This summer, founding Grateful Dead member Phil Lesh will make his return to Bethel Woods Center for the Arts. And he’s bringing a few friends along with him. Phil Lesh & The Midnight Ramble Band will play one night on Saturday, August 20. It is slated to be part of the venue’s “Woodstock Anniversary Celebration” which will commemorate the 53rd anniversary of the iconic music and arts festival.
In addition to performing with the Dead at Woodstock, Lesh also made an appearance here in July of 2006. The second set included a sit-in from Phish guitarist Trey Anastasio on songs that were performed at the original festival in 1969 like “Dark Star,” St. Stephen,” and “Turn On Your Love Light.”
Lesh’s last appearance at Bethel Woods came in 2019 at Mountain Jam. Phil and Friends trotted out a cover of The Band’s “Chest Fever,” played the first ever “Midnight Highway” and closed out their set with an “Uncle John’s Band.”
This year’s band is dubbed The Midnight Ramble Band, in a nod to Levon Helm’s nearby legendary barn and its late night concerts, and will feature Amy Helm, Jim Wider, Brian Mitchell, Adam Minkoff, Steven Bernstein, Larry Campbell, Teresa Williams, Connor Kennedy, Shawn Pelton, Tony Leone, Erik Lawerence, Jay Collins and, of course, Grahame Lesh.
Tickets go on sale tomorrow at 10 am through Ticketmaster.
Riot Fest, one of the longest running independent music festivals, has announced its 2022 lineup with tickets going on sale next week. The three-day festival will return to Douglass Park in Chicago, IL this fall with headliners that include My Chemical Romance, Nine Inch Nails and The Original Misfits performing their debut album Walk Among Us which turned 40 years old this year. Riot Fest will be spread across five stages and features a vast array of music that is rich in punk, indie rock, hip hop, goth, industrial and more.
On July 19, it was announced that Taking Back Sunday, Coolio, Marky Ramone’s Blitzkrieg, Zola Jesus, Reece Young, Poliça and cumgirl8 will join the diverse lineup of bands playing September 16-18 in Douglass Park.
Attendees will also enjoy reunion sets from Yellowcard (performing their sole 2022 show), The Academy Is… and Midtown—as well as returning punk heroes like Alkaline Trio, Bad Religion, and Descendents, hip-hop acts like Ice Cube and Action Bronson, and fest favorites Sleater-Kinney, Jimmy Eat World, The Front Bottoms, and The Wonder Years. “I think this year’s lineup really speaks to who we are,” says festival founder Mike Petryshyn, “It’s been a minute since we’ve gotten to curate a lineup like this. I’m especially excited for what this is leading into: the stuff that’s happening in the next few weeks, and the years to come.”
Founded in 2005, Riot Fest is an independent music festival featuring the best of punk, rock ‘n’ roll, hip hop, metal, alternative, and just about everything in between. Founder Riot Mike is credited with helping to reunite iconic bands like Naked Raygun, the Replacements, The Original Misfits, and Jawbreaker, among many other reunions—a staple of Riot Fest, alongside full album performances, carnival rides, and the occasional butter sculpture. It was named #1 Music Festival by USA Today, and in 2021 it was voted Best Music Festival in a poll for Chicago Reader. In addition to the festival, Riot Fest promotes shows year-round at a myriad of music venues across Chicago.
Tickets are now on sale for Riot Fest 2022 and can be purchased through the festival’s website here. Options for 1-day, 2-day and 3-day tickets are all available.
By 1980, the Grateful Dead certainly didn’t feel like a stranger at Nassau Coliseum. The band had played ten shows at this arena already, five in 1973 and another five the previous year in 1979. However, 1980 would only see a single three-show run at Nassau. With the Brent Mydland era now fully initiated and underway, we take a look back at this opening night of the run on its anniversary, aided by a sterling soundboard recording.
