Navigating relationships as a young adult is akin to walking a maze blindfolded, often never knowing where you truly stand. While the term “dating” remains a pseudonym for two people getting to know one another, Gen-Z has developed its own distorted relationship standing, where the two parties are neither “just friends,” nor committed, yet are dependent on one another. On the single “Breadcrumbs,” Piper Page brings transparency to a messy situation.
The song came right from a personal experience with my ‘ex-who-wasn’t-really-my-ex.’ We had an on-again, off-again relationship for several months and it inspired me to write about the concept of ‘breadcrumbing’ which I had just come to learn about.
Breadcrumbing is defined by Urban Dictionary as “the act of sending out flirtatious, but non-committal text messages in order to lure a sexual partner without expending much effort.” The song “Breadcrumbs,” is a soulful ballad that sees the 21-year-old Brooklyn native cleanse herself of her situation-ship. Remaining brutally honest about her standing within this cycle of ambiguity.
Piper Page’s songwriting paints a vivid picture as she recounts a common tale within the current social media based dating scene. While infidelity has alway played a part in relationships, Piper Page captures the essence far less desirable role of “best-friend, with a little romance and flirting in the DMs.”
The meanings are supposed to be completely obvious and relatable. Navigating dating is recognizing that at a certain point, you just have to say what you mean. Instead of always thinking someone is going to know what you mean.
The record is one in a slew of singles from the songstress in anticipation of her upcoming album, Based on True Events. Singles like “Do You Want Me Or Not?” and “Risk” follow similar themes of “experiences with dating and exploring relationships as a young adult for the first time.” Yet, Piper Page’s polished vocals gives each record a mature feel.
DJ Mickey D recently spoke with Liam Sweeny of RadioRadioX.
When you think of a DJ, you might think of turntables and scratching, record skipping and beat tracks and all kinds of bending of time and space. But DJing, in its simple reality, is providing a soundtrack for an experience. We might think that DJs play music tracks, and the good ones are talented, but maybe it’s more to the point that DJs play the crowd itself.
DJ Mickey D has a wealth of experience playing different crowds, from “Rocking New Year’s Eve” with Ryan Seacrest to DJing for Mary J. Blige. And with a show called “The Spice of Life”, he shares with his crowd a special little mix of his own.
RRX: On your website, you talk about DJing never being a job, but a passion. And you’ve DJ’d for such people as Mary J. Blige and Jay Z. So, most people would see your resume as a dream come true. When you talk about it being your passion, there is also a job in there. How do you keep it a passion when there is so much work involved?
MD: I started DJing when I was 13. It gave me such self-confidence which I needed because I had low self-esteem due to being born with a cleft-lip and palette. I found that I was able to connect to people through music and make them smile. Over the years I have always volunteered to DJ for all sorts of worthy causes like Operation Smile fundraisers, Boys & Girls Club, the list goes on. I always make sure to give back and my gift to give is music. I think that’s how I stay passionate about music. It always gives me confidence like nothing else in my life, and I always make sure to play gigs that are changing the lives of others.
RRX: When you open for a superstar, when you open for a Jay Z, it’s probably not the same as when you open up for your cousin Mark. There are, I imagine, requirements, conditions you have to navigate through that you wouldn’t on a smaller gig. And I’m not talking state secrets; just a different level. What might be some differences?
MD: I created the opportunity to open for Jay Z as well becoming Mary J Blige’s tour DJ. That’s the first and most significant difference. Jay Z was on his “American Gangster” tour and when we hit the Hammerstein in NYC the dream gig presented itself. Funk Master Flex was opening the show and had to leave early while Jay Z has been delayed and was coming in late. I approached the tour manager and told him that I was an awesome DJ and wanted to play. It turned into an unbelievable 40-minute set of old school NYC hip hop in front of a sold-out crowd. It was a similar situation with MJB. The front of house engineer was playing boring music at the top of the show so I approached the tour manager and asked if I could DJ. I had researched Mary’s influences and put together a sample playlist of what I would play. The next day I auditioned in front of the tour manager as well as Mary’s manager and the gig was mine. It’s important to note I didn’t get paid extra to DJ and I still had to perform my stage-managing duties. But I knew the experiences would be amazing and pay off in the long run.
