Author: Steve Malinski

  • A Slice of Early Pink Floyd Returns to The Cap with Nick Mason’s Saucerful of Secrets

    Back in April of 2019 former Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason appeared at The Beacon Theatre in NYC with a saucerful of pre-Dark Side of the Moon songs from the Pink Floyd catalogue. That show (and the rest of that tour) proved the longevity of Syd Barret’s time with the band and resonated so well that Nick Mason’s Saucerful of Secrets returned to the road, recently stopping at The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester on Monday, Sept. 26.

    Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets

    The show was originally set for January 2022 but was postponed due to pandemic uncertainties at the time; it was certainly worth the wait. But an even longer gap of time was present. Pink Floyd had played at The Cap on April 22, 1970, the last time Mason was at the venue. At the time, Pink Floyd was not having the best luck with touring the United States as their stop in New Orleans less than a month later resulted in the remainder of their US tour being cancelled. It wasn’t until the 1973 release of Dark Side of the Moon when Pink Floyd was discovered by a majority of their fans, and it was this premise that prompted the idea for bringing the band’s earlier works to a wider audience.

    Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets

    The introductory bass guitar notes of “One of These Days” excited the audience and established a pillow of winds that carried that feeling through the whole show. The quality of the sound far surpassed what would come from a cover band and was an authentic breath of new life to the early Pink Floyd songs. After all, Nick Mason has been the only continuous Pink Floyd member since he co-founded the band; bassist Guy Pratt is the son-in-law of late PF keyboardist Richard Wright and toured with David Gilmour’s backing band; keyboardist Dom Beken had collaborated with Richard Wright; guitarist Lee Harris suggested the idea for the project to Pratt; and guitarist Gary Kemp had great enthusiasm about joining the band.

    Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets

    The Capitol Theatre’s intimate space and its excellent acoustics topped off the decadent slice of progressive rock history brought back to life. As opposed to arena shows where one might feel disconnected from the band, every note played engaged the crowd. From every spot in the room it was easy to tell and feel the happiness and energy of the band members, especially with Pratt and Kemp playing off each other with their presence and Mason frequently displaying a humble smile from behind the kit.

    Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets

    Particular treats from the show included “Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun,” “Echoes,” and “Astronomy Domine.” The entire setlist was enjoyable, although many more early Pink Floyd songs would also fit the bill (if time allowed). Ending the evening as a nod to Syd Barrett’s character was the quirky song “Bike.”

    If you missed Nick Mason’s Saucerful of Secrets at The Cap (or want to see it again), the tour will be stopping at The Beacon Theatre on Wednesday Oct. 12, rescheduled from January 2022.

    Setlist:

    Set 1: One of These Days, Arnold Layne, Fearless, Obscured by Clouds, When You’re In, Candy and a Currant Bun, Vegetable Man, If, Atom Heart Mother, If (Reprise), Remember a Day, Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun
    Set 2: Astronomy Domine, The Nile Song, Burning Bridges, Childhood’s End, Lucifer Sam, Echoes
    Encore: See Emily Play, A Saucerful of Secrets, Bike

  • Porcupine Tree Return to Radio City Music Hall Following Hiatus

    UK prog-rock band Porcupine Tree came to the historic Radio City Music Hall on Friday September 16, their first show back in NYC following the band’s 12-year hiatus. In fact, it was almost twelve years since they last played the NYC area at Radio City on Sept. 24, 2010. Given Porcupine Tree’s long hiatus and new music being teased during the pandemic, a great deal of anticipation was built up among the crowd going into the show.

    Porcupine Tree Return to Radio City Music Hall

    Porcupine Tree began as a solo project of Steven Wilson who eventually moved it to a full band setting in the early 90s. After touring in support of the band’s 10th studio album The Incident in 2010, Wilson shifted gears to work on solo recordings, leaving the band’s future in question. The June 2022 release of Closure/Continuation excited fans with the chance to see Porcupine Tree on this current summer/fall tour, though there is still uncertainty if this is the band wrapping up on a high note, or a sign of more great things to come.

    The band’s long two-set show was filled with fan favorites with the entirety of their new album scattered throughout both sets. Set one kicked off with a favorite, “Blackest Eyes,” before diving into three from Closure/Continuation which Wilson joked afterward about being the challenging part of the set. The second set featured the title track off the band’s 2006 album Fear of a Blank Planet and the extended “Anesthetize,” which unfortunately for the many folks donning Rush shirts did not feature Alex Lifeson on stage (Lifeson had contributed guitar lines on the studio recording). The show wrapped up with a pleasantly long encore ending with “Trains,” which Wilson commented that he had wished that would have been the single from In Absentia even though it wound up becoming one of Porcupine Tree’s most popular songs.

