Philadelphia’s own The Disco Biscuits have announced the return of their two-day City Bisco festival. The mini-fest is scheduled for the weekend of Saturday, June 18 and Sunday, June 19 and will once again be held at TD Pavillion at the Mann. This will be the fifth installment of City Bisco and it marks the 10-year anniversary of the festival since its inception in 2012.
This year’s bill also features performances from electronic duo Bob Moses, renowned DJ Shiba San and moe. It’s a promising sign for the jamband mainstay as it marks another scheduled gig for the band as guitarist Chuck Garvey continues to rehabilitate from a recent stroke. moe. is also slated to perform at their own Summer Camp music festival in Chillicothe, IL from May 27-29.
Other acts scheduled this year include fellow electronica icons The New Deal, TAUK, LP Giobbi and Township Rebellion with the Disco Biscuits capping off each night with two sets of music.
Presale tickets for the event will be available with the code CITYBISCO starting March 23 at 10 a.m. EST with the general on-sale beginning March 25 at 12 p.m. EST. Tickets can be purchased here.
Today marks the anniversary of the maiden voyage for the Grateful Dead to Utica. Certainly no strangers to New York City and the Hudson Valley by 1973, the Dead would soon begin to make their mark all over the Empire State. The band was still very much in the emotional wake of the recent death of founding member Ron “Pigpen” McKernan who was laid to rest just weeks earlier. The first shows afterwards were three nights at the Nassau Coliseum and now this new iteration of the Dead headed upstate for two more in Oneida County. This first night of music is an impressive showing from start to finish, filled with fan favorites and a whole bunch of new material debuted earlier this year. It’s all gas and very little breaks as the set list will attest, just the latest dose of good music at the Aud with Santana having played here last month and Procol Harum scheduled for a gig next month.
The recording for this show doesn’t start until the tail end of the show-opening “Bertha,” picking up in the middle of a Jerry Garcia-led jam before its closing verse. The audio quality itself is more than passable though and the Dead launch into a first set staple in “Me And My Uncle” next. The opening set also features a “Wave That Flag,” a song that would only be played a handful of times on this spring tour in 1973 before later being formally resurrected as “U.S. Blues” next year. It’s the same melody and general song structure, just with some slightly different lyrics along side some ultra jazzy piano fills from Keith Godchaux.
After some customary post-song tuning, things take a turn for the mellow as Bob Weir takes the helm for the delicate “Looks Like Rain.” It’s a wonderful display of group musicianship as the playing ebbs and flows along with the emotional progression of the song, peaking in a short but explosive jam that the Utica crowd loudly acknowledges. The “Tennessee Jed” that follows gets stretched out even further, with a catchy jam that comes to a slow crescendo, before the Dead reign it back in with a “Box Of Rain” that sees Donna Jean Godchaux backing up bassist Phil Lesh on vocals on the American Beauty classic. Donna then assumes lead vocal duty for a cover of the Loretta Lynn tune, “You Ain’t Woman Enough,” another song only played a handful of times in 1973.
The opening set of music then reenters the “boy’s club,” so to speak, with the next two song selections, one old and one new. A spirited but quick run through of another first set stalwart in “Jack Straw” precedes a still-fledgling “Row Jimmy” that was debuted just last month, but all the same, sees the band tugging at the collective musical heart strings once more. Afterwards, presumably in response to crowd requests for “Saint Stephen,” Phil Lesh loudly affirms they “don’t do that one anymore” with Weir adding, “Because we liked it too much.” It wouldn’t be played live again for more than another three years.
Instead, the Dead run through the old, reliable “Beat It On Down The Line” before treating Utica to another live show newcomer. This time it’s a mesmerizing “Here Comes Sunshine” that sees guitarists Garcia and Weir complementing each other wonderfully on a song that certainly shows the potential to be a fixture for the years to come but, oddly, would be shelved for almost twenty years instead.
An already marathon-like first set then continues with, fittingly, a crisp take of “The Race Is On” with Weir impressing on rhythm guitar before Garcia takes the baton and leads the way through an incredibly emotive “Loser.” After Weir then follows suit with a Western-themed song of his own in “El Paso,” The Dead finally bring the landing gear down on their first ever set at the Memorial Auditorium in Utica with an absolutely flawless run through of “China Cat Sunflower” along with a vintage “blink and you miss it” segue into “I Know You Rider.” Then, for good measure, they tack on a “Playing In The Band” after this that the “core four” of Garcia, Weir, Lesh and drummer Bill Kreutzmann just run circles around. The jam instantly goes dark and deep, taking its sweet time before coming back up for air. It’s one of the show’s true highlights and caps off a lengthy first set that lasts well more than 90 minutes.
There’s no signs of this show slowing down anytime soon as the Dead reemerge for the second set with a feisty “Greatest Story Ever Told” that’s accentuated by Donna Jean’s passionate vocals. The band then introduces another newcomer to the scene, one of the earliest played versions of “They Love Each Other,” in its original faster, shuffle-like tempo that’s laid down smoothly by Kreutzmann. Afterwards, Weir and Garcia go tit-for-tat once more as they trade lead vocal duties on “Mexicali Blues” and “Brown Eyed Women,” respectively, before teaming up on a cover of “Big River” as the band keeps churning out songs.