The 1980 Nassau run kicks off with an “Alabama Getaway” that does nothing to wane the excitement present in the building. Some lively Brent Mydland harmonies and a few short but spirited guitar solos from Jerry Garcia highlight the opener that never really stops and instead instantly veers into a “Promised Land.” Bob Weir mans the vocals on the Chuck Berry cover and, by now, Mydland’s Hammond organ is fully turned up in the mix in a big way, adding a palpable layer of soul.
After that spirited 1-2 punch to open the show, the Dead then slow things down in a big way with a “Candyman” that hits all the right notes, with the band taking a delightfully patient approach to this live show staple.
Things then liven back up as the band takes a musical trip south of the border, so to speak, with an interesting “Mexicali Blues” and “El Paso” pairing. Bassist Phil Lesh throws down some stellar fills on “El Paso” before the Dead bring things back to the States with a “Tennessee Jed” that gets a roaring endorsement of approval from the Long Island crowd. “Jed” is played to perfection and after some brief deliberation, they jump right into “Let It Grow,” the second part of the esteemed “Weather Report Suite” that made its live debut at Nassau Coliseum nearly seven years ago. This elicits a brief but mesmerizing jam that sees Garica and Mydland fully in synch with one another.
They then take command of the next two songs, as Garcia lays down the opening guitar licks to “Althea” that, like much of the opening set, is played with a comfortably deliberate pace with each note serving a purpose. Lesh shines again on bass here, backing up another typical stirring Garcia guitar solo. Mydland then puts his signature raspy vocals on full display on the “Easy To Love You” that follows alongside some delightful play on the electric piano. The set then comes to a rousing finish thanks to “The Music Never Stopped” and a closing breakneck jam that sees the whole band immersed and engaged on this crowd favorite.
The second set begins with a rather funked out “Feel Like A Stranger,” a new weapon in the Dead’s live arsenal that just made its debut a few months ago at the Capitol Theater in Passaic, NJ. Weir handles the vocals with ease and the song is aided by some droning synthesizer work on Mydland’s end that peppers the song throughout. Instead of its traditional ending, they jam out the ending of “Stranger,” and rightfully so, until Garcia initiates the introduction to “Sugaree.” Garcia and Mydland, on organ now, lock in together once more on a rousing version with a jam that slowly builds in intensity.
This first show of the Nassau run then features another pairing of Dead songs, this time it’s “Lost Sailor” and “Saint Of Circumstance,” with the latter making it another song that made its live debut in New York State. The first “Saint” was played in Glens Falls in August of 1979. To slow things down once more, the Garcia-led ballad “Comes A Time ” then emerges, replete with one more emotion-laden guitar solo.
The harrowing outro jam to “Time” slowly but surely begins to increase in tempo, with Garcia fluttering all around the fretboard, until Phil Lesh rings out the signature bass line that begins “The Other One” and the Dead are off and running once more. A madcap, psychedelic journey ensues between the two main verses on this classic tune that harkens back to the days of San Francisco and “Cowboy” Neal Cassady. Once the second verse is completed, the band almost stops playing instantly and defers to Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart for the “Drums” portion of the evening.
From the ashes of “Space” emerges the always reflective “Black Peter,” with Mydland once again lending a delicate touch thanks to the Hammond. The Dead then close the doors on the second set at Nassau with a couple of traditional rock and roll covers. Weir helms the vocals once more, starting with “Around And Around” and ending with “Johnny B. Goode,” rounding out a trifecta of Berry covers for the night. “Don’t Ease Me In” then served as a fitting encore for this show, with the Dead having laid the ground work for another memorable run of shows at Nassau Coliseum.
Listen to this show below or at Live Music Archive here.
View this show and more Grateful Dead shows from across the years in New York State with our interactive map below
Grateful Dead Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum – Uniondale, NY 5/14/80
Set 1: Alabama Getaway > Promised Land, Candyman, Mexicali Blues > El Paso, Tennessee Jed, Let It Grow > Althea, Easy To Love You > The Music Never Stopped
Set 2: Feel Like A Stranger > Sugaree > Lost Sailor > Saint Of Circumstance > Comes A Time > The Other One > Drums > Black Peter > Around And Around > Johnny B. Goode
New York’s own Stella Blue’s Band, one of the premiere Grateful Dead tribute acts, will play a free show in Central Park on May 17. Starting at 4:30 p.m. at the Naumburg Bandshell on 72nd Street, the show will both raise funds for a good cause and also commemorate a Dead show at this very same location 54 years ago.