    The core of Porcupine Tree is Steven Wilson, Richard Barbieri, and Gavin Harrison, with original bass player Colin Edwin not returning. For the Closure/Continuation tour Porcupine tree enlisted touring band members Randy McStine from NYC and Nate Navarro from Boston.

    From start to finish, there were no lulls in the band’s performance. Compared to Porcupine Tree’s live shows in the late 2000s the band was just as engaged with each other, the music, and the audience as back then.There seemed to be a collective electricity among the audience fueled by the legacy that Porcupine Tree left for themselves before their hiatus. With the band’s future still unclear, hopefully it will fall on the “Continuation” part of the Closure/Continuation album title.

    Porcupine Tree Return to Radio City Music Hall

    Porcupine Tree Setlist

    Set 1: Blackest Eyes, Harridan, Of the New Day, Rats Return, Even Less, Drown With Me, Dignity, The Sound of Muzak, Last Chance to Evacuate Planet Earth Before It Is Recycled, Chimera’s Wreck
    Set 2: Fear of a Blank Planet, Buying New Soul, Walk the Plank, Sentimental, Herd Culling, Anesthetize, Sleep Together
    Encore: Collapse the Light Into Earth, Halo, Trains

  • Inaugural Backroads Blues Festival Showcases Generational Talent at Bethel Woods

    On the eve of the 53rd anniversary of the 1969 Woodstock Music and Art Fair, blues/rock artist Kenny Wayne Shepherd brought with him living blues legend Buddy Guy and up-and-coming blues man Christone “Kingfish” Ingram to the Bethel Woods stage for three sets of incredible music. The showcase of three generations of blues musicians is the inaugural edition of the touring Backroads Blues Festival. In addition to a remarkable evening of music, Shephard spoke with us about the tour and the entire interview can be seen at the end of this article.

    The Backroads Blues Festival’s inaugural run is visiting six venues between the Northeast and Virginia and included two stops in New York. Christone Ingram, a Mississippi native who goes by the nickname Kingfish, has had an impressive career so far for only being only 23 years old. While he has a bit of a name for himself, the show was a fantastic introduction for new fans. Though a younger musician, he blazed through his guitar work with emotion as if the blues were his primary language.

    Kenny Wayne Shepherd, who conceived the idea of this festival and curated the show, took the stage with his own band between Kingfish and headliner Buddy Guy. Shepherd is a musician who knows the business and how to draw his audience in to his music and guitar with his stage presence. Shepherd’s set included not only his own work, but concluded with a hat tip to the legendary B.B. King with “You Done Lost Your Good Thing Now.” Headlining the show was Buddy Guy, who celebrated his 86th birthday over the summer. There is a lot to be said for seeing and hearing Buddy perform which is why his shows are not just a performance, but an experience. He works the crowd with his wit, humor, and a sharp sense of being in the moment with his band to deliver pure, unfiltered blues.

    Before the evening concluded, both Shepherd and Kingfish joined Buddy Guy on stage to trade solos and do some call and response traditional to the style. As Buddy Guy usually does at the end of his shows, he set his guitar down and let his band (along with Shepherd and Kingfish) jam and play him out while he paraded around the stage to toss some guitar picks into the crowd.

    The Backroads Blues Festival was a unique experience of listening to three generations of musicians fit into a touring concert format. The crowd was left energized by the music with conversations about each of the three performers drifting through the air when the lights came back on. While the festival tour is wrapping up this weekend, we’re looking forward to the future versions of the Backroads Blues Festival coming back around to New York.

    Interview with Kenny Wayne Shepherd

    Steve Malinski: You mentioned during the show that the, this touring festival’s kind of been a dream of yours for a few years. So what inspired that dream to bring a few gen generations of blues musicians together like that?

    Kenny Wayne Shepherd: Well, I felt like there’s something, you know, there’s an opportunity for something like this. There’s kind of a void and I was looking to fill it. When I was a kid, there was an annual touring blues festival that B.B. King did. And, you know, I went to it several times over the years as a spectator, as a fan and saw some of the greatest talent in blues from Etta James, B.B. King, Joe Cocker, Stevie Ray and Jimmy Vaughan, Robert Cray, Buddy Guy. I mean, the list goes on and on, right. And then not too long after I joined it as an artist and did the tour myself with my band several times over the years. So, I mean, I just have a lot of really fond memories of that festival and those kinds of experiences. And I think I wanted to give the fans the opportunity to have their own experience like that, you know? I also think the genre still needs something like that. The multi-generational approach where you had three different generations of kind of the hottest names in blues. But I mean, the goal is just to have the best bands that are out there right now. I mean, it doesn’t necessarily always have to be representative of three generations, but I thought that was a really perfect way of kicking off the tour.