When creating these amazing opportunities, it’s important to stay humble and true to the task at hand. Just because you have a massive sound system to play on and thousands of people to play for doesn’t mean that’s your opportunity to become DJ number one and create an energy that is not conducive to the opening acts or headliner taking the stage. My name was not on the marquee or the flyer. My job was to play music that set the crowd up for the show to take them on their journey.
If I could offer someone one piece of advice to a DJ that finds themselves in the position of opening for an act of any caliber, don’t play their tracks during your set!
RRX: You have a show, called the “The Spice”. I saw that you had Whoopi Goldberg on the show for the season two finale. And also, climatologist Ginger Zee. It’s a diversity that speaks to a show called the “The Spice”. Can you tell me a little bit about the show, how it started? Who was an interesting person you’ve had on that surprised you?
MD: When the pandemic began, and we went into lockdown I quickly became bored with livestreams. There was no connection between the performer and the audience. And we needed to connect to one another. I started throwing Zoom dance parties and that evolved into the virtual events company Uru Connects with my partners Chris and Kerstin. My role is director of events so I began experimenting with different ideas for music centric virtual events. This is when The Spice was born. A show where friends gather each month to tell stories and share memories that remind us how essential music is to our lives. The first season was completely virtual. The second season was streamed live from a private social club in Brooklyn called Club Curious. This club is a creative space created by my friend and the owner of the craft nonalcoholic beverage Curious Elixirs. Having the guest in person with a small feast of friends gave the show such amazing energy that I decided to take The Spice on the road this summer. First stop is Arlington, VA on 6/12 with Meghan McCain and Kyra Phillips.
MD: During my NYC DJ Series I had Catori from Bespoke Musik as guest. Catori is an accomplished actress and musician who fell in love with DJing while working at The Boom Boom Room in NYC. Under the tutelage of my friend DJ ObAH (Oldskool Beats and Harmonies) who was also a part of the DJ series (at the time of booking I didn’t know about this connection). I learned that Catori has only been DJing for four years and she was already playing massive events such as Burning Man as well as headlining consistently in NYC, LA, and Miami. If I remember correctly, I told her she was a rocket ship.
RRX: There’s something about variety shows, like what I feel Spice of Life is, and correct me if I’m wrong. It’s all in the pattern. Like if you look at something up close, it’s yellow and blue dots; step back, it’s green. So, if you step back from all different types of guests you’ve had on Spice of Life, what do you see?
MD: When I step back and look at the guests that I’ve had on The Spice the first thing I see is friends and family. For the first season this is literal the only people I could convince to come on my show were friends and family. Now that I’m booking more well-known guests and the list grows longer (23 total so far!), I still see friends, but more so I see an entire spectrum of life perspectives that can all be related to music. And that’s the beauty of my show. No matter social or economic status, everyone has the song that reminds them of their mother. Everyone who loves music can relate to every question of every show because we all have soundtracks to our lives. I can ask you what song makes you smile the same way I can ask everyone from a movie star to the guitarist from a heavy metal band (shout out Joey Z LOA!). I mention smile because I am starting an initiative through The Spice to raise funds for Operation Smile, an organization that is near and dear to my heart.
RRX: “Rocking New Year’s Eve”, with Ryan Seacrest, I have to ask about that. Something like that is an intersection between an entertainment event and a historical event. And as a DJ, you have a huge responsibility for stoking the crowd in between segments. It’s high pressure, I imagine, but also high fun. Any neat facts about RNYE?
MD: Every New Year’s Eve for the past nine years I’ve worked as Ryan Seacrest’s audio handler. I run through Times Square with Team Ryan all night making sure he sounds good, can hear what he needs to hear, as well as managing communications for the others in our group. I’ve always said you could never get me to go to Times Square on New Year’s Eve unless you paid me. Be careful what you wish for. It can be a grueling gig with the endless rehearsals and terrible weather (a few years ago it was the coldest New Year’s Eve in 100 years, that sucked). But no matter the challenges, the energy of the show is always amazing and Ryan is awesome to work with. He really sets the bar for energy and professionalism and when it’s cold and wet, he is suffering the same as his crew. But he always pushes through with a smile and so do we because like they say, the show must go on.
RRX: You do a lot of events and play in a lot of places. You’re constantly being put into new situations and having to adapt. So, if you have a choice between a big, huge show or festival, or a small, intimate gathering, is it an easy choice on its face, or does it depend on who’s there? Do you have a ‘sweet spot’ for places to perform?
