Eddies Music Hall of Fame announced their class of 2021 inductees and their Induction ceremony which will take Place on October 27, 2021. The ceremony will take place at the Universal Preservation Hall in Saratoga Springs and will feature live performances.
The Eddies Music Hall of Fame was founded back in 2019. Recipients receive a plaque and a short video about their career playing at the Eddies Music Hall of Fame Wall at Universal Preservation Hall in Saratoga Springs. The Hall of Fame is conducted in conjunction with the Capital Region Thomas Edison Music Awards, both of which are parts of the Proctors Collaborative. Universal Preservation Hall is also a part of the Proctors Collaborative.
This year’s inductees includes big band vocalists and brothers Bob Eberly and Ray Eberle; country musician Marty Wendell; the rock band the Figgs, radio disc jockey Jim Barrett, jazz band leader Skip Parsons, Cuban and African percussionist and educator Eddie Ade Knowles; Old Songs founders Kay (Andy) and Bill Spence.
To be considered eligible to be inducted into the Eddies Music Hall of Fame nominees must have been born in the Capital Region and / or have lived here and / or worked professionally in the Capital Region during their lifetime. As a general rule, nominees must have been active in the music industry for a minimum of 20 years. Exceptions are made in the case of a candidate’s premature death or due to outstanding service or special circumstances.
Both physical performers who are nominated for the Instrumental and / or vocal work and non-performers who are Songwriters, producers, conductors, engineers, disc jockeys, record company executives, journalists, promoters, and other industry professionals who have had a major influence on music, business, organization and institutional leaders, philanthropists, venue operators are eligible to be nominated for the Hall of Fame.
Jim Murphy who is the co-founder and co-producer of the Eddies Music Hall of Fame spoke on this year’s inductees saying, “This is our biggest class so far and it brings the total number of inductees to 15. Judges have nominated nearly 100 individuals and groups since we started the process so there is no end in sight to celebrating our local music scene as more bands and individuals enter eligibility.”
The Eddies Music Hall of Fame Induction ceremony is scheduled to take place on October 27, 2021 at 7 PM. The ceremony will feature performances from artists playing the inductees’ music: Dylan Perillo; Sean Wendell; BROWN LIQUOR SOCIAL CLUB featuring Chris Dollard and J Yager; and Peter Pashoukos and Greg Greene (of the band Perennial). Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 on the day of the show.
For more information on Eddies Music Hall of Fame and their 2021 inductees visit their website.
This here was an eclectic, punky mix of music on a beautifully moonlit Sunday night at SPAC, with Flogging Molly, Violent Femmes, Me First and The Gimme Gimmes, and Thick. The venue had hosted hordes in their thousands for Dave Matthews earlier in the weekend, but this gig wasn’t that kind of shoulder-to-shoulder crowded – the theater was a good two-thirds or so full, with a smattering of people out on the lawn. Not empty by any stretch, but not packed either. Which was just fine for this writer, who is just easing back into live music in the plague-times.
Brooklyn punkers Thick opened the gig before the place had filled up much, with a few hundred people inside the theater and an enthusiastic group down the front. I’m new to this band, but they blasted out an energetic half-hour of raw, catchy punk, and I was left wanting to check out more. Cool band.
The place started to fill up for Me First & The Gimme Gimmes, who took the stage to an Eddie Money intro tape, and swaggered through a 45-minute set which damn near stole the show, kicking off with “Don’t You Worry About a Thing” and straight into Dolly Parton’s “Jolene,” and roared through some Elton John (“Rocket Man”), Neil Diamond (“Sweet Caroline”), John Denver’s “Leaving on a Jet Plane,” and Paul Simon’s “Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard,” preceded by an audience Q&A about weird public sex spots along with a whole bunch of other pop hits, retooled as blazing punk rock. You had to be there.
Swingin Utters’ Spike still leads the show and hits all the notes, but the band for this tour was bulletproof and ironclad: John “The Swami” Reis of Rocket from the Crypt and Jonny “2 Bags” Wickersham of Social Distortion on guitar, Andrew “Pinch” Pinching, sometime drummer for The Damned on the skins, and the guy with the bass, white hair and beard on the right was none other than CJ Ramone himself. CJ Ramone! They were great. All-star, hilarious, fast, heavy and and unstoppable.