    SM: Yeah, it’s kind of a neat way of doing that.

    KWS: Yeah, I think it was good. I mean, Kingfish, he’s one of the big up and comers, he just won a Grammy. I mean, he’s kind of really blazing a trail and making a name for himself. And then, I’m the generation before and then Buddy’s, obviously the generation before that and everybody’s kind of at the top of their game. And so, it was a really strong lineup.

    SM: So how’s the experience been so far with it having a few shows in the books already?

    KWS: I think it’s great. I mean, to be honest with you the first night in Providence was completely packed. And it was a really great opening night. Bethel had a great crowd as well, but, you know, we were getting constant feedback. My people who were out in the merch area and the crew that was scattered throughout the venue and even myself at the end of the night… all the people that were working at the venue as they were leaving were just extremely complimentary about the show, said it was one of the best shows that they had there all season.

    So you know, that’s great. I mean, obviously, this is my project and it’s very important to me, but I mean, I’m telling you every single person that walked outta that venue that walked past me told me how great the show was. So that’s really satisfying. It’s very encouraging, especially because we’re trying to establish the brand here, because we want to move forward with this on an annual basis. They said they would love to have us come back again.

    SM: Yeah. One of the things I was going to say is I see huge potential for this growing into something more than just the limited run of shows you’re doing this summer.

    KWS: Yeah, this tour is more to get the word out, establish the brand and kind of like a proof of concept for lack of a better term. But back in the day the B.B. King fest would have around four headlining acts and then they would also have local acts that would perform, you know early on in the day. I mean the whole thing would start, and the local act was playing at like 4, 4:30 in the afternoon, you know? So it was a bit of a longer event and I’m hoping that we can grow into that. And the goal is to be inclusive. We’re gonna have, the hottest women of the blues, the hottest artists. Also, it’s like everything doesn’t always have to be electric either. There might be, you know, some more acoustic driven blues artists that will be included in the bill going forward and things like that. But regardless, it’s gonna be the top performers in the genre for sure.

    SM: Awesome. So I’ve seen Buddy Guy a handful of times, and he always talks about learning, not from the book, but just from what he hears and picks up from others. What have you kind of picked up on as inspirations from working with Buddy Guy and Kingfish as you’ve gotten ready for this tour?

    KWS:  Well, I mean, I’ve learned a lot from Buddy Buy. And so has any other guitar player in the past, you know, 50 years probably. I mean, Jimi Hendrix was a huge fan of Buddy Guy’s. So Buddy influenced, you know, the guy who’s regarded as the greatest guitar player of all time. So people, whether they even realize it or not have been influenced and affected by Buddy Guy and who he is and what he does. So, I mean, the main thing is he’s just incredible at age 86, you know, that he can perform at the level that he’s still performing at. And he’s a true show. And I just, I try and absorb that to the best of my abilities and, and take, things from people like that and incorporate them into what I do. And, that’s the tradition for all of us.

    SM: As you know, the Woodstock anniversary is this week. So being on that historic site, were any special feelings that you had performing at Bethel Woods?

    KWS: Yeah. You know, I’ve gotten to play this venue more than a few times over the course of my career. And, I’ve been to the site and done that whole thing. It’s certainly cool. I mentioned it earlier on, I think on one of my social media posts, especially because we are doing a music festival and launching a music festival… It’s like that place is sacred ground for music festivals. It was one of the biggest of all time, one of the most historic music festivals of all time took place there. So I thought it was an amazing opportunity to try and do the inaugural run of my festival and play one of our dates at that location.

    SM: I noticed you have a tour coming up leading into next year to celebrate the 25th anniversary of your album Trouble Is…. So looking back to 1997 and before, when you signed your first record deal at a six as a 16 year old kid in the early 90s, how do you reflect back on that?