The tide then turns back to the introspective with the delicate “Brokedown Palace” that follows along with a triumphant take of “Me and Bobby McGee” with some spirited backup vocals from Garcia. After another long tuning break, the Dead come out of the huddle with a fakeout of sorts as they play the airy instrumental “Weather Report Suite Prelude” but then instantly shift gears and drop into one of their signature psychedelic soundscapes, “Dark Star,” which more than ably takes cares of the “Space” portion for this Grateful Dead show.
Emerging from the “Dark Star” haze are the opening chords for another song soon to be a second set fixture for years to come, “Eyes Of The World,” which also made its live debut just last month. The Dead go deep once more here, with another fifteen-plus minute jam highlighted by some pure guitar wizardry from both Garcia and Lesh.
Things slow down one last time with the “Wharf Rat” that follows, a song that happened to make its debut at a legendary show at New York’s Capitol Theatre in Port Chester two years ago. The strides the song has made during this time are evident as a noticeably blues-driven collective jam gets attached to the back end of this one before coming to a standstill. To close out this impressive display of their ever-growing musical catalog, the Dead dole out a few more longtime favorites to the Utica crowd starting with an emphatic “Sugar Magnolia” that Bob and Donna Jean drive home. A set-closing “Casey Jones” then serves as the de facto encore this evening, wrapping up an extensive three-plus hours of music and setting the stage for a repeat performance here the following night.
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Grateful Dead Utica Memorial Auditorium – Utica, NY 3/21/73
Set 1: Bertha, Me & My Uncle, Wave That Flag, Looks Like Rain, Tennessee Jed, Box Of Rain, You Ain’t Woman Enough, Jack Straw, Row Jimmy, Beat It On Down The Line, Here Comes Sunshine, The Race is On, Loser, El Paso, China Cat Sunflower-> I Know You Rider, Playin’ In The Band
Set 2: Greatest Story Ever Told, They Love Each Other, Mexicali Blues, Brown Eyed Women, Big River, Brokedown Palace, Me And Bobby McGee, Weather Report Suite Prelude-> Dark Star-> Eyes Of The World-> Wharf Rat-> Sugar Magnolia, Casey Jones
This October, expect to see a whole lot more of Phil Lesh at The Cap. The legendary Grateful Dead bassist has just announced a nine-show residency at the historic Port Chester venue that will take place over the last three weekends, culminating in a Phil-o-Ween show on the 31st. With his “Friends” still yet to be announced, these shows will also commemorate the 100th show for Phil at The Cap since 2012.
A Deadhead destination and a quintessential venue in Phil Lesh history, The Capitol Theatre‘s Phil-o-Ween shows are always filled with musicians who like to push boundaries and create a mind-bending, high-octane, psychedelic experience in the Grateful Dead tradition.
Tickets will go on sale starting Friday, March 25 at 12PM and can be purchased through The Cap’s website here.
With two tours of duty at MSG already in the books for The Grateful Dead, today marks the anniversary of the completion of their third one. It’s a quick two-night stint at The World’s Most Famous Arena after their first two previous runs here in 1979. Fueled by an electric first show from the night before, the Dead follow this up with a show chock full of classic original song pairings and a newly unleashed cover selection that serves as a memorable encore.
The Dead come out of the chutes red hot on this second night at MSG. So much so that a speaker absolutely blows up shortly after the beginning of the “Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodleoo” that starts the show. Despite sending shockwaves through an already raucous crowd, it doesn’t seem to faze the band much and they go on to deliver a splendid take on this familiar opener that stretches out nicely thanks to some vintage Garcia guitar play before rounding back into form.
Once finished, Garcia wastes no time at all in leading the charge into “Franklin’s Tower” which features more early improvisation and another notable jam, this one decidedly more funkified, that completes an impressive show-opening pairing. This is succeeded by a rapid run through of “Me And My Uncle” with Bob Weir merely trying to keep up on vocals before another first set and rather floral Grateful Dead classic slows things back down to a crawl, “It Must Have Been The Roses.” Some additional audio issues mar the early parts of the “Little Red Rooster” that comes next, but that doesn’t stop the band from laying down a short pair of blues-infused jams that sees keyboardist Brent Mydland now turned up a little higher in the mix.
He continues to shine on a flawless take of “Don’t Ease Me In” before the Dead unleash another formidable 1-2 punch at MSG. The first part consists of a rapid fire version of “Lazy Lightning” that yields a frenetic exploratory jam that continues to probe and accelerate until, in near effortless fashion, it passes the baton to its traditional running mate, a euphoric “Supplication” that crosses the finish line triumphantly. A late first set “Brown-Eyed Women” is a treat, one that’s notably aided by another few mesmerizing runs from Garcia up and down the fret board. Weir then takes the helm once more for the ever-poignant “Looks Like Rain” that the Garden crowd helps urge along before “Deal” puts the finishing touches on a strong opening set of music.