Violent Femmes seemed the odd men out on a bill otherwise populated with fast punk rock, but a solid chunk of the crowd was here to see the alt-rock legends, who had a spare stage set, instrumental variety galore and got a great reaction. And if the Femmes touring with Flogging Molly seemed odd, it shouldn’t: the VF toured with The Pogues in the 80s, which should give them all the Celtic punk cred they need, as if they needed any. I’ve never owned a VF record, but openers “Add it Up” and “American Music” are familiar, ubiquitous alternative rock standards. They kept the crowd with them for the 15-song set, with one player from the Horns of Dilemma in the back mixing up the songs with some brass, a fiddle-player for a few songs, and drummer John Sparrow playing not only stand-up snare, but a wooden box and a charcoal grill. Bassist Brain Ritchie switched to xylophone for “Gone Daddy Gone” before “the hit” – “Blister in the Sun” and “Kiss Off” wrapped it up. A great set.
You’d think that the variety between the two headliners would see some of the VF crowd head for the doors on a work night, but not so – the audience hung in for Flogging Molly. The Femmes were by far the most veteran band here, but FM singer Dave King has probably been playing the Albany-Saratoga region longer, having first appeared in this region in the early 80s as a skinny Irish teenager with long red hair, fronting the British metal band Fastway when they opened for Iron Maiden in 1983, and Rush in 1984 at Glens Falls Civic Center just up the road from SPAC. Not that Flogging Molly are newcomers any more – their indie debut live record Alive Behind the Green Door was released way back in 1997, and the recently reissued, roaring debut studio record Swagger has passed the 20-year mark. Dave King’s red hair has given way to spiky white locks and spectacles. Flogging Molly are now veteran rockers. But the Celtic punk sound is still hefty, fast, rowdy Irish drinking music – even if SPAC’s inflated $17-per-can beer prices made it hard to afford to get in the spirit, and a lack of any Guinness on sale didn’t help either.
The Mollys hit the stage hard, with a hammering “Devil’s Dance Floor” from the Swagger debut getting the pit crowd up front bouncing, which continued for the whole hour-ish long gig. A pummeling of “The Hand of John L. Sullivan,” from their most recent record Life is Good was next, but most of the songs played weren’t the recent ones – nine of the 14 songs played were from the first two studio records, including a blazing “Drunken Lullabies,” “The Worst Day Since Yesterday,” which let off the gas a bit, King’s autobiographical “Black Friday Rule,” and an his ode to his dad – “The Likes of You Again.” The lineup has shifted – only four remain from the seven-member lineup that recorded those first two records: King, his wife/fiddler/whistle player Bridget Regan, bassist Nathan Maxwell, and Rochester, NY native Dennis Casey on guitar, who were joined by more recent members Spencer Swain on mandolin/banjo, and drummer Mike Alonso. Where accordion player Matt Hensley was is unknown, but he wasn’t in Saratoga. And there was some new music, the band playing one new jangly and Celtic song, “Croppy Boy,” which joined the hit single “Float” and the wistful “If I Ever Leave This World Alive” as the mellower points of the evening.
Other than that, it was all carousing, headbanging Irish music: instrumental neck-snapper “Swagger,” the pounding “Crushed (Hostile Nations)” and, of course, “Salty Dog,” that speed-demon Celt-punk classic which has not lost a thing in the 21 years since it opened the studio debut. The band finished up with two more full-on blasts of rollicking paddy-punk: “What’s Left of the Flag” and “The Seven Deadly Sins,” even if there were only six Flogging Mollys up there to commit them. A fine Celtic end to a four-pack of cool, varied, alt-punk musical acts.