    KWS: The first album [Ledbetter Heights] came out in ‘95, right after I graduated high school. I had recorded that one when I was 17. And then the one that we’re celebrating is the second album Trouble Is…, and that came out when I was like 19 years old in 1997. I mean, you know, I was young by any means. To compare to anything that’s a very young age to start a career and have that kind of success. And now I’m 45 years old and certainly, you know, a lot of time has passed. I mean, I think one of the most satisfying things we have accomplished a lot – we’ve sold millions of records. I’ve got several golden platinum albums hanging on the wall, awards on the shelf, all of those great things that any artist could ever hope for. But to me, the biggest accomplishment is the fan base that we have acquired over the years. You know, because people that are fans of this music, the music is timeless. It’s not stuck in an era. So, it’s not like pop music that has a certain sound from a certain era which then people move on from that. This is timeless music. And generally people who become fans of this kind of music kind of dig it for life, you know? And so as a result, that’s why 30 years later I’m out here and we’re still accomplishing things and we’re still making new achievements and we’re still, you know, selling tickets to concerts and selling out venues and moving into bigger venues, into new markets and things like that. That’s the biggest accomplishment because without the fan base that we have, then, none of it would be possible. And so they’ve stuck with me and they’ve kind of hung in there with me for 30 years now and they continue to make it possible for me to pursue, my dreams.

    SM: Going off of that, have you run into a lot of younger musicians who are looking up to your middle generation of blues musicians as inspiration?

    KWS: So, everybody knows that I started so young. I mean, over the entire 30 years of my career, I’ve run into a lot of younger musicians that come because they heard about my story and, you know, they’re aspiring young guitar players and, and things like that. And so, there’s no shortage of young people that are interested in music and there’s never any void of young people that are interested in blues and for some, it’s a stepping stone and they move on to other genres. And for some people like Kingfish, they try and make a life’s career out of it. But, my job is to be a good example and to be encouraging to them and just kind of do what I can do while I’m here and make my contribution, you know, as solid as possible.

  • Dead and Company’s Grand Slam Tour Finale Hits Citi Field

    A perfect summer night greeted Dead and Company as the group returned to Citi Field for their two-night tour closing run in Queens over July 15 & 16. After a quick introduction by Bravo Network’s Andy Cohen (also Anderson Cooper’s New Year’s Eve television sidekick and huge Grateful Dead fan), the show kicked off with a high energy version of “Bertha” which set the tone for the weekend.

    dead and company citi field

    Drummer Billy Kruetzman had been sitting out most of Dead & Co.’s summer tour due to some back issues but made a humble return for the tour closers. The crowd’s raucous cheers every time the cameras focused on him brought out a smile on his face. Jay Lane had been filling in for Kruetzman for most of the tour and came back out during Saturday’s show to join the band on stage.

    Dead & Co.’s setlist was orchestrated with the perfect ebb and flow of leisurely moments and dancing feet while maintaining full speed ahead. Set 2’s “Terrapin Station,” “Standing on the Moon,” and drums/space blended brilliantly with heaters “China Cat Sunflower -> I Know You Rider,” “Not Fade Away,” “Sugar Magnolia,” and the extended jam evolving “Space” into “The Other One.”

    dead and company citi field

    With Dead & Co.’s summer tour grand finale at Citi Field, here’s looking forward to what we hope to be more tours from the band. Check out photos from Friday’s show below, as well as setlists from both nights.

    Dead and Company – Citi Field – Queens

    Friday July 15:

    Set 1: Bertha -> Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo. Shakedown Street -> Sugaree, Tennessee Jed, Bird Song -> Don’t Ease Me In

    Set 2: Althea. Viola Lee Blues, Terrapin Station, China Cat Sunflower -> I Know You Rider -> Drums -> Space  -> The Other One -> Standing on the Moon, Not Fade Away

    Encore: Sugar Magnolia

    Saturday July 16:

    Set 1: Playing in the Band -> Uncle John’s Band, Dear Mr. Fantasy -> Hey Jude, Ramble On Rose, Brown-Eyed Women, Jack Straw

    Set 2: Truckin’, Wang Dang Doodle -> Scarlet Begonias -> Franklin’s Tower, St. Stephen -> William Tell Bridge -> The Eleven -> Drums (with Jay Lane) -> Space -> All Along the Watchtower, Morning Dew, Deal -> Playing in the Band Reprise

  • In Focus: Jazz Legend Ron Carter Celebrates 85th Birthday With Musical Showcase at Carnegie Hall

    Ron Carter received the perfect celebration for his 85th birthday at Carnegie Hall on May 10. The prolific Michigan-born jazz bassist is regarded as one of the most influential jazz musicians in the world, with a world record 2,221 recording session appearances since his career started in the 1960s.

