.
This instrumental section returns later in the track, except this time with more layers of keyboard and synthesizer parts that lift the energy, which is carried through the rest of the song until its end.
“Down the Drain” is riff heavy and has a very progressive-rock influenced sound. It definitely has a harder sound than most of the tracks on the album, but it shows the versatility of Baked Shrimp’s sound.
Now we can only look forwards to the days when more venues reopen and tours start rolling again, so Baked Shrimp can showcase the work they put into Conscious to a larger audience.
While opportunities for gigs are sparse now, Baked Shrimp was lucky enough to play at Lambrou’s Hall in Island Park, NY on April 3rd. In this show, the band was able to play through all of Conscious, as well as debut three other original songs. Baked Shrimp will soon be releasing full video and audio of the event.
There are big things in store for fans of Baked Shrimp. The band is eager to show their hard work to audiences around New York state and the country.
The Great South Bay Music Festival has announced that they will be postponing their event this year. Instead, this Long Island festival is rescheduled to July 7-10, 2022. With the loss of both the 2020 and 2021 festivals to the pandemic, this is a heavy disappointment. However, the health and safety of everyone are of utmost importance.
All 2020 and 2021 tickets will be honored for GSB 2022. No further action is necessary, and holding onto these tickets will also protect you from expected price increases next year. However, if this is not a viable option, GSB will offer refunds and provide information shortly.
Additionally, The Tedeschi Trucks Band‘s Wheels of Soul Tour has also been postponed and will now be performing at the Great South Bay Music Festival in 2022. The rest of the headliners for this event will be confirmed very soon, so stay tuned.
As an independent festival, GSB has acknowledged its lack of support and safety net compared to more prominent festivals. With close monitoring of lifted restrictions and a rise in the number of cases, GSB believes their decision will benefit everyone in the long run. The festival wishes to provide its audience with an authentic and lively experience, which would best take place next year.
Along with the rescheduled Great South Bay Music Fest dates, a “re-imagined” festival is in the works. This multi-day festival called EBB-Fest will take place October 1-3 at Shorefront Park. EBB-Fest is a tribute to the retreat and falling of this pandemic. This event will present a few national acts but be more focused on supporting local artists, serving as a celebration of the death of this virus and an opportunity to share live music!
Great South Bay Music Fest Shares:
I can honestly say that all of us here at GSB love and miss you, our fest family. We can’t wait to be walking through the crowd, hearing the music and seeing the smiles on all of your faces again, with the cool breeze and backdrop of the magnificent Great South Bay!
Two words succinctly sum up the driving force behind the first ever Phish show at Nassau Coliseum: Island Tour. It’s the impromptu run of shows that are now viewed as essential elements of Phish lore. As the legend goes, the band was preparing to record their new album and wanted to test run some of the new songs. The previous year saw them at the height of their powers to date so a last minute tour announcement was sure to have few issues. And, somehow, Phish had never played Nassau Coliseum before. This all changed with the Island Tour and an opening show that saw new songs debuted and older ones stretched out in the new, infectiously funky sound the band had begun to hone.
There’s no time wasted this evening, as Phish thoroughly rips a “Tube” opener to the delight of the Nassau Coliseum crowd. Page McConnell on keys drives the jam in its early stages with heavy clavichord work. After that, it’s not long before the band is in full funk mode with a digital delay loop in full effect, picking right up where 1997 left off. This “Tube” is a great sign of things to come. The band seems locked in from the get-go as they stretch this one to nearly eight minutes.
After a quick conference, “My Mind’s Got A Mind Of Its Own” is the selection, filling the customary bluegrass spot that was more prevalent at this point in time. Bassist Mike Gordon nails the lyrics before this quick one ends with a flourish on piano from McConnell. “Sloth” emerges next to the delight of the crowd as Phish takes a quick trip to Gamehendge. Despite some lyric fumbling from Trey, they’re able to make it out of this one fairly unscathed. “NICU” follows this which sees drummer Jon Fishman in fine fashion keeping the time on this older Phish tune. Afterwards, Trey makes his now famous comment about the band “being bored at home” and “wanting to do some shows.”