Donations can be made to Riverkeeper, which supports programs that protect the Hudson River, its watershed and the drinking water for New York State. Exclusive t-shirts featuring original art work by Jerry Garcia himself can be had for $40 donations. There’s also a poster available, done by Kenny Schneidman, for a $20 donation. Donations can be made through the event’s website as well.
The music pays tribute to the Grateful Dead’s show in Central Park on May 5, 1968. It’s one of the earlier Dead shows ever played in New York, with a rumored attendance near 5,000, but unfortunately no known recordings exist. And the exact set list is spotty as well, but can be reasonably pieced together.
The Dead were joined that day by their friends Jefferson Airplane who announced a free show in Central Park the night before at a show at the Fillmore East. The Paul Butterfield Blues Band also served as the opener, with Airplane following and then the Dead. Although the documentation of the actual set list is incomplete, there was a known “Morning Dew” played as well according to one eyewitness who also provided some detailed audio intel.
The Dead opened 5/5/68 with Bob Weir saying to the NYC crowd, “Welcome to San Francisco.” Then Phil hit the opening chords to Morning Dew on his Guild Starfire Bass, played through a bunch of Fender Showman and or Dual Showman Amplifier heads and Sunn 2000S Speaker Cabinets with 15″ JBL Speakers, reinforced through a PA with JBL and or Altec Lansing Speakers. Garcia played his ’52-early ’53 Gibson Les Paul Gold top, plugged into maybe 6-8 Fender twin Reverb Amplifiers with 12″ JBL Speakers. He had an octopus chord going to all the inputs of the amps.
– Steven Ross, eyewitness
As for the rest of the music, there’s a rumored “The Other One” that was played and sandwiched between “Cryptical Envelopment.” And “Alligator” was also allegedly performed as well, with Pigpen undoubtedly taking center stage.
And renowned Dead Head Gary Lambert, as told in This Is All A Dream We Dreamed, one of the more reputable Grateful Dead chronicles, fills in some other details as well.
“The Dead were terrific. They were the best band of the three that day… They played some of the material that would turn up on Anthem of the Sun: The Other One, New Potato Caboose, though I didn’t know those songs by name. I recognized Morning Dew from the first album. They finished with Turn On Your Lovelight, which I loved.
– Gary Lambert
Using all of this, a presumed a set list for this legendary Central Park gig might look something like what’s listed below. For more information on tomorrow’s show, check out the event website here.
Grateful Dead Central Park – New York, NY 5/5/68 (rumored)
Morning Dew, Cryptical Envelopment > The Other One > Cryptical Envelopment, Alligator, New Potato Caboose, Turn On Your Lovelight
Saturday, April 23rd marked the fourth and final night of the rescheduled New Year’s Eve run for Phish at their unofficial East Coast headquarters, Madison Square Garden. The band left nothing to chance and delighted fans with one last show before Summer Tour commences in a few months.
The first set had a decidedly old school flavor to it, with a dash of music from the future thanks to a new Sci-Fi Soldier wrinkle that was brought into play. A classic “Fluffhead” opener went off without a hitch and was greeted loudly by the Garden crowd. Next, Phish brought out another signature tune in “Mike’s Song” and delivered a proper “Mike’s Groove” with the mesmerizing “I Am Hydrogen” placed in the middle.
In keeping with the old school flavor, “Simple” came out next, no doubt spurred on by the new mayor of New York CIty’s Twitter usage. As the “Simple” jam stretched out and started to become anything but that, vocals emerged from the band and a distinct “Egg In A Hole” jam developed, the first time it’s been played since the Vegas Halloween run of last year where it was first spawned. A late set “Divided Sky” was perfectly placed before the set closed out in raucous fashion with the arena rocker that is “First Tube.”