The Dead show no signs of letting up as the second set begins with another potent combination from their live show catalog. It starts off with an ebullient “Scarlet Begonias” that quickly sheds its skin and develops a deep, exploratory groove that doesn’t fully emerge until Phil Lesh rings out the iconic opening bass line to “Fire On The Mountain.” It’s another masterclass of collective patience as the band takes their time between each verse, stretching the “Fire” out to maximum capacity which culminates in a flurry of notes from Garcia. Things finally slow down a tad with the “Lost Sailor” that follows only to be revved back up again by the customary “Saint Of Circumstance” that’s attached to the back end in another vintage coupling of Dead classics. This caps off a mesmerizing 40-plus minutes of music to begin set two.
The jam at the tail end of “Saint” gets decidedly percussive as it dwindles down, setting the stage for Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart for the traditional “Drums” sequence that gets a nice round of applause from the Garden crowd once completed. The “Space” portion of the evening is taken care of by a near-ambient and blissed out mini-jam with heavy noodling from Garcia that paves the way for “The Wheel” that follows. Aside from the intro, it’s a pretty nondescript “Wheel.” Instead of exploring further, the Dead shift gears once more and drop into the ever-harrowing “China Doll” instead.
To liven things back up one last time, the Dead utilize a late show “Truckin’” that MSG eagerly laps up, with a clearly audible response to the “New York’s got the ways and means” lyric. It begets a short, bluesy jam that resembles the play from “Rooster” at one point but, ultimately, doesn’t really go anywhere. Instead, “Sugar Magnolia” pops up to close out the set in a much more fitting manner, replete with its “Sunshine Daydream” ending sequence that elicits yet another roar of approval from the Garden crowd.
For a show that’s primarily made up of Grateful Dead original tunes and traditional pairings, the band finally delves into their bag of covers for the encore. This time, it’s a newer addition to the flock in The Rolling Stones’ (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction, a cover song the band first debuted late last year, with Bob Weir playing the role of Mick Jagger this evening.
Not content to end here, the Dead then enter into “Brokedown Palace” to end the show, giving Garcia one last platform to unleash a spellbinding guitar solo and the band a final chance to harmonize. They would then ship up to the Boston Garden, continuing their early spring tour, before a return trip to New York and Utica’s Memorial Coliseum just days later.
The entire show is available on Live Music Archive as well as on YouTube below.
View This Show And More Grateful Dead Shows From Across The Years In New York State With Our Interactive Map Below
Grateful Dead Madison Square Garden – New York, NY 3/10/81
Set 1: Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodleoo > Franklin’s Tower > Me And My Uncle, It Must Have Been The Roses > Little Red Rooster, Don’t Ease Me In, Lazy Lightnin’ > Supplication, Brown Eyed Women > Looks Like Rain > Deal
Set 2: Scarlet Begonias > Fire On The Mountain > Lost Sailor > Saint Of Circumstance > Drums > The Wheel > China Doll > Truckin’ > Sugar Magnolia
E: (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction > Brokedown Palace
The Capitol Theater in Port Chester has provided a stage and an audience for many a band throughout its heralded history, though perhaps none with a legacy quite like that of The Grateful Dead. When they weren’t busy selling out Bill Graham’s Fillmore East, The Cap became the other de facto home away from home for the Grateful Dead on the East Coast. But as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end and today marks the anniversary of the band’s 19th and final show at this historic venue. It comes at a time when the Dead had to reinvent themselves a bit, with the abrupt self-imposed departure of drummer Mickey Hart that transpired after the opening night of this six-show residency. The shows that followed serve as the beginning of a new chapter in the band’s voluminous history, one that sees them still trying to carve out the identity of multiple brand new songs that would go on to become mainstays at a Grateful Dead show.
The Dead start this final show at The Cap with a “Casey Jones” that starts off in rather mellow fashion but fittingly picks up steam as it develops and is roaring down the tracks by song’s end, with Bob Weir growling out the accompanying vocals. He then jumps into the lead vocal position for the Country Western-themed cautionary classic “Me And My Uncle.” Jerry Garcia delivers a bevvy of slick electric guitar fills and Bill Kreutzmann, once again the sole drummer, doesn’t miss a beat while belting out the rhythm. After some now-customary extended post-song tuning, Kreutzmann initiates the opening drum pattern for “Cumberland Blues.” The harmonized vocals are a little delayed in joining in at first but Garcia makes up for this with another effortless run up and down the fretboard and the rest of the song goes off without a hitch.
Afterwards, Pigpen gets his first taste of the spotlight, leading the band through a quick take of “Next Time You See Me,” replete with its typical blues-infused harmonica solo that’s matched by one from Garcia on guitar. Garcia then reclaims the mic for the fledgling Dead tune “Bird Song,” a song played every night of this last run at The Cap except for the opening one. Between verses, Garcia finesses a patiently melodic solo with Kreutzmann nailing the signature syncopated drum beat for a song that would go on to become a live Dead staple.