Then, the first song with some real exploration since “Tube” comes next in a complex “Stash”. It features some early dissonant playing from Anastasio on guitar that the band uses as fuel for this particular jam. Before long, Phish has filled Nassau with a dark, foreboding jam that’s accentuated by a menacing light show. The digital delay loop then makes another appearance as the jam then shifts into a near ambient space. It stays in this mode for a while, with the band patiently crafting this one. It’s a truly exploratory section that yields little payout, however. Instead of bringing it back around to the finish, the jam slowly trickles out and the opening chords of “Horn” ring out.
Trey shows a little rust on the guitar solo, but overall it’s a harmless effort that wraps up quickly. “Waste” comes up next, a popular track from Billy Breathes, their most recent studio album. Trey nails his part on this one, as it finishes with an inspirational flourish. Then, as if to make up for the last two “slower” songs, an absolutely incendiary “Chalkdust Torture” wraps up the first set. Immediately, Anastasio is in rapid-fire mode on guitar for this “Torture” which seems like it’s intentionally sped up. The rest of the band is up to the challenge though. Gordon on bass goes tit-for-tat with Trey while Page pounds away on the baby grand on this simply (and literally) electric Phish classic that sends the Nassau crowd into set break.
But you don’t have to take my word for it. Check out the nice fan-shot video footage of the first set below or here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gehEr7EOLn0
The second set picks right back up with a return trip to Gamehendge courtesy of “Punch You In The Eye.” Once again, Phish exhibits impeccable patience and craftmanship as they deftly stretch out the intro to this one, much to the delight of the Nassau crowd. The rest of the calypso-style rocker is played to perfection, with Gordon shining on bass throughout.
“Simple” fills the two-spot for the second set, and after a standard composed section, eventually yields a spiritual instrumental jam spearheaded by Anastasio. Majestic, soaring guitar lines help create an incredible soundscape on one of the better extended pieces of improvisation this evening. As the jam winds down to a standstill, the choice is then made to drop the debut of a brand new song. The first ever “Birds Of A Feather” then leaves the nest, soon to be featured on the band’s upcoming Story Of The Ghost album they would record the following week. Instantly, everyone can tell this song has a bright future as another digital delay loop and some intense wah-wah from Trey warmly welcome this one to the live Phish catalog.
After some more banter from Trey about the new tune and upcoming album, the familiar opening chords of “Wolfman’s Brother” ring out. Gordon’s bass seems to has a little extra “pop” on this one and helps power yet another funk-fueled excursion. Eventually, McConnell reintroduces some more heavy clav sound and Phish ever so subtly slides right into their cover of Robert Palmer’s “Sneakin’ Sally Through The Alley.”
But there would be no customary vocal jam accompanying this “Sally” – the funk is too deep. Instead, the jazz-shuffle jam that had developed wanders for a bit before taking a turn to the dark side and into the debut of “Frankie Says.” This harrowingly beautiful number, with McConnell on lead vocals here, would also wind up featured on Story Of The Ghost. Although it hasn’t been played live in nearly six years now.
The final major improv of the evening then follows in the form of “Twist.” Once the opening vocals are out of the way, this one takes off with a another frenetic jam with McConnell emitting a myriad of tones and styles on keys with Fishman playing in metronome-like fashion on drums. An inspired Trey on guitar helps give this jam yet another ethereal feel that soon devolves into outright ambience with a drumbeat.
Phish then wraps up the second set of their first ever show at Nassau Coliseum with a couple of crowd favorite sing-a-longs. “Sleeping Monkey” takes it on down to the shore and a blisteringly fast “Rocky Top” puts a cap on a memorable set of music. For an encore, Phish goes dark one last time with “Guyute,” giving the Nassau crowd one last taste of what to expect on the forthcoming album.