    Jazz connoisseurs were delighted by Carter’s presentation of three of his ensembles showcasing the diversity of his musical talents fit for the pristine acoustics of Carnegie Hall. His first set featured two traditional jazz settings supported by phenomenal musicians – the Golden Striker Trio and the Foursight Quartet – while his second set featured an orchestrated octet blending jazz and world music sounds. Closing the night after a sentimental birthday wish on stage from Carter’s son Quintell Williams Carter, he performed a solo piece on piccolo bass which is a signature invention by him and Stanley Clarke (a piccolo bass looks like a regular bass but is tuned an octave higher to give more prominence to solos and lead parts on the instrument).

    ron carter carnegie hall

    Throughout the program, emcee Lester Holt and guest speakers/fellow bass virtuosos Stanley Clarke and Buster Williams spoke in great repute about Carter’s diverse talents in music, writing, collaboration, and education and each echoed his great character and humor as a person which he demonstrated throughout the night while explaining the compositions or sharing an off-the-cuff story. “We’re gonna keep comin’ out here til we get it right!” he exclaimed during each of his ensembles sets, slightly ironic to Carnegie Hall’s famous line of “practice, practice, practice!” before his closing remark of “well, I guess we finally got it right.”

    ron carter carnegie hall

    After a brief intermission, Lester Holt welcomed to the stage Mikio Mori, Ambassador and Consul-General of Japan in New York. Amb. Mori expressed the deepest of gratitude to Carter for “helping jazz evolve as a language between Americans and the Japanese in the spirit of friendship and peace” which has flourished a jazz movement in Japan over the last several decades. From his various contributions along with performances in Japan following the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks and following the devastating earthquake in March 2011, Carter was bestowed the honor of the Order of the Rising Sun with Rosette in 2021.

    Witnessing Mr. Carter’s performance at Carnegie Hall was an immersive exhibit of world-class talent. We would like to extend our warmest of wishes for his 85th birthday and look forward to hearing more of his virtuosity.

    Ron Carter at Carnegie Hall Setlist (composer listed in parenthesis):

    Golden Striker Trio: Laverne Walk (Pettiford), Candlelight (Carter), Soft Winds (Henderson)

    Ron Carter Foursight Quartet: 595 (Carter), Mr. Bowtie (Carter), My Funny Valentine (Henderson), You and the Night and the Music (Schwartz)

    Intermission

    Ron Carter Octet: Abide with Me (trad.), El Rompe Cabeza (Carter), Song for You (Russell), Song for a Friend* (Carter), All Blues (Davis), Just a Closer Walk with Thee (trad.)

    *”Song for a Friend” written in dedication to Carter’s father

  • Primus Tributes Prog-Rock Legends at The Cap

    It’s been almost seven long years since Rush played what would become their final NY Metro area shows at Prudential Center in NJ and Madison Square Garden in NYC as part of their 40th anniversary tour. The talent of the trio – Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, and the late Neil Peart – has left remarkable influences on many musicians touring today. Primus has been on the road performing their own songs as well as an entire set dedicated to performing Rush’s A Farewell to Kings in its entirety; the tour appropriately billed as “A Tribute To Kings.” A few of those recent stops were in Albany and this past weekend, The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester. Check out our coverage of Primus’ Albany show here.

    NYC-based duo Battles, who formed back in 2002, put on an intriguing opening set as an excellent compliment to the rest of the evening. In some ways, the duo seemed like a live performance of a DJ, minus the turntables. Using samples, they crafted remixes and improvised jams on guitar, synths, and drums, and certainly held the attention of The Cap.

    Primus took to the stage to the immediate delight of the full house crowd (which seemed to be nearly sold out at a quick glance of the room). Les CLaypool’s driving bass sound led a signature role through the first set as the band navigated through their repertoire, including the recently crafted ode to Volodomyr Zelensky, “The Man With The Iron Balls.” Proceeds from sales of that song, when released April 2022 went to benefit non-profit organization Nova Ukraine.

    Donning bit of the spacey glam garb as a nod to 1978, Primus returned for the second set to perform Rush’s A Farewell to Kings in its entirety. The anticipation for this moment of the show was visible even before entering The Cap; the sheer number of Rush album and tour t-shirts in the crowd might make one wonder if they were actually at a Rush fan convention. But in fairness, for the loyal Rush fans it certainly felt that way.