The Dead then trot out a fairly new cover selection in their live repertoire, “Me And Bobby McGee,” a song popularized by the great Janis Joplin on her iconic Pearl album that was released just last month shortly after her death in October of 1970. Weir belts out the lead vocals with aplomb with Garcia adding a tender touch to the harmonies. “Bobby” is then followed by “Bertha,” one of the few songs to make an appearance at every night of this run as the Dead continue to hone another soon-to-be classic.
Pigpen, now warmed up sufficiently, adds his signature bluesy drawl to the mix with a spirited take of “Hard To Handle” that provides the first real opportunity for some brief opening set jamming, of which Garcia and company take full advantage. The music slowly reaches a psychedelic crescendo before Pigpen reels it back in. This is followed up by “Loser,” another new Dead song that made its live debut at this final run at The Cap. Garcia sounds emotionally invested in the lyrics for yet another another song that involves a high stakes cards game, along with “Uncle,” before laying down a brief solo that fits the mood perfectly.
The Dead gear up for the stretch run of the first set with several minutes of more extended tuning before launching into “Playing In The Band,” another song still very much in its nascent phase after being debuted on the first night of the run. Like that one, it still doesn’t yield anything in terms of exploration or an extended jam. This would be left to the first set closing sequence that begins with another Kreutzmann-fueled drum pattern before Pigpen jumps in on vocals for a cover of “Good Lovin’.” With the first verse complete, the lead then shifts back to Bill The Drummer for an extended one-man drum solo. It’s an impressive display of rhythmic wizardry that changes tones and speeds with ease, before Garcia slyly re-enters the mix, soon followed by the rest of the band. It’s a precursor for the even more psychedelic “Drums” > “Space” sequences that would be a signature of live Dead shows in the years to come. Literally built from the ground up, the jam slowly begins to take on a more solid state and morphs back into the ending of “Good Lovin’.” It caps off a first set that, overall, has a very mellow vibe to it, perhaps as a result of coming at the end of an epic six-show residency or just due to the comfort level that the Dead had established by now at The Cap, with the answer likely lying somewhere in between.
The second set immediately seems to shift gears, beginning with a funked out, wah-heavy “Sugar Magnolia that has plenty of groove to it. Although this lively mood doesn’t last long, instead it sets the stage for the return of Pigpen and his “harp” for an extremely mellow and drawn out cover of Slim Harpo’s “I’m A King Bee.”
The Dead then begin to liven things back up again, starting with “Greatest Story Ever Told,” yet another song that can cite this run at The Cap as its birthplace in the live setting. Instead of stopping there, they segue right into a cover of “Johnny B. Goode” afterwards. Another new addition to the band’s catalog follows in “Deal,” only the second one ever performed live and much slower than the format it would go on to develop. Bob Weir then livens things back up again with vocals that border on screaming for the better part of “New Minglewood Blues.”
The rest of the band then ably backs up Weir on the “Truckin’” that follows this which also elicits one of the better jams of the evening, with Phil Lesh helping navigate the complex rhythms beneath some powerful guitar licks supplied by Garcia.
Just as they had the opening night of the run, The Dead then throw in a late second set sequence of “Not Fade Away” > “Goin’ Down The Road Feeling Bad” > “Not Fade Away.” The “meat” of this particular sandwich is stretched out nicely and serves as a true testament to the band’s ability to shift between the serene and the psychedelic with utter ease. With one last bullet in the chamber, the band then places Pigpen center stage once more for an absolutely classic take of “Turn On Your Love Light” that ebbs and flows with a classic Pig “rap” thrown in the middle for good measure.
It’s a more than fitting end to this legendary six-show run at The Cap. The Dead would go on to play throughout New York State for the rest of their career, performing at other theaters and eventually arenas, but never again would they grace the stage in Port Chester.
The entire show is available to listen to below and also at Live Music Archive
Grateful Dead Capitol Theater – Port Chester, NY 2/24/71
Set 1: Casey Jones, Me And My Uncle, Cumberland Blues, Next Time You See Me, Bird Song, Me And Bobby McGee, Bertha, Hard To Handle, Loser. Playing In The Band, Good Lovin’ > Drums > Good Lovin’
Set 2: Sugar Magnolia, I’m A King Bee, Greatest Story Ever Told > Johnny B. Goode, Deal, New Minglewood Blues, Truckin’, Not Fade Away > Goin’ Down The Road Feeling Bad > Not Fade Away > Turn On Your Love Light
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Guitar extraordinaire Marcus Rezak and Umphrey’s McGee drummer Kris Myers have combned forces once more to release a brand new collaborative track called “Kyoto Cocktail” that’s now available for download. Produced by Eddie Roberts of The New Mastersounds, this NYC fusion-inspired single also features Chris Duffy from The Magic Beans on bass and Tyler Adams of The Jauntee on keyboards. It comes ahead of a co-headlining show between Rezak’s original Truth in Sound band featuring Myers on drums and Myers’ original fusion project Kick the Cat at Cervantes’ Other Side in Denver, CO on Friday, March 4th, 2022.