Phish’s last set of the run began with a scintillating “No Men’s In No Man’s Land” that spawned a sprawling jam. The set also featured a memorable “Piper” that once again seemed perfectly dropped into place and contained a discernable “Dave’s Energy Guide” jam or tease, depending on who you talk to. Page McConnell and Trey Anastasio each also got to feature some of their personal material as well thanks to the pulsating “I Always Wanted It This Way” and the introspective “Lonely Trip.” An unexpected encore pairing of “Wilson” > “David Bowie” brought one last taste of magic to the Garden before a euphoric “More” officially closed out the run.
Setlist via Phish.net
Set 1: Fluffhead, Mike’s Song > I Am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove, Simple -> Egg in a Hole Jam -> Simple, Divided Sky, First Tube
Set 2: No Men In No Man’s Land -> Prince Caspian > Piper > Gotta Jibboo, I Always Wanted It This Way > Lonely Trip, Walls of the Cave
Encore: Wilson > David Bowie, More
This was the the rescheduled date for the show that had been postponed due to the Omicron variant of COVID-19 surge in New York City in December of 2021. Trey teased San-Ho-Zay in No Men in No Man’s Land, Dave’s Energy Guide in Piper, and In Memory of Elizabeth Reed in David Bowie.
Night three of Phish at Madison Square Garden not only brought with it three sets of music, but a whale of a chance to do “New Year’s” all over again. Friday night represented the NYE celebration of the rescheduled end of 2021 shows and revelers took full advantage, dressing up to nines and all but signing “Auld Lang Syne” on the way in.
Photo by Jake Silco
An “Everything’s Right” opener did nothing to curb the pre-show enthusiasm and had the MSG crowd rocking in unison from the get-go. A smooth segue into “Tube” only further enhanced the early show vibes. Another first set pairing of “555” > “Back On The Train” went off without a hitch, with a “Train” jam that slowly increased in both tempo and emotion. The Page McConnell-penned “Army Of One” gave the crowd a chance to catch their breath before Phish welcomed back “Axilla (Part II)” to the live setting after being resurrected last year. A rowdy “Bathtub Gin” was met with open arms before “Say It To Me S.A.N.T.O.S” closed out a raucous first set.
The second set was the “all gas, no brakes” portion of the evening with a string of segues that started with an ebullient “Set Your Soul Free” that made its way seamlessly into the “Light.” This was followed by a simmering “Fuego” before a quick trek into “What’s The Use?” gave the second stanza a chance to breathe. A “Backwards Down The Number Line” that Trey Anastasio dedicated to his daughter for her birthday brought yet another slow build and release jam in closing out the second set.
Prior to Set 3, the stage was cleared off entirely, and new, more compact drum and key rigs were brought to the stage, centered more than usual. The wide area around the stage that now surrounded the band was revealed to be a white sheet just prior to the 11:45pm start time. With the band’s return to the stage for “Free,” the stage lifted up, bringing with it the now-stretched sheet upon which projections would appear during an Earth Day-themed set. Five songs – “Free,” “A Wave of Hope,” “Waves,” “Sand” and “Split Open and Melt” – would play off their lyrics while water and laser projections lit up the stage from underneath.
Anastasio and company found themselves lifting up off the stage, with all found on the same level, so as to avoid a repeat of 2019 where Anastasio found himself stuck on his a platform, 30 feet above the stage. Much like in 2013 and 2015, the band moved the stage within the confines of The Garden, keeping the fans on their toes.
photo by Pete Mason
The Earth Day gag as a whole did not give a direct nod to this rescheduled New Year’s Eve show, but there were connections to the past that could be found within the production. The foam blowing during “Split Open and Melt” was a callback to 2002’s “Seven Below” foam party; the ‘rain’ during “Free” and “A Wave of Hope” was similar to 2016’s “Petrichor” production; the overall aquarium feel throwing back to 1993’s New Year’s Eve, and the overall water theme from 2017’s “Soul Planet.”