Phish Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum – Uniondale, NY 4/2/98
Set 1: Tube, My Mind’s Got A Mind Of Its Own, The Sloth, NICU, Stash > Horn > Waste > Chalkdust Torture
Set 2: Punch You In The Eye > Simple > Birds Of A Feather, Wolfman’s Brother->Sneakin’ Sally Through The Alley->Frankie Says->Twist > Sleeping Monkey > Rocky Top
48 years ago today, The Grateful Dead wrapped up their first ever run at Nassau Coliseum. The venerable Long Island venue was almost completely new at the time, having only opened in February of 1972. In fact, the Dead were only the second band to ever play a concert in the building, surpassed only by their brethren in Chicago the year before. Today would wrap up the final show of their first three-day run here, planting the seeds for another 39 Grateful Dead shows at Nassau for years to come. This introduction ends in remarkable fashion with a show that’s got a little bit of everything: a first set that simply overpowers the second, unique costume wear from the band, and a powerful goodbye to a dear friend.
This show was a double bill of sorts with the Dead’s old friends New Riders of the Purple Sage performing an opening set to get thing started. So the Long Island crowd had already been given a taste of some West Coast psychedelic country and rock styling. Now it was the Dead’s turn. After a quick intro from promoter extraordinaire Bill Graham, they’re off and running with a feverish cover of Chuck Berry’s “Promised Land.”
Things then slow down and take an immediate emotional left turn courtesy of the “He’s Gone” that follows. This would be the song’s first live performance since the passing of the legendary Pigpen, a founding member of the Grateful Dead, just eleven days earlier. Jerry Garcia’s usually delicate vocals here are surpassed only by a supremely poignant guitar solo that simply oozes emotion. The declaration of “nothing left to do but smile, smile, smile” seems to hit a little harder on this one. And Donna Jean and the crowd both lend some audible support as well in a stirring version that’s more than a fitting tribute to the late Pigpen.
Ron “Pigpen” McKernan Sept 8, 1945 – March 8 , 1973
With the musical eulogy out of the way, the rest of the first set proceeds in a more familiar fashion. Bob Weir leads a quick jaunt through “Mexicali Blues.” And Garcia follows in fine fashion in a flawless, uptempo “They Love Each Other.” But the band doesn’t seem ready to say goodbye quite yet. This time Weir takes the helm on vocals and delivers a beautiful and inspired “Looks Like Rain” that’s comes off as one more nod to the somber circumstances of a friend’s recent death.
Deadheads will get a kick out of the first set’s “Wave That Flag,” a precursor to “U.S. Blues” that was played only 14 times and features vastly different lyrics. There’s also a decent bust-out as well. For the first time in almost three years and more than 270 show, “The Race Is On” is dusted off by the Grateful Dead and presented to the Nassau crowd.
No one would complain if tonight’s opening stanza ended with the flawless “China Cat Sunflower” > “I Know You Rider” that later followed. But, no, this set goes to “11.” Perhaps fueled by some of the emotions from earlier, the band just keeps motoring on. One more Berry cover in “Around & Around” makes an appearance. And “Tennessee Jed” keeps the faithful in the new Long Island barn collectively swaying.
Until finally, the first set is capped in grandiose fashion with a mad dash of a “Playin’ In The Band.” All the energy and emotions from earlier seem to get collected here and let loose in a near 16-minute gem that serves as a fitting cap to an exhilarating first set that stretches out past an hour and 40 minutes. The footage of it that follows is reported to be some of the only video of live 1973 Grateful Dead music. Members of the band can be seen in their “Nudie Suits,” bedazzled and sequined suits that were worn a handful of times at shows in late ’72 and early ’73. This psychedelic Country-Western garb is named after the designer Nudie Cohn and were popularized by the Flying Burrito Brothers at the time. This is supposedly the last show at which they were ever worn.