“Kyoto Cocktail” is an attempt to capture the energy and sonic grit of a live performance at a New York City dive bar. On a recent trip to said dive bar, Rezak and Myers discussed their mutual love for fusion music emanating from NYC in the ’80s and ’90s – an era renowned for its combination of raw power and commercial catchiness. They attempt to capture this mood with the help of tastefully expressive guitar work and Myers’ syncopated and sophisticated drumming style. Throw in some soaring organ fills and a sturdy bottom end behind some rich melodies and you’ve got yourself a “Kyoto Cocktail,” the latest effort from a collaboration that goes back 15 years now.
Myers is currently on tour with Umphrey’s McGee, having just completed a string of shows in the Northeast, while Rezak is currently embarking on a fully loaded winter tour with his high-octane Grateful Dead tribute group, Shred is Dead, and his original Truth in Sound band to promote his latest release Truth in Sound which features Russ Lawton, Ray Paczkowski, and the late Tony Markellis of Trey Anastasio Band.
“Kyoto Cocktail” is now available for download through Color Red’s website. And tickets for the upcoming show at Cervantes’ can be purchased here.
Today marks the anniversary of the start of The Grateful Dead’s fourth and final residency at the Capitol Theater in Port Chester. Affectionately known as “The Cap,” this small theater certainly helped build the legacy of The Dead in New York and beyond. The first show here in 1971 may well be a leading cause of this. Not only does it offer a host of songs from the recently released and acclaimed American Beauty album, it also features a wealth of brand new songs that made their live debut this evening and would become concert regulars in the years to come. Throw in one of the most “beautiful” pieces of collective improvisation that the band has ever played and you’ve got a show for the ages right here.
This legendary run at The Cap starts off with a new song that’s soon to become a Grateful Dead staple, a rip-roaring “Bertha.” It’s only the third one ever played after two live performances in December of 1970 and the first time it’s ever opened a show. It seems a little quicker than its customary tempo, with Jerry Garcia and Bob Weir nailing the harmonized vocals. After a presumable audience request for “Casey Jones,” Jerry Garcia notes the next song “isn’t driving a train, but it’s almost as good” before the Dead launch into “Truckin’.” This American Beauty tune has a little more experience under its belt in the live setting and an extremely crisp and cohesive version ensues, with a short bluesy jam spearheaded by Garcia on the tail end. Batting in the third spot this evening is Pigpen, who steps up to the plate, harmonica in tow, and maintains the early blues vibe with a classic rendition of “It Hurts Me Too.”
After some more post-song extended tuning, a tradition Weir notes is “older than music itself,” Garcia jumps back on the mic and leads the band through another new number. This time it’s “Loser,” the first one ever performed live. It’s a well honed version that’s again a little faster than its successors but played beautifully (a sign of things to come) with a hair-raising guitar solo thrown in by Garcia. A chatty Bob Weir then begs for indulgence from the audience for another brand new song to follow that winds up being “Greatest Story Ever Told.” It’s a quick take that fizzles out shortly but instead of more post-song tuning, the Dead keep it going and immediately segue into a cover of Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode.”
Weir maintains his presence on lead vocals for the cautionary tale of “Mama Tried” that follows before handing the baton back to Pigpen for his signature cover of Otis Redding’s “Hard To Handle.” This yields another significant blues-inspired jam with drummers Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart helping set the pace. What follows this may be one of the most awe inspiring and notable sequences of Grateful Dead music in their storied history. It’s a “Wharf Rat” sandwich with two mesmerizing slices of “Dark Star” serving as the bread. “Dark Star” starts off extremely patient and melodic before Garcia comes in with the opening verse. After petering out into full ambience, Garcia seems to hit the opening note of “St. Stephen,” which often followed “Dark Star” in this era, but instead the Dead collectively turn on a dime and unleash another newcomer with the heartfelt and poignant first ever “Wharf Rat.” As it comes to end, the second serving of “Dark Star” emerges. But before it truly begins, the Dead continue to noodle around and steer the music into a joyous, euphoric piece of improv that’s simply known as the “Beautiful Jam.” This serves as the vessel that carries the music back into “Dark Star,” which completes this awe inspiring section of music that’s included on the Dead’s five-disc So Many Roads the celebrates the band’s entire career.
Many years later, bassist Phil Lesh seems to be brought almost to tears after listening to this heralded piece of music from The Cap thanks to Dead historian David Gans.
Somehow this doesn’t even complete the first set this evening. The Dead throw in a “Me And My Uncle” to close it out and earn themselves a well-deserved set break. The band emerges from this clearly in high spirits, giving some recommendations for the house light settings before starting the second set with an energized “Casey Jones” aka “that train driving” song. This sets the stage for yet another live Dead debut at The Cap that would go on to be an integral part of their history: “Playing In The Band.” It stays pretty close to the vest and doesn’t produce a drawn out, show-defining psychedelic jam like future ones will, but all the signs of a live show staple for years to come are there.
Photo by Peter Corrigan
Weir stays on lead vocals for the cover of “Me And Bobby McGee” that comes next before Garcia takes over for another number from American Beauty with a vintage rendition of “Candyman” that even includes harpsichord-like fills from Pigpen along with some more soulful vocal harmonies.