Setlists:
ME FIRST AND THE GIMME GIMMES: Don’t You Worry ’bout a Thing (Stevie Wonder cover), Jolene (Dolly Parton cover), Danny’s Song (Loggins & Messina cover), Straight Up (Paula Abdul cover), Sloop John B (The Beach Boys cover), Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard (Paul Simon cover), Sweet Caroline (Neil Diamond cover), Rocket Man (Elton John cover), Over the Rainbow (Harold Arlen cover), Leaving on a Jet Plane (John Denver cover), Who Put the Bomp (in the Bomp, Bomp, Bomp) (Barry Mann cover), Summertime (George Gershwin cover), End of the Road (Boyz II Men cover)
VIOLENT FEMMES: Add It Up, American Music, I’m Nothing, Breakin’ Up, Prove My Love, Promise, Country Death Song, Jesus Walking on the Water, Good Feeling, Gimme the Car, I Held Her in My Arms, Color Me Once, Gone Daddy Gone, Blister in the Sun, Kiss Off
FLOGGING MOLLY: Devil’s Dance Floor, The Hand of John L. Sullivan, Drunken Lullabies, The Worst Day Since Yesterday, Black Friday Rule, Croppy Boy, The Likes of You Again, Swagger, Float, Crushed (Hostile Nations), Salty Dog, If I Ever Leave This World Alive, What’s Left of the Flag, The Seven Deadly Sins.
PEAK, the Brooklyn-based quartet release their second single, “Starlight Child,” off their forthcoming full length album Choppy Water, due for release on October 14. Recorded throughout 2020 and 2021 at their studio, the material is culled from several years of songwriting and road-testing, with mixing and mastering by Jason “Jocko” Randall (Turkuaz/ Jimkata/ Dopapod) at Moresound Studios in Syracuse.
PEAK consists of songwriter and guitarist Jeremy Hilliard of Turbine, Kito Bovenshulte (Particle) on drums, Josh T. Carter (Haley Jane and The Primates) on bass, and newcomer Johnny Young, a Brooklyn-based-keyboardist, blind since the age of 17. In 2018 they released their debut album Electric Bouquet, produced by Dave Brandwein of Turkuaz, and the buzz is escalating. Self-described as Psychedelic Indie Funk, the songs on the album are vibey and lyric-based, and the live show is groove-oriented and exploratory.
Choppy Water is chock full of groove-based psychedelic rock, with plenty of funk, electro-pop, prog, and Americana. The deep, polished grooves from the bass and drums complement guitar and keys solos that wail with searing intensity. Hilliard’s songwriting takes the stage with a unique voice that captures a bizarre chapter in the world with a fresh distinct PEAK voice and defined sound.
‘”Starlight Child” kicks off side 2 on the vinyl, and we picked it as the second single because it really captures the vibe and mood of the whole album as well as any song on it. I particularly like the way there are a lot of instruments on the track that all have their place in the mix. Even though there’s a lot going on, you can hear the subtleties of the piano, the percussion, and the acoustic guitar. Also, this was the very first guitar solo I tracked in our new studio, so I was pretty amped.”
Jeremy Hilliard
“Starlight Child” stands out as one of the catchiest PEAK tracks on Choppy Water. Out of the gate, Young’s keys set the tone, jumping out with a catchy riff that graduates to the organ heading into first stanza. A hint of Crosby, Stills & Nash can be heard in the lyrics “Starlight Child, you were born in summer, you’re the same as I am, we were made to wander, we can stay and dance a while, the night will soon be over,” followed by a blistering guitar solo from Hilliard. The pace from Bovenshulte on the drums gives the track full-bodied character, not a second wasted on the 5:11 track.
PEAK will hold an album release show on October 22 at Knitting Factory in Brooklyn, and currently have a Kickstarter Presale for Choppy Water that ends on Sept 23.
What a Sunday for a summer review in September. Trey Anastasio Band debuted their new lineup at Yale’s Westville Music Bowl in New Haven, CT. During its brief history, TAB has continued to add members, starting as a trio and evolving into an octet. New bassist Dezron Douglas said, “I’ve been familiar with his work with Phish since high school; I’m from Hartford, CT, so you can’t grow up in New England and not know about Phish.”