A whirlwind opening set like that would be nearly impossible to top. The second set has nice intentions, but the opening stretch is played somewhat close to the belt. The relatively new-at-the-time “Loose Lucy” kicks things off, with a more pronounced Keith Godchaux on piano coming through in the mix. “Lucy” made its concert debut only earlier last month. Then there’s a a string of “first set”-sounding songs like “Me And My Uncle” and “Big River” that follow. Bill Kreutzmann’s work behind the drum kit really shines on the Johnny Cash cover. And “Mississippi Half-Step” continues this trend of well played live Dead staples that just lack some of the improvisation normally found at this part of the program.
“Jack Straw” picks up the energy considerably in the second set and seems to fuel the band towards the finish line. “Truckin’” follows, paying tribute to New York, a state that’s “got the ways and means.” This yields the first significant jam of the second set, a bluesy little excursion spearheaded by Garcia. It even includes a distinct “Nobody’s Fault But Mine” instrumental nod as the jam begins to progress.
Jerry and Bob in their Nudie Suits, February 1973
A short and sweet “Drums” section then transitions seamlessly into “The Other One,” with Phil Lesh’s thunderous bass notes triggering the opening sequence. Along with Garcia-supplied guitar licks, the two lead an impressively patient and vibrant musical introduction before the first words of the song are even sung.
This and the near 17-minute “Eyes Of The World” that follows really serve as the foundation for this second set. This version of “Eyes” is fairly incredible in that it’s another new-at-the-time, this being only the tenth one ever played. The Dead move effortlessly through the composed section, sounding like they’ve been playing this song for years, before settling into another patient and intricate exploratory jam.
The “Johnny B. Goode” set closer completes the Berry Trifecta for this evening before a “Casey Jones” encore sends the Nassau faithful merrily on their way. Afterwards, the train would be getting on the tracks on heading upstate for two shows at the Utica Memorial Auditorium. It’s a well played set that has a few standout moments but, overall, just doesn’t compare to the emotional powerhouse the opening stanza delivered.
Listen to this great show track by track below, or all at once here.
Grateful Dead – Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum Uniondale, NY 3/19/73
Set 1: Promised Land, He’s Gone, Mexicali Blues, They Love Each Other, Looks Like Rain, Wave That Flag, Box Of Rain, The Race is On, Row Jimmy, El Paso, China Cat Sunflower-> I Know You Rider, Around & Around, Tennessee Jed, Playin’ In The Band
Set 2: Loose Lucy, Me & My Uncle, Brown Eyed Women, Big River, Mississippi Half Step, Stella Blue, Jack Straw, Truckin’-> The Other One-> Eyes Of The World-> China Doll, Johnny B. Goode
Amityville Music Hall released a compilation album on Friday, February 26 to benefit its Long Island music venue.
Twenty-eight artists are included on the compilation, including John Nolan (Taking Back Sunday, Straylight Run), Jade Lilitri of Oso Oso, Johnny Booth, Sainthood Reps, Brian Byrne (Envy On The Coast, Violent Joy), Somerset Thrower, Rare Futures, and Wreath Of Tongues.
The album will be a mix of covers, originals, and stripped-down songs, available for a $15 donation on Long Island Emo’s bandcamp page starting on February 26th.
Amityville Music Hall has been a beloved hub for rock music in Long Island for many, many years. It has been the starting point for many bands that end up growing larger, but their nascence is from the Long Island scene. These small venues are critical to musicians and music lovers. As the pandemic continues, these venues need support in order to come back when it is safe in the future.
Go support AMH here:
Live music acts and DJ’s. Craft beers on tap. Daily events and specials. Available to rent for private events.Additional InformationLive music acts and DJ’s. Craft beers on tap. Weekly bar events and specials. Catering hall for private events.