During “Waves,” drone-operated dolphins made an appearance, floating through the air, gyrating as they flipped and bounded through waves of smoke and fog. The famed Blue Whale from the Natural History Museum arose from Mike-side moments later, coasting through the water and providing a stunning visual effect for all 20,000 fans to behold. For 20-30 minutes, The Garden felt like The Ocean, with a blue hue accenting the stunning set.
As the stage descended at the end of “Split Open and Melt,” the sound of cracking ice could be heard, giving a subtle hint to the single song encore of “It’s Ice” that was yet to come. For the grand finale, a giant donut was raised behind the stage, reminding phans that even on Earth Day, the universe is a donut.
photo by Pete Mason
Setlist via Phish.net
Set 1: Everything’s Right > Tube, 555 > Back on the Train, Army of One, Axilla (Part II) > Bathtub Gin > Say It To Me S.A.N.T.O.S.
Set 2: Set Your Soul Free > Light > Fuego > What’s the Use? > Backwards Down the Number Line
Set 3: Free, A Wave of Hope, Waves > Sand, Split Open and Melt
Encore: It’s Ice This was the rescheduled date for the show that had been postponed due to the Omicron variant of COVID-19 surge in New York City in December of 2021. Trey teased Happy Birthday in Set Your Soul Free and wished his daughter Bella a happy birthday in Backwards Down the Number Line. For the third set and encore, the stage was raised with a screen showing moving images in front of and below the band. During Waves, dolphins and a whale flew throughout the venue. Kelp descended from above the band during Split Open and Melt and fell to the stage after the song was over. Prior to It’s Ice, there was a prerecorded freezing sound as the image on the screen “froze.”
42 North Brewing Company and Swain Resort are joining forces and have announced the first ever Basecamp Festival to be held on Saturday, July 9 at the base of the resort in Swain. The inaugural event will feature live music, craft beverages as well as outdoor activities. Patrons will have the opportunity to go on chair lift rides, hikes and will also feature a wide array of local artisan vendors.
The music kicks off with the Buffalo-based Organ Fairchild, a former NYS Music “March Madness” winner. Following them is the roots quartet Folkfaces who will bring their up-tempo mix of original and traditional music to the stage. The band recently wrapped up an East Coast tour and has played festivals throughout the country.
And the beer will be provided by 42 North Brewing from East Aurora, NY. “We are thrilled to partner with 42 North to create this event. We both share the same passion for great music, great beer, and outdoor adventure”, states Suzy Male, Director of Marketing for Swain. Male added that they hope to make Basecamp Festival an annual summer event at the resort.
Swain Resort
A limited number of early bird tickets go on sale for $25 beginning Wednesday, April 6. For an additional fee, camping and overnight RV parking will be available. For more information on Basecamp or to purchase tickets, go to the event website here.
Swain Resort is the oldest independently run ski resort in New York State. Located just over an hour from both Buffalo and Rochester and is proud of its history and ski community.
Guitarist, songwriter, and singer Jim Miller of the band Western Centuries passed away unexpectedly from cardiac arrest while on tour in Boston last week. Miller was 69 years old and his passing has been felt hard on the Americana and acoustic roots musical communities. Outside of his songwriting in Western Centuries, known for its biting social commentary and insightful phrasing, Jim Miller was a founding member of Americana pioneers Donna the Buffalo and also collaborated with musicians like Dirk Powell, Rosie and Richie Stearns, Jim Lauderdale, Ginny Hawker, and Tim O’Brien.
Western Centuries was formed around three very different, but complimentary, songwriters: Jim with Cahalen Morrison and Ethan Lawton from Seattle. At live shows, the three would trade instruments, swap leads, and share the stage in a manner unusual for most Americana and country bands. Part of this stemmed from Miller, who loved to perform, but was always humble and soft-spoken about his own contributions to the music and the community.