Brooklyn saxophonist Cochemea Gastelum, filling in for James Casey, has worked with Aaron Neville, David Byrne and St Vincent, and collaborated with Soulive drummer Alan Evans. Cochemea is part of Brooklyn’s emerging afrobeat and soul scene and is a great fit with TAB drummer Russ Lawton and keyboardist Ray Paczkowski’s sound. Like Trey this summer with Phish, Soule Monde has been on the road supporting their new album Mimi Digs It, leading up to this East Coast TAB run. Insert Cyro Baptista’s full percussion sections and add Jennifer Hartswick and Natalie Cressman on horns and backing vocals and it’s a whole new groove.
A 6:30pm start time at the Westville Music Bowl allowed the whole crowd to be visible from the stage. Trey commented, “This place is pretty cool, I can see all of you.” They kicked it off and suggested to the crowd “to roll with the funk now and turn it around” during “Set Your Soul Free.” “Olivia” stayed Latin-funky, from Trey’s Horseshoe Curve album. Rolling with the funk now, the band then took on Phish’s “Ghost.” That saw Ray P stretching out on the clavinet. More fitting for a new band lineup is new material to debut, including “And Flew Away” and “Never Left Home” from Anastasio’s Lonely Trip record. Jennifer Hartswick’s voice carries across the Long Island Sound like water on the breeze during “Night Speaks to a Woman.”
The second set opened with one of the funkiest recent TAB songs, “In Rounds,” another groove Ray Paczkoswki can dig in on his clavinet. The late Tony Markellis‘ infamous groove to “Sand” kept his spiritual funk present with the new ensemble, one that Russ Lawton told NYS Music was a staple “still in the setlist after 20 odd years.” The afrobeat to “Curlews Call” allowed new saxophonist Cochemea Gastelum to also stretch out on stage. The variety in TAB’s catalog opened up another portal during “Quantegy,” off One Man’s Trash.
Photo by Scott Harris
As a full moon graced the stage, the band gave a nod to the skies and grooving audience that “we got the moon and stars above” in “Drifting.” Fans could hear the freeway calling as Natalie Cressman and Jennifer Hartswick provided amazing backing vocals on “Traveler.” The band closed with their infamous composition of exploration, “Mr. Completely.” Depending on the room, TAB has had made balconies shake since 2002 with this jam. The lyrics “Sunday morning shadows in the shade…” fit perfectly in the encore slot at the old Yale Tennis stadium with “Ether Sunday,” followed by the always welcome “First Tube” finale.
“First Tube” was played acoustically this year as tribute to Tony Markellis in Saratoga Springs, with Oysterhead at the Peach Fest and on Summer 2021 tour with Phish. It was appropriate for him to end the evening with this staple written by the original trio, to the new cast who can take it any direction on any given night.
The freedom in this music is that although it’s composed, there is room for every member to express themselves during the blended improvisational moments. Ray Packzkowski told NYS Music, “Yea it’s actually a beautiful thing,” regarding music in the moment that can’t be recreated: The band closes out this tour at the venerable Radio City Music Hall in Manhattan October 2 and 3.
Trey Anastasio Band – Westville Music Bowl, New Haven, CT – September 19, 2021
Schitt’s Creek co-creators and the father-son duo, Eugene and Dan Levy, ended their Emmy and Golden Globe-Award winning show after 6 seasons and at the height of its fame, preserving its all around quality. Finally they give fans a little more, with Dan and Eugene Levy announcing a celebration for the launch of their book titled Best Wishes, Warmest Regards: The Story of Schitt’s Creek. If their short Netflix documentary left you in tears, hearing from them at their special one-night event at New York’s Beacon Theatre on October 25th will melt your heart.
Tickets to the Beacon Theatre event not only include admission but a copy of their upcoming book.
For those who can’t make it to the Beacon Theatre, the Levy’s will hold a simultaneous livestream on October 25th at 7:30pm EST. And if you miss the streaming, it will also be available for on-demand viewing until November 1st. The Best Wishes, Warmest Regards: The Story of Schitt’s Creek hardcover book will be mailed after publication date on Tuesday, October 26 to those with streaming access.
We are excited to be able to express our gratitude to a handful of those fans in person, safely, in New York, but also adding the livestream component… We look forward to celebrating all of you and this special book on October 25.