1 year ago today on February 21st 2020, America played a sold out show at The Tilles Center on the LIU Post campus in Brookville, Long Island. This was the first show of the bands 50th Anniversary tour celebrating the release of their 1971 self titled album.
“A Horse With No Name,” originally titled “Desert Song” was released in the US a few weeks before the album came out and sold over a million copies being awarded a gold disc by the RIAA. The album went platinum shortly after. The band was opening for acts like The Who, Elton John, Pink Floyd and worked with Beatles producer George Martin from 1974-1979.
The show was filled with hit after hit spanning through their 50 year and counting career. Gerry and Dewey sounded just as good today as they did when they started harmonizing 50 years ago. Songs from the setlist included “Tin Man,” “Ventura Highway,” “Sister Golden Hair” as well as a covers of The Beatles “Eleanor Rigby” and The Mamas & Papas “California Dreamin’.” The 18 song set concluded with “A Horse With No Name.”
The band’s current lineup includes original founding members Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell, as well as Ryland Steen on drums, Steve Fekete on guitar and Richard Campbell on bass. The tour continues across United States and Canada until July when they head to Europe for shows in France, the U.K. and Germany. You can see all the tour dates here.
There is also a biography about the band written by Jude Warne, titled America The Band: An Authorized Biography that is available now.
Setlist: Tin Man, You Can Do Magic, Don’t Cross The River, Daisy Jane, Riverside, I Need You, Here, Ventura Highway, Eleanor Rigby, Cornwall Blank, Hollywood, The Border, Woman Tonight, Only In Your Heart, California Dreamin, Lonely People, Sandman, Sister Golden Hair, A Horse With No Name
Long Island pop-punk band Card Reader won first place at the Interstate Music Awards, an underground artist competition created by the CEO of Interstate Music, Jeff Peterson.
Long Island Pop-Punk Band Card Reader
Card Reader, won the Interstate Music Awards out of hundreds of submissions. Their first place prized earned them $5000 in gift cards, as well as the opportunity to perform live on the Interstate Music stage in Wisconsin later this year.
In a year of uncertainty and lockdown, Card Reader continued to put out music, their bright sound illuminating days spent inside. This spring they will be releasing an acoustic EP set to release on Friday, March 26th. It will contain new versions of previously released tracks, stripped down and engineered by their very own Matt Sullivan. They will also be recording their sophomore EP this April with veteran producer, Nik Bruzzese, at Gradwell House in Haddon Heights, New Jersey.
Guitarist and vocalist, Tom Petito, spoke about Card Reader’s big win and the road ahead. “We’re fired up right now. Starting 2021 off on the right foot is crucial for any band. I think we did just that. We received a big wave of support in this competition and winning it all has been an unreal experience. Our family, friends, & fans had our back in a big way.
We’ll use this momentum to help fuel the fire as we prepare to record our new EP in the spring. Nik reached out to us after the contest win and expressed his desire to take our sound to the next level. We couldn’t agree more. It’s our move now and our opportunity to show the music world that Card Reader is for real.
Dix Hills, Long Island native, Brandon ‘Taz’ Niederauer, took to the national stage on Sunday, January 24, performing the “Star-Spangled Banner” ahead of the AFC Championship game in Kansas City, Missouri.
The 17-year old guitar phenom was invited to play before the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs duked it out on the field, for the chance to go to the Super Bowl.
Taz took the moment to do what he does best – shred guitar. Jaws dropped as Taz took all of 102 seconds to perform the Francis Scott Key tune. Taz set the bar high for Eric Church and Jazmine Sullivan, who will perform the “Star-Spangled Banner” together at Super Bowl LV in Tampa Bay, FL on Sunday, February 7.