Pig then gets to take lead one last time and rips through another blues cover, this time it’s Jimmy Reed’s “Big Boss Man.” Then the last Beauty song of the evening emerges in “Sugar Magnolia.” It’s another fairly short yet explosive take that sees Garcia using the wah-effect on electric guitar to its full capabilities. This gets a warm reception from the Cap crowd, surpassed only by the one that the beginning notes of the “Saint Stephen” that follows receives. With the “William Tell Bridge” shelved as of 1969, instead Kreutzmann and Hart lead the percussive-heavy charge into “Not Fade Away” as the second set’s closing sequence begins to unfold.
The Dead offer up one final sandwich to The Cap with a “Goin’ Down The Road Feeling Bad,” replete with Weir’s wailing vocals, that feeds right back into “Not Fade Away.” And to cap things off (no pun intended), the music then immediately flows into a show closing “Uncle John’s Band” that’s played to perfection. Although there would be another five shows still to come in Port Chester, this one serves as the end of an era of sorts, with drummer Mickey Hart leaving the band the following day for his three-year self-imposed hiatus.
Grateful Dead Capitol Theater – Port Chester, NY 2/18/71
Set 1: Bertha, Truckin’, It Hurts Me Too, Loser, Greatest Story Ever Told > Johnny B. Goode, Mama Tried, Hard To Handle, Dark Star > Wharf Rat > Dark Star > Me And My Uncle
Set 2: Casey Jones, Playing In The Band, Me And Bobby McGee, Candyman, Big Boss Man, Sugar Magnolia, Saint Stephen > Not Fade Away >Goin’ Down The Road Feeling Bad > Not Fade Away > Uncle John’s Band
Today marks the anniversary of the heralded moe. Tsunami Benefit show at Roseland Ballroom in New York City, which gathered a host of notable to musicians to raise money for a good cause. A terrible earthquake and a resulting tsunami devastated the area near Sumatra, Indonesia as the year 2004 came to a close. moe. decided to do what they do best in order to lend assistance and brought some friends along for the ride. Together with a matching donation from Dave Matthews, nearly $150,000 was raised for the relief cause. Those in attendance this evening certainly got their money’s worth with a show featuring some traditional moe. songs, a whole lot of covers, and a mesmerizing 35-minute jam that nearly brought the house down.
Bassist Rob Derhak greets the crowd at the start of the show and thanks them all for “supporting a great cause.” And then instantly, the familiar pre-“Rebubula” noodling ensues and moe. opens the Roseland show with one of their signature songs, setting a lively tone early. No special guests needed for this one. Those begin with John Medeski and violinist Sam Bush coming out for a spirited take on “Mexico.” Medeski, ever the keys virtuoso, helps drive the pace of this one through the roof with some triumphant fills on organ that helps build a steadily escalating and emotional jam. Bush then exits and Medeski remains on for “Plane Crash,” again providing some extra rich sonic texture to another moe. staple before taking lead on the jam that ensues.
With three standout moe. songs now out of the way, the cover parade begins with a take on the legendary blues song “Got My Mojo Working,” popularized by the great Muddy Waters in the late ’50s. Guitarist Al Schnier deftly replaces “Louisiana” in the lyrics with “New York City” which does not go unnoticed by the crowd. Despite an uptempo, jazzy start the “Mojo” jam quickly devolves into a harrowing, psychedelic journey with Medeski again helping forge the path forward before the song rounds back into form.
Sam Bush then reemerges with a mandolin and has the Roseland stage to himself for a cover of the Lowell George-penned “Sailing Shoes,” a song he recently got to play with Little Feat in Jamaica according to him. By song’s end, he’s got most of the crowd engaged in a back-and-forth singalong. Bush then offers his thanks to both the crowd and moe. before the latter rejoins him on stage for one of his own songs, “Same Old River.” It’s a perky, bluegrass-y number that would fit perfectly in any stringed band show, with Bush ripping off a fierce mandolin solo in the middle.
One more special guest, “who needs no introduction” per Al, enters the first set fray and Trey Anastasio joins everyone on stage for an electric cover of “Crossroads” with both he and Bush handling vocals. An already tight jam doubles in speed about midway through as the first set comes to a rousing finish.
The second set picks up right where the last one left off, except Bush is now replaced by Jennifer Hartswick on vocals and Ray Paczkowski on keys with moe. serving as the backing band for “Night Speaks To A Woman,” an early Trey Anastasio Band staple with which both newcomers are very familiar. There’s not much lost with this version with Trey throwing down a scintillating solo in a jam that starts fiercely, breaks down into some loose improv, and then steadily builds back up to a joyous peak.
Derhak then takes another moment to thank tonight’s patrons and mentions that Dave Matthews has offered to match whatever amount of money is raised this evening. Then it’s back to the moe. catalog with “Spine Of A Dog” with the crowd ably assisting on the opening lyrics. The “Dog” jam then meshes incredibly seamlessly into the opening of “Buster” and moe. and friends take off with another longtime fan favorite.