Dan Levy
Best Wishes, Warmest Regards: The Story of Schitt’s Creek will encapsulate the glowing and hysterical environment that was Schitt’s Creek. This book will remind you how this record breaking show came to be, including a catalogue of Moira’s wigs, vocabulary, David’s knits, and Alexis’s adventures. They’ll delve into detail of Schitt’s Creek major scenes like Moira at Herb Ertlinger Winery, the Rose Family Christmas episode, and Patrick and David’s first kiss. We may never get more episodes of Schitt’s Creek but at least Levy’s book will evoke the memories and laughs we had watching the show for the first time.
On Wednesday, September 22, The Fugees reunited at Pier 17 in Manhattan, with Lauryn Hill, Pras and Wyclef performing together for the first time in 15 years. The trio was three hours late for their 45 minute performance, but who can complain when a classic 90s hip-hop/reggae group reunited for an intimate performance for lucky fans. Watch footage from the show below.
Hip hop supergroup, The Fugees, will be making a return to arenas and stadiums across the world in celebration of their magnum opus, The Score.
The group – who broke up shortly after the success of 1996’s diamond-certified sophomore effort – will be performing together for the first time since 2006. Their last major reunion tour – following another reunion at Dave Chapelle’s Block Party – ended in disarray as members had to grow accustomed to different dynamics within the group. Such as, Ms. Lauryn Hill’s amplified stardom. The friction led to an abrupt end to the tour as group members traded jabs.
But, to put it nicely, it’s dead. Me and [Wyclef Jean], we on the same page, but Lauryn [Hill] is in her zone, and I’m fed up with that s**t. Here she is, blessed with a gift, with the opportunity to rock and give, and she’s running on some bulls**t? I’m a fan of Lauryn’s, but I can’t respect that.
Nonetheless, the group’s lasting power within hip hop has left fans clamoring for a return despite the members differences. After releasing their experimental debut, Blunted on Reality, the trio found their groove on, The Score. Recorded in the now-infamous “Booga basement,” the album was curated as an actual film and score all-in-one. Like most feature presentations it provided plenty of social-political commentary while it’s “main characters” got a chance to develop through dialogue laden lyrics and skits.
Upon its release, it peaked at number one on the Billboard 200 charts and earned the group two Grammy Awards. Fugees were also the first hip-hop group ever to be nominated for Album Of The Year. It pawned the hit singles “Killing Me Softly With His Song,” “Fu-Gee-La” as well as “Ready or Not” and instantly turned the Brick city natives into the biggest hip hop act in the world. It was also the platform on which Hill emerged as the group’s undeniable star, which — along with her deteriorating romantic relationship with Wyclef – served as a divisive seed that set the group on the path to disbandment.
And now with the album’s 25th anniversary upon us, the group has decided to commemorate the occasion with another world tour. Presented by Diaspora Calling and produced by Live Nation, the 12-city international tour will kick-off tomorrow, September 22nd with an intimate pop-up show in New York City, at an undisclosed location. The rest of the tour will commence November 2nd at United Center in Chicago and will make stops across the globe in Los Angeles, Miami, Newark, Paris, London, and more, before finishing the tour in Africa, with the final shows taking place in Nigeria and Ghana.
The Fugees have a complex but impactful history. I wasn’t even aware the 25th anniversary had arrived until someone brought it to my attention. I decided to honor this significant project, its anniversary, and the fans who appreciated the music by creating a peaceful platform where we could unite, perform the music we loved, and set an example of reconciliation for the world.
Ms. Lauryn Hill
As I celebrate 25 years with the Fugees, my first memory was that we vowed, from the gate, we would not just do music we would be a movement. We would be a voice for the un-heard, and in these challenging times, I am grateful once again, that God has brought us together.
In March of 2020, Brooklyn Comes Alive was set to be a masterpiece at the new Avant Gardner in, you guessed it, Brooklyn. Just days before the event would take place the governor put New York in lockdown due to COVID-19. It was one of the first events cancelled due to the pandemic, but it would not be the last.
Multiple online off-shoots of the event have sprung up over the last year and a half. Justice Comes Alive and Georgia Comes Alive, for example, were highly successful online festivals, meant as a way to spread the word about, and fight injustice and bring our country closer to salvation. After a year and half away, the “6th” inaugural Brooklyn Comes Alive will take place at the Brooklyn Mirage, the massive outdoor venue of Avant Gardner on Sunday, September 26th, 2021.