Jim Miller was born in Boston in 1953 and lived for a time in Colorado. As a child, he spent much of his boyhood on the Canadian prairies around Saskatchewan, singing in the Saskatoon Boys Choir and getting introduced to roots music through his parents. An early experience at a Jimi Hendrix concert and exposure to the folk music concert series at Yale University brought Miller deeper into the fold. He later formed Donna the Buffalo with Tara Nevins in graduate school and was a key member of the band for fifteen years, touring heavily throughout the country. Miller cut five albums with Donna the Buffalo and was a key part of their early sound.
He was also a respected lepidopterist (scientist who studies moths and butterflies), earning a PhD from Cornell University. Though he toured all across the United States and over to the United Kingdom and Europe with Western Centuries, his lifelong quest for understanding moths took him to even further corners of the globe; he was especially an expert on moths in South America. In addition to all the music fans left mourning by Miller’s passing, there are also many in academia who are speaking now in remembrance of how he influenced them directly and encouraged their careers.
Miller ended up meeting Cahalen Morrison and Ethan Lawton at jam sessions around the town after moving to Seattle. The three formed Western Centuries as a way to explore an urban nexus of country that drew from their own roving influences, like Morrison’s Southwest origins, Lawton’s interest in early soul and reggae, and Miller’s groove-laden history of song building. The band recorded four albums with Free Dirt Records with their most recent album, Call the Captain, released in 2020 and called “truly diverse” by Rolling Stone Magazine. The band had just finished recording a new album when Miller tragically passed away.
Knickerbocker Arena will always be one of those venues with a special place in Grateful Dead lore. The band played the downtown Albany arena thirteen times in their career which included three three-night runs at “The Knick.” Today, we look back at the middle show of the last three-night run there in 1993. It may not reach the heights of the band’s initial heralded run here in 1990 which helped provide material for their Dozin’ At The Knick album, but it sees the Dead at a time when they’re clearly comfortable in their own skin with this last incarnation of the band. The show provides a solid blend of Grateful Dead fan favorites, a pair of Dylan covers, and some newer original songs that were only played a smattering of times in this late era for the band.
The show begins with a tune that was starting to entrench its spot as a show opener in this last phase of live Dead, “Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodleoo.” Jerry Garcia sounds engaged right from the get-go and drops an immaculate guitar fill early on in the proceedings. The band takes their time dragging out the composed portion of the opener before Garcia lays down another heavenly solo. After a courtesy nod of gratitude from the Knick crowd, the opening licks to “Walkin’ Blues” ring out loud and true and fellow guitarist Bob Weir takes control for the next number. He leads the way through a cover of the American blues classic before they resort back to one of their sentimental originals in “So Many Roads,” replete with another feathery Garcia solo that serves as the bridge before a somewhat “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door”-esque ending.
The Dead make the following cover selection more than clear with a joyous romp through Bob Dylan’s “When I Paint My Masterpiece” that has both guitarists wailing on vocals by song’s end. Things then slow down again somewhat with the “High Times” that comes next. This Grateful Dead classic serves up a classic blend of bluesy Garcia solos that merely matches vocals of the same tenor. This sets the stage for yet another late-era Dead regular that never seemed to take off, “Eternity,” co-crafted by Weir and his fellow Ratdog bandmate Rob Wasserman.
A slow transition into “Deal” then follows, with bassist Phil Lesh pushing the tempo early and often before a jam that reaches near hysterical proportions closes out the first set earnestly. The second one begins with the familiar tones of “Scarlet Begonias” as the Knick crowd gets brought back to life with this vintage Dead number. This triggers a brief but blissful jam, with Garcia’s tricked out guitar creating the effects of a veritable flute solo, that serves as the springboard into a raging “Fire On The Mountain.”
After a somewhat abrupt ending to “Fire,” the drum-fueled intro to “Samson and Delilah” emerges. Some vintage bass bombs from Lesh are peppered throughout on a frenzied take on this live show staple. Another old standby in “Ship Of Fools” then follows, graced with a typical breathtaking solo from Garcia, before the Dead break out “Wave To The Wind,” a song co-written by Lesh and longtime band lyricist Robert Hunter that was played only a handful of times in 1992 and ’93.