This opening 1-2 punch gets a well deserved roar of approval from the Roseland crowd before moe. yields the floor for another cover. This time it’s “Boogie On Reggae Woman,” the Stevie Wonder song that is no stranger to a live Phish show with Anastasio handling lead vocals accordingly. Another lively jam ensues, this time with Paczkowski eagerly showing off his chops that helps drive the momentum. Towards the end, the music gets very percussion-heavy before falling out into full fledged “Drums” section, giving Jim Loughlin and drummer Vinnie Amico a chance to do the same.
Afterwards, Trey then reemerges with only himself and an acoustic guitar for a pair of Phish tunes. For Phish heads, this must have been like an oasis in the desert with the band’s forgettable “final” shows at Coventry having taken place about six months earlier and it being years before they would reunite again. The crowd has no problem at all assisting on the “can I live while I’m young” lyric to “Chalkdust Torture” before adding their collective voice to the traditional opening of “Wilson.”
The second set then comes to a gigantic finish with one last banger in “meat.” that sees Medeski, Bush and Trey all lend a hand. What results is a 35-minute plus monster jam where everyone gets a chance to solo and shine. The jam starts out in traditional metal-esque fashion, before breaking down into a definitive bluegrass sequence with Bush leading the charge, before passing the baton to Medeski who helps steer it in another direction entirely. It eventually winds down into a near-ambient section with Loughlin chiming in on vibes and a plethora of effects emanating from Medeski’s rig. It’s a whirlwind cavalcade of sound that serves as the crux of the second set, if not the show itself, and is well worth a listen.
One last pair of covers serves as the encore for this benefit show, starting with Frank Zappa’s “Peaches En Regalia,” another song that’s no stranger to a Phish show with Loughlin on vibes giving this one a proper feel. Anastasio and Hartswick then team up one last time on vocals for “After Midnight.” Extra special attention is given to the “gonna let it all hang out” which moe. and friends certainly did this evening, and for a noble cause no less.
You can listen to and relive this memorable gig here or see below.
moe. Tsunami Relief Benefit Show Roseland Ballroom – New York, NY 2/10/05
Set 1: Rebubula, Mexico*, Plane Crash^, Got My Mojo Working^, Sailing Shoes**, Same Old River^^, Crossroads#
Set 2: Night Speaks To A Woman$%, Spine Of A Dog$ > Buster$, Boogie On Reggae Woman$%>Drums, Chalkdust Torture$$, Wilson$$, meat.*$
E: Peaches En Regalia*$>After Midnight*$%
* with John Medeski on keys, Sam Bush on Violin ^ with John Medeski on keys ** Sam Bush solo ^^ with Sam Bush on mandolin # with Sam Bush on mandolin, Trey Anastasio on guitar $ with Trey Anastasio on guitar $$ Trey Anastasio solo acoustic % with Jennifer Hartswick and Ray Paczowski keyboard most of SET II
Garcia Family Provisions has declared GarciaLive Volume 16 as its album of the month for February. This three-CD album features a three set show from Jerry Garcia Band’s inaugural show at Madison Square Garden from November 15,1991, a show that takes place right in the middle of one Garcia’s most heralded solo tours.
The Grateful Dead had recently finished a nine-show residency at The Garden just two months, but this show marks the first ever JGB at the World’s Most Famous Arena. The show opens with a buoyant cover of How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You) and features a host of other memorable covers like Van Morrison’s “He Ain’t Give You None” and “Bright Side Of The Road,” Smokey Robinson’s “The Way You Do The Things You Do” and Bob Dylan’s “Simple Twist of Fate.”
And there’s also other Jerry Garcia Band staples like “Ain’t No Bread In The Breadbox” and an extended take of “Don’t Let Go” included on this release, as well as a sterling rendition of “Shining Star” included as well. And the show ends on an emotional high with a cover of “(What A) Wonderful World.”
The JGB lineup at this time includes Melvin Seals on keys, John Kahn on bass, David Kemper on drums and Jaclyn LaBranch and Gloria Jones handling backup vocals. In Glide Magazine Doug Collette wrote, “Garcia Live Volume 16 may be the ideal entry in this ongoing archive series to provide the curious music lover eager to comprehend the virtues of the Jerry Garcia Band…. [Garcia] is equally expressive through the selection of tunes by his favorite composers plus an eclectic range of other song choices, consistently vigorous vocals… and, last but not least, versatile and inventive guitar work.”
This GarciaLive album was officially released in June of last year and is available for purchase directly from Garcia Family Provisions here.
As the early 1990s progressed, Phish would continue to make their mark in and throughout the Northeast. A major hub for this was obviously New York City. After years of playing The Wetlands, Phish had finally progressed to the Roseland Ballroom, starting with a gig there in March of 1992. The tour that began 1993 would add two more shows here and today marks the anniversary of the second one. Amazingly, this would somehow be their only shows in the city this year as tours began to stretch nationwide. They certainly made the most of their stay though, ending their brief Roseland residency with a show that features a healthy helping of new songs, classic favorites, and a remarkable pair of special guests to help them close it out.