The lineup includes two sets of The Disco Biscuits who, coming off a cancelled weekend in New Haven, will have plenty up their sleeve for the event. The night is rounded off by sets from Karina Rykman, Break Science: Live Band, The Motet, and a trio made up of Joe Russo, John Medeski, and Dave Harrington. It wouldn’t be Brooklyn Comes Alive without at least one super-group. The night will also be hosted by none other than Sirius Jam On’s, Ari Fink.
Instead of the normal event with multiple stages and venues, this year they decided to keep it simple and safe. The outdoor venue will provide ample room and fresh air for fans, with the King’s Hall being open as well for bathrooms, full bar, and a place to relax in between sets. This will also ensure fans don’t miss a second of music.
Tickets for Brooklyn Comes Alive 2021 are available here.
Alice Cooper opened his fall tour Friday night in Atlantic City at the Oceanic Casino. The crowd began filing into the arena hours before the set started, with many in attendance wearing Alice Cooper t-shirts and eye make-up. The stage was hidden behind a giant curtain with Alice’s trade-mark eyes, and Alice songs played with the crowd already starting to sing-along. As the entrance music started to swell, the massive curtain fell, revealing the two-story castle set, and the words rang out: “Welcome to Alice Cooper’s Nightmare Castle!” As knights carried the curtain away, a drawbridge opened and Alice walked onstage in a plume of smoke.
From the opening notes of “Feed My Frankenstein,” it was clear Alice is still in great shape, and his band spent considerable time practicing together during the live music lockdown. Their excitement to be back onstage was evident by their smiles and energy displayed throughout the two-hour set. Alice Cooper doesn’t just play a concert, he puts on a SHOW, with the pomp and props of a theater production. A master entertainer, Alice made multiple costume changes throughout the set, referencing different eras of his 50-year career. How effortless his performance seems is a testament to his drive and conditioning, he controlled the band, stage and the crowd as well, eliciting sing-alongs and responses with hand gestures and using his sword and cane like a conductor. He had a microphone holster on his giant leather belt, and handles the mic like a gunslinger. When he was on top of the castle behind a spiked wheel, it evoked an image of a mad captain steering a pirate ship.
With over 50 years of albums to choose from, the setlist was a solid collection of his biggest hits, ranging from the Alice Cooper Band era and his solo career, leading into his last two records, Paranormal and Detroit Stories. There was a clever segue from the new song “Go Man Go,” about cruising around in a stolen Hellcat, with the last verse implying the car could be destroyed in a train wreck (with a similar vibe to KISS’s ‘Detroit Rock City’) leading into his classic “Under My Wheels.” Those songs and their placement were vintage Detroit songwriting and Alice wordplay, complete with an American muscle car and macabre ending. A few more notable songs played were “Fallen in Love” co-written with ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons, new songs “Rock’N’Roll” and “Social Disease” which showed him still flexing his song-writing muscles during lockdown, and a combination of “My Stars/Devils Food/Black Widow” that led into the intense drum solo from “Black Juju.”
The props and theatrics were non-stop, ranging from a crutch he wielded during “Eighteen” to mock the fact that he’s been singing a song about being a teenager for 50 years, to the giant baby who uses a skull-studded-cannon to shoot money into the crowd during “Billion Dollar Babies.” The baby theme continues with the huge images of evil babies projected on the castle during “Dead Babies,” and the baby-faced doctors who place Alice in a straightjacket and oversee his execution in a guillotine. Alice has multiple encounters with his wife, Sheryl Goddard, including her waving his severed head victoriously to the crowd after he’s decapitated. The show opened with the giant Frankenstein monster that comes onstage during “Feed My Frankenstein” and he closes the show with his arms and chains draped around Alice for “Teenage Frankenstein.”
The band returned for an encore with a sprawling, sing-along version of “School’s Out,” including a breakdown of Pink Floyd’s “We Don’t Need No Education,” that featured confetti, streamers and giant balloons being shot into the crowd as Alice popped any balloons that came back to the stage with his sword. They came back to the stage for multiple bows as the crowd kept cheering.