A post-song segue into “Truckin’” gets a little murky but the band soon finds their footing and treats the Knickerbocker Arena crowd to another classic Dead sing-along number. It sees some strong piano fills thrown in from Vince Welnick that help fuel a brief but explosive jam that sets the table for the traditional “Drums” > “Space” portion of the evening.
From the psychedelic mist emerges another song synonymous with ’90s-era Dead, “Long Way To Go Home” with an energized Welnick taking charge and leading the way on vocals. The tone then shifts from new school to old school in a hurry as the band dusts off “Attics Of My Life.” It ends a 41-show gap from its last performance, which just happened to be here at The Knick last June. The set then comes to a rousing finish with a “Turn On Your Lovelight” that sees Bob Weir doling out the signature bluesy vocals and Garcia once more digging into his bag of tricks and emitting joyous trumpet-sounding guitar fills on the closer. The second and final Dylan cover of the night then serves as the encore as the show ends with a beautifully somber take of “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door.” The Grateful Dead would return to Knickerbocker Arena the next day to close out this run and, two years later, they would play their final shows at this heralded venue.
Check out video of the entire show here and below thanks to YouTube.
View This And More Grateful Dead Shows From Across The Years In New York State With Our Interactive Map Below
Grateful Dead Knickerbocker Arena – Albany, NY 3/28/93
Set 1: Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo, Walkin’ Blues, So Many Roads, When I Paint My Masterpiece, High Time, Eternity, Deal
Set 2: Scarlet Begonias > Fire On The Mountain, Samson And Delilah, Ship Of Fools, Wave To The Wind > Truckin’ > Drums > Space > Way To Go Home, Attics Of My Life > Turn On Your Lovelight
This weekend, The Disco Biscuits return to Port Chester and The Capitol Theatre with a trifecta of performances that will also feature pre-shows each evening at the adjacent Garcia’s. With signs of spring finally starting to emerge in the Northeast, one of the more iconic jam bands of the region will help turn the calendar from March to April with three nights of electronica-infused music.
This weekend will see The Disco Biscuits reach the “Double Digit” Club for shows at The Capitol Theatre with the last one on Saturday, April 2 being their eleventh show overall at this fabled venue. The band first played here in March of 2016 on a two-night run, with a rendition of “Helicopters” started on the first night and finished the next evening. The first show also featured the lone (to date) cover of Carl Carlton’s “She’s A Bad Mama Jama.”
The Disco Biscuits followed this up the next year with a three-night run at the Capitol Theatre from April 27 to 29. This time, it was “Shem-Rah-Boo” that was spread across the first two nights, with the first night also featuring a monstrous “House Dog Party Favor” to close out the second set. The following night sees one of the earlier versions of “The Champions” played and the last night’s first set gets capped off in grand fashion with a particularly spirited “Confrontation” > “Rock Candy (unfinished)” > “Confrontation” sequence of events.
The last time the Disco Biscuits graced the stage of The Capitol Theatre was in 2019 with yet another three-night run spanning January 31 – February 2. This run is probably best known for the last night as the Biscuits paid homage to their jam fore fathers The Grateful Dead who played plenty a memorable show here and started the show with a completely unexpected bust out of “Help On The Way” > “Slipknot!” > “Franklin’s Tower.” The last night also featured an inverted “Shelby Rose” and a sublime jam emerging from a first set “Shem” that seamlessly flowed into the beginning of “Cyclone.”
The band is surely guaranteed to only add to their own legacy at The Cap and it all starts each night with thee free pre-shows that start as soon as doors open. PEAK kicks off the weekend on Thursday, March 31, Microcave jams on Friday, April 1, and Sweeping Views spins some far out dance tracks on Saturday, April 2.
Attendees need a ticket to The Disco Biscuits shows to attend the pre-shows! Tickets are still available for purchase here.