Brandon still walks the halls of his Long Island high school, East Half Hollow Hills, which congratulated Taz on Facebook for his trip to the national stage. In 2015, Brandon notably starred on Broadway in Andrew Lloyd Weber’s musical “School of Rock.”
photo by Brian Cole
Acquiring the nickname “Taz” from a music teacher who said that Brandon’s fast guitar playing reminded him of the Tasmanian Devil from Looney Tunes cartoons, Brandon has also appeared many times on television, include “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” “Good Morning America,” and “The View.”
Brandon cites his father’s record collection as a major influence on his playing, particularly albums by Jimi Hendrix, Frank Zappa, the Allman Brothers Band, Eric Clapton, and many more.
Taz has also performed the National Anthem at Cubs games at Wrigley Field as recently as 2019.
On Sunday, January 19, 2014, Jay-Z played a sold out show at Nassau Coliseum on Long Island during his Magna Carter world tour. “The last time I was in this building I brought Michael Jackson to the stage,” he said. “I know that show will be a hard one to top, but we’re going to try tonight.” Jay looked at home while he took the audience on a 27 song journey of his musical career, covering almost all of his studio 12 albums. He also had a four piece band which included DJ/producer Timbaland.
The Magna Carter tour was Jay-Z’s first headlining tour in almost four years. Initially Jay was supposed to go on tour with Justin Timberlake in support of Timberlake’s come back to music and new album The 20/20 Experience. However, on July 24, 2013 Jay-Z released his twelfth studio album Magna Carter Holy Grail and on July 26, 2013 the tour was announced. The tour started in Europe, but due to its overwhelming success, a second leg of the tour was announced on September 13, 2013 to take place in North America. Based on Pollstar reports, the tour earned $48.9 million from 52 shows from 2013 to 2014.
Jay-Z – Magna Carter Tour
Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, Long Island – January 19, 2014
Setlist: You Don’t Know, Crown, On to the Next One, Holy Grail, Fuckwithmeyouknowigotit, Beach is Better, 99 Problems, Picasso Baby, Can I Live, No Church in the Wild, Somewhere in America, Big Pimpin’, Timbaland Interlude, Can I Get A Nigga What, Nigga Who, Dirt Off Your Shoulder, I Just Wanna Love You, Niggas in Paris, Tom Ford, Public Service Announcement, Clique, Run This Town.
Encore: Who Gon Stop Me, Empire State of Mind, Izzo, Hard Knock Life, Young Forever.
‘Live for Lon,’ a three-hour event celebrating the live of Jam scene figure Lon Conscious, will stream on Saturday, January 16, from 6:30-9:30PM. Since his sudden passing in November 2020, public figures in the community such as Trey Anastasio, The Capitol Theatre and Twiddle have given him public shoutouts.
Streaming from Long Island’s Baked Shrimp Facebook page, ‘Live for Lon’ will feature videos dedicated to Lon Conscious by artists such as Mihali, Brandon Taz Niederauer, Andy Frasco, KRIS, Grubby Bean, and more. Baked Shrimp will close out the stream with a real-time live performance. All donations will benefit the White Light Foundation.
Lon with Twiddle
Lon Conscious was a major supporter of the jamband scene, and massive figure in the Twiddle community, where he ran the group #twiddlenation with fellow fan Eddie Schectman. He traveled around the country for Twiddle. In addition he traveled and promoted for Baked Shrimp, and was uncle to their drummer, Jager. Conscious worked the merch booth at Madison Square Garden, one way so many people got to know him.
Lon with Brandon Taz Niederauer
‘Live for Lon’ will be a special night to remember. The occasion is designed for fans, friends family, who need a release of energy during these difficult times.
Lon with Dopapod’s Rob Compa
During one of the intermissions on Saturday, the stream will display a segment dedicated to pictures and videos fans have taken of Lon and/or with Lon. Fans are encouraged to submit content by emailing bakedshrimpmusic@gmail.com. Images can be sent via direct message to Baked Shrimp‘s Facebook page. These submissions may also appear in various parts of the stream. Please aim to submit content by end of the day Wednesday, January 13.