Alice Cooper and Ace Frehley play in New York this Wednesday, September 22 at the Stanley Theater in Utica. This tour takes Alice (and opening act Frehley) across the Midwest and South, ending in Georgia at the end of October. Full dates for the tour can be found here.
With four multi-night runs at the Fillmore East already in the books for 1970, the Grateful Dead returned to their New York City headquarters for a fifth one in September. And, once again, they would be joined by their friends in New Riders of the Purple Sage for the festivities. This would be their third run of the year here in this “Evening with the Grateful Dead” format that featured music from both bands, with the Dead playing one acoustic and one electric set of music. This show also marks the first time David Grisman played along side Jerry Garcia in a live setting for the first time. September 20 was the final night of this particular run and features, arguably, one of the better acoustic sets known to Deadheads.
The opening set is accordingly introduced as “Acoustic Dead” and the band immediately launches into “Uncle John’s Band.” It’s a delightfully casual take on a Dead classic that’s harmonized nicely and sets the tone for the set. They even get some assistance from the Fillmore crowd which is gladly clapping along in time by song’s end. Jerry Garcia continues to man lead vocals on the “Deep Elem Blues” that follows, a song that would follow him around in live settings for the rest of his life. Grisman’s mandolin play blends in perfectly with the acoustic guitars, giving this one a unique feel. And with the added strings and acoustic influence provided by Grisman, a first set “Friend Of The Devil” sounds so crisp that one would think they were playing American Beauty over the PA.
“Big Railroad Blues” features David Nelson on yet another mandolin in a fun, fast-paced version that’s like no other. It was only the third performance ever of a song the Dead would go on to play for the remainder of their playing career. This is backed up by a splendid “Dark Hollow” with Bob Weir jumping in on lead vocals. There is so much acoustic firepower on stage, Garcia actually jumps on the piano for “To Lay Me Down,” quite a rare occurrence.
“Rosalie McFall” joins the fray afterwards, a Charlie Monroe cover and another acoustic song that would go on to be a mainstay for future Garcia acoustic performances. The remainder of the opening set has a decidedly classic Dead feel to it, beginning with “Cumberland Blues,” continuing with a riveting “New Speedway Boogie” that has a lovely little acoustic jam tied to it, and ending with the always emotional “Brokedown Palace.”
The second set then brings along the electricity, both literally and figuratively. “Casey Jones” comes rolling down the tracks to open things before the iconic opening licks of “China Cat Sunflower” ring out loud and true. While not particularly stretched out or extended, a perfectly seamless transition into “I Know You Rider” follows, and with each verse the Grateful Dead delighting the Fillmore crowd even further. It’s cut off a bit on the recording below, but “Candyman” then cools things down a bit, courtesy of the delicate singing and customary harrowing guitar play from Garcia.
This Fillmore show also features a few Dead rarities. “Big Boy Pete” is played for the only sixth time ever and the last one ever with Pigpen who finally gets some lead vocal action. It’s a quick. bluesy number that the band would dust off twice more in the future, with random unshelvings in 1978 and 1985. Perhaps inspired by the last number, or just turned up in the mix, Pigpen shines on the “Me And My Uncle” that comes next, supplying some inspired fills. Seizing the momentum, he then takes center stage and belts out one of his signature songs, “Easy Wind,” that also ably serves as one of the more extended jams of the evening.
A still raw “Sugar Magnolia” follows, but has a fun little vocal breakdown and shows all the signs of being a Grateful Dead staple for years to come. After a quick run through of the Weir-led “Mama Tried,” the Dead go big for this particular Fillmore closing sequence, starting with a massive “Not Fade Away.” This may as well have been the “Drums” portion of the evening as drummers Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart lead the charge on this one, trading percussive punches back and forth that fuel a mesmerizing sequence of improv.
This sets the table for “Caution (Do Not Step On Tracks)” which, it could be argued, serves as the “Space” portion tonight. It’s the Dead at their finest: frenetic and psychedelic blues, powered by probing bass lines from Phil Lesh, and adorned with Pigpen riffing on vocals while feedback and other audio wizardry abound. The jam eventually devolves to only drums, bass and Pig on harmonica for a spell. Garcia then reemerges on lead guitar and the band begins to tie a bow on the second set the only way they know how – with a six-minute feedback jam. From this, the a capella “We Bid You Goodnight” emerges, serving as the de facto encore and officially closing out another memorable Grateful Dead run at the Fillmore East.