    Claypool noted his experience attending a Rush concert in his younger years, looking up to Geddy Lee as a tremendous influence and dreaming about someday playing bass on stage. Almost note for note, Primus recreated the album with remarkable precision to dynamics, tone and style, although Claypool joked about how difficult it was to mimic Geddy Lee’s high octave range (which he pulled off the few instances where he reached for that range).

    Rounding out the night, Primus returned for an extended encore to dive back into their own songs.

    Primus – The Capitol Theatre – Port Chester – May 20, 2022

    Set 1: Those Damned Blue-Collar Tweekers, Lacquer Head, Groundhog’s Day, Polka Dot Rose, American Life, HOINFODAMAN, Conspiranoia, Professor Nutbutter’s House of Treats, Hamburger Train, Harold of the Rocks, The Man With the Iron Balls

    Set 2: (A Farewell to Kings): A Farewell to Kings, Xanadu, Closer to the Heart, Cinderella Man, Madrigal, Cygnus X-1

    Encore: On the Tweek Again, Over the Electric Grapevine, Jerry Was a Race Car Driver, Tommy the Cat, Follow the Fool

  • In Focus: Queensrÿche Bring Heavy Metal Back to Peekskill’s Paramount Hudson Valley

    Heavy metal rockers Queensrÿche brought an extended show to Paramount Hudson Valley on April 3 in a one-off headlining set in between shows supporting Judas Priest’s North American tour. The night was packed full with opening sets from Black Dawn and Hittman.

    Black Dawn

    Formed in 1996 on Long Island, Black Dawn kicked off the night with songs from their five-album discography. NYC’s Hittman has an even longer history in the NY Metro area metal scene dating back to the mid 1980s. Their fast-paced set echoed some of the core sounds of their NYC scene neighbors Dream Theater, just without the higher degree of progressive metal elements.

    Hittman

    Queensrÿche landed on the Paramount’s stage with an off-night between supporting shows for Judas Priest in Connecticut and Massachusetts. The extended time afforded by their own headlining show allowed them to dust off some songs they weren’t able to fit in their supporting shows such as one of their latest songs “Man the Machine” (from The Verdict, 2019) and other steadfast favorites from the band’s four decade history.

    With a long history Queensrÿche has had a few lineup changes over the years; most notably the departure of original singer Geoff Tate in 2012 whose vocals helped shape the band’s sound. The replacement by Todd La Torre has proven to drive the band forward with continuity in their sound and presence.

    Queensrÿche Setlist: Queen of the Reich, Warning, En Force, NM 156, Breaking the Silence, I Don’t Believe in Love, Man the Machine, Walk in the Shadows, The Whisper, Silent Lucidity, Jet City Woman, Operation: Mindcrime, The Needle Lies, Eyes of a Stranger

    Encore: Take Hold of the Flame, Screaming in Digital, Empire

  • Bob Weir and Wolf Bros Mark 50 Years of ‘Ace’ at Radio City

    Another Saturday night brought Bob Weir back to Radio City Music Hall along with the Wolf Bros and special guests to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the release of his first solo studio album, Ace.

    Special guests for the show included Brittany Spencer who complimented Weir’s vocals with soulful harmonies. And Tyler Childers whose guitar and vocals added an extra touch of Americana. Longtime Weir collaborator Ron Carter stepped on bass for ”Dark Star.”

    The core of Weir’s Wolf Bros band consisted of Don Was (bass), Jay Lane (drums), Jeff Chimenti (keys), and Barry Sless (pedal steel guitar). The Wolf Pack of Alex Kelly, Mads Tolling, Adam Theis, Brian Switzer, Sheldon Brown on strings and horns brought some rather fun improv breaks throughout both sets.

    Weir’s Ace celebration continued Sunday evening at Radio City Music Hall. This time with another added guest, Dead & Company bandmate John Mayer.

    Bob Weir and Wolf Bros Radio City Music Hall – New York, NY 4/2/22

    Set 1: When I Paint My Masterpiece, Me and My Uncle, Loser, Ace: Greatest Story Ever Told (w/ Tyler Childers), Black-Throated Wind, Walk in the Sunshine (w/ Brittney Spencer), -> Playing in the Band -> Looks Like Rain (w/ Brittney Spencer), Mexicali Blues, One More Saturday Night, Cassidy

    Set 2: You Win Again (w/Tyler Childers), Weather Report Suite -> Shakedown Street (w/ Brittney Spencer), Dark Star (w/ Ron Carter), Eyes of the World -> What’s Going On -> Eyes of the World, Days Between -> Playing in the Band

    Encore: Ripple