An enthusiastic Roseland crowd seems to recognize “Golgi Apparatus” right away and the show is off and running with the venerable Phish classic. This is followed up with “Foam,” another hit off the band’s seminal Junta release. Despite some brief feedback issues, it’s a quick yet crisp version with a seemingly extra peppy bass line provided by Mike Gordon.
“Wilson” then has a bit of an extended intro with a different feel, with only the band singing the name of the fictional Gamehendge ruler as this pre-dates the now customary crowd chants. In an extended break before the “blap boom” ending portion, Trey Anastasio throws in both “Simpsons” and “Random Note” guitar signals that a good portion of the crowd seems to recognize. Then Phish steers into “My Friend, My Friend,” a track from their album Rift that was officially released just days earlier. As soon as “Friend” finishes, Phish wastes no time in doubling down on first set Rift tunes with Jon Fishman starting up the iconic drum intro to “Maze.” A rousing McConnell organ solo is supplanted with one from Anastasio and the first set at Roseland this evening is officially firing on all cylinders now.
After a standard run through of “Horn,” another first set staple, Phish launches into a flawless “Divided Sky” that features some more wonderful interplay between McConnell and Anastasio, with the latter spitting pure “fire” by song’s end in a potential nod of what was still to come. The now raucous Roseland crowd makes their feelings known after this one before Phish slows things down a tad with McConnell taking lead crooning duties on “Lawn Boy.”
Afterwards, the band breaks out a fairly new song (at the time) with only the third “The Wedge” ever performed live, after debuting three nights prior. It’s got a real jazzy, piano-fueled intro that makes it stand out when compared to its modern day version and McConnell follows this up with a dazzling solo mid-song that seems to have Trey yelling along in approval. A fairly standard “Bouncing Around The Room” follows this before the first set comes to a screaming halt in the form of a rabid “Run Like An Antelope” that has the whole band working together as one to bring the jam to a proper peak.
Tonight’s second set picks up right where the first one left off in the form of “Chalkdust Torture.” While this classic Phish number produces its typical high octane guitar and bass riffs, it doesn’t yield much of a jam. Instead, after a quick wrap up of “Torture,” the band dives back into the Rift chest and pulls out the Mike Gordon-penned “Mound.” But exploratory-wise, the second set doesn’t really take off until the “Stash” that follows, with Anastasio throwing out probing guitar fills atop some intense rhythms generated by Gordon and Fishman.
The call is then made for some mid second-set a cappella and Phish goes with the first “Sweet Adeline” of 1993 before an especially attentive Roseland crowd. Then, after Phish’s instrumental ode to NPR with “All Things Reconsidered,” the heavy hitters come back into play, starting with a “Mike’s Song” with a fun little verse added to the intro. Gordon has a little fun with the standard lyrics as well before the song takes a turn into its typical dark and foreboding ambiance. It’s a standard “Mike’s Groove” with the bliss-filled “I Am Hydrogen” dropped in the middle before “Weekapaug Groove” whips the Roseland crowd back into a collective frenzy. After this classical trifecta, Phish brings it back to the new school with the second ever “Lifeboy” performed live.
After this insightful newcomer, Phish decides to integrate some bluegrass into the show and breaks out an extremely tight “Uncle Pen” before a “Big Ball Jam” breaks out, the short-lived Phish gag in the early ’90s where giant inflatable balls were thrown out into the crowd with each band member “playing” along to a respective ball and its bouncing trajectory. Not much of a jam ensues though so Anastasio jumps behind the drum kit and Fishman then emerges for “a sad song” called “Lengthwise,” despite being prodded by the crowd to recite “The Prison Joke” again. After urging the crowd to break out lighters for the song, he adds an extra verse about burning his finger for holding one too long.
With the Big Ball and Fishman theatrics now out of the way, the show comes to a legendary finish, starting with “Buried Alive” where none other than Blues Traveler’s John Popper emerges to sit in and adds an absolutely ferocious harmonica solo that takes this song to another level. He then stays on for a set-closing “Possum,” adding a lovely touch to the intro before leading one of the more explosive jams of the evening.
As if one special guest weren’t enough tonight, Phish once again doubles down and brings out another one for the encore. With Popper still on stage, Phish do two “fake” botched intros to Jimi Hendrix’s “Fire,” seemingly blaming Gordon for the errors. So instead, Mike moves over to keys and they nonchalantly bring out none other than Noel Redding himself, the original bassist for the Jimi Hendrix Experience, to come out and do the honors. It caps off an incredible finishing sequence to, amazingly, the last New York City show of the year for Phish.
The whole show can be streamed here at PhishTracks with many audio clips found on YouTube as well.
Phish Roseland Ballroom – New York, NY 2/6/93
Set 1: Golgi Apparatus, Foam, Wilson, My Friend My Friend, Maze, Horn, Divided Sky, Lawn Boy, The Wedge, Bouncing Around The Room > Run Like An Antelope
Set 2: Chalkdust Torture, Mound, Stash, Sweet Adeline, All Things Reconsidered, Mike’s Song > I Am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove, Lifeboy, Uncle Pen, Big Ball Jam, Hold Your Head Up > Lengthwise > Buried Alive, Possum