Grateful Dead Fillmore East – New York City, NY 9/20/70
Set 1: Uncle John’s Band, Deep Elem Blues, Friend Of The Devil, Big Railroad Blues, Dark Hallow, Ripple, To Lay Me Down, Truckin’, Rosalie McFall, Cumberland Blues, New Speedway Boogie, Brokedown Palace
Set 2: Casey Jones, China Cat Sunflower -> I Know You Rider, Candyman, Sittin’ On Top Of The World, Big Boy Pete, Me And My Uncle, Easy Wind, Sugar Magnolia, Attics Of My Life, Mama Tried, Not Fade Away > Caution (Do Not Step On The Tracks) > Feedback Jam > And We Bid You Goodnight
The inaugural Long Island music festival Pine Barrens Jam took over Blue Point Brewery in Patchogue this past Saturday, September 18th. The festival was originally supposed to happen in Center Moriches at the Ringhoff family farm, but due to extenuating circumstances and difficulties maintaining the town’s conditions, the festival had to change venues last minute.
Thankfully, the Blue Point Brewpub ended up being an excellent back up plan; the venue already has a large indoor stage with the ability to set up vendors and secondary stages outside. With plenty of parking and picture perfect weather, the festival went on without a hitch.
Pine Barrens Jam at Blue Point Brewery – 9/18/21. Photo By Buscar Photo
Debuting this year, Pine Barrens Jam was created to exhibit the best of local Long Island bands, artists, poets and other creative talent. When you arrived at the brewery, you were greeted by a row of vendors selling and showcasing their art as well as reps from radio stations and other causes. Vendors were selling t-shirts, paintings, jewelry and other items along the side of the brewery.
A small pop-up stage dubbed the “Peanut Butter Poetry & Arts Stage” was offset in the corner and hosted a slew of poets and other spoken word artists throughout the day. Featured speakers included Justin Vegh, Catheryn Berry, Brian Geraghty, Bri Onishea, MC2, Barbara Joy & Justin Poetry, Rosa Todaro, Nox, Allone and Rorie Kelly.
Peanut Butter Poetry & Arts Stage at Pine Barrens Jam, 9/18/21 – Photo By Buscar Photo
Moving along the grounds to the main entrance of the brewery, the “Lantern Sound Recording Rig Stage” greeted festival and brewery goers alike with a quaint set-up right as you arrived at the entrance. While the festival may have been competing with the brewery’s normal operating business, everyone who came out that day was pleasantly surprised to be immersed in the festival.
Even though it was a one day affair across three small stages, the festival curated a rather large lineup of artists from all over the area. The “Lantern” stage featured bands such as Hank Stone, Bryan Gallo, Leland Sundries, Mick Hargreaves, Frankie Matos, Rorie Kelly, Christine Sweeney, Pete Mancini and a triple performance from The Belle Curves, Anne O-Rourke & Featherheart.
Lantern Sound Recording Rig Stage at Pine Barrens Jam, 9/18/21 – Photo By Buscar Photo
The main space of the brewery is a massive room with several bars throughout. The kitchen was cranking out jumbo pretzels and fresh shucked oysters at a feverish pace as people were coming and going making their way around the festival. At one end of the space, the “Jelly Jam Stage” hosted the featured bands of the day: headliner Drop The 4 as well as Zestrove, Kaido, A Band In Ship, Laurie Anne Creus and Dysfunktone.
Jelly Jam Stage at Pine Barrens Jam, 9/18/21 – Photo By Buscar Photo
Attendees at the festival would have never known the brewery was a last minute venue change. The organizers did an incredible job adapting to the new space, and one might have even thought it was the intent all along. Pine Barrens Jam promises to fight to be able to use the intended farm for next year, but the debut edition of the festival succeeded in highlighting the amazing artistry and musical talent from Long Island. More photos from the day below.