MD: For me at this time in my life it’s not about the size of the crowd or the venue. It’s all about whether or not I can play the music I want to play. My father passed last year from cancer and this was a very difficult and transformative period in my life. My dad was a DJ also and even though he moved to South Carolina when I was 12 and we didn’t have the closest relationship, we always had music and DJing. So many times he would be at a wedding and hit me up for music to play. We couldn’t talk sports, but we certainly could talk music. When he died, I thought about the amount of anxiety I go through when preparing for gigs such as weddings and corporate events, the panic attacks on the way to the show, and I realized I was having these problems because I wasn’t staying true to myself. I was continuing to endure pain because the money was great. Not to say I didn’t enjoy these gigs; I always rocked the party and have only five star reviews. But when I decided to get real with myself and stop taking gigs because of the money, so many amazing opportunities opened up for me. Now I’m a Love Prophet with Dr. Jah & The Love Prophets as well as the DJ and color commentator for an MMA promotion in Rockland County. I don’t make nearly what I did before but I don’t care. I have so much fun and only play music that I love.
Peter Hughes is a man of many talents, serving as both General Manager and Programmer for The Linda, WAMCs Performing Arts Studio, as well as on-air host of “Live at the Linda” on WAMC Northeast public radio. A former market manager for Talmi Entertainment, Peter has overseen the he growth, development and operations of the Park Theater in Glens Falls, and before that spent two decades at Proctors Theater in Schenectady.
Rob Smittix of RadioRadioX spoke to Hughes about The Linda, the history of the building, and the best lunch options in Albany.
RadioRadioX: I’m actually here at The Linda in the green room, which is behind a bank vault.
Peter Hughes: It’s in the bank vault, it is actually the bank vault.
RRX: In the bank vault, sitting with Peter Hughes. Peter what is your official title?
PH: I am the… it’s not that exciting, I am the General Manager and Programmer of The Linda which is WAMC’s performing arts studio here on beautiful Central Avenue in Albany, New York.
RRX: This really is really prime Albany, this is right in the center of everything.
PH: This is the heart of Albany. This is the Central Avenue business district, there are at least 17 different languages spoken just within two blocks of this building. It is a cultural milieu and it’s got the absolute best restaurants, most authentic and wonderful places to eat from all around the world just within walking distance. Lunch is a gorgeous buffet of options, it’s pretty remarkable.
RRX: Yeah, there is a… I forget the name of the place, there’s a Jamaican spot a few blocks down on Quail and on Wednesday’s they have mannish water soup.
PH: We’re addicted here to Afghan kabob, the number 12 beef and lamb over rice is the staple of my diet at this point.
RRX: That’s why I came here really to talk about food because we all love food!
PH: Let’s talk about food!
(Both laugh)
RRX: Well, the Linda. I love this place. I played a show here myself; it was one of my absolute favorite shows my band has ever played and we’ve played hundreds of shows.
PH: Thank you.
RRX: This room right here in the vault, this is where all the magic happens.
PH: Just to describe in case people that are reading this don’t know what the Linda is. The Linda is short for The Linda Norris Auditorium, and it is WAMC Northeast Public Radio 90.3FM, I think 17 other stations and 28 other broadcasters that is available in seven states. WAMC’s performing arts studio, with emphasis on the word studio. It is a live recording studio for the performing arts for Northeast public radio. This is not something that’s been happening recently strictly because of the shutdowns of Covid, we were closed for a year and a half to live audiences, so that filters out everything that we do. But traditionally and we will again…this is a place where live interviews happen, the roundtable with happen occasionally from here with a live audience and fund drives and occasionally Live at The Linda which is my radio show eight o’clock on Wednesdays and Sundays. Which for four hours every week on local radio you can hear concerts either recorded or sometimes live done right here and broadcasted from this building. So, when you are here for a music concert (which is not everything we do) you’re not just here for the music, like a club or a bar or other venues, the uniqueness of The Linda is that you are part of the show. There are microphones recording you as part of the broadcast audience and that is completely unique in the Capital Region. Completely unique for an NPR station and that is a one of a kind, one in the world type situation we have here.
And if we keep saying things about the vault. This building is 100 years old (which was converted 20 years ago), it was originally one of the gorgeous giant, huge, hard lock, concrete, art deco banks. The vault which is (bangs on wall) 30 inches of American steel and concrete is where the green room is. There’s no safer guest/green room in the State of New York with the sketchiest Wi-Fi signal ever.
So, if you come here and you can get back stage (there’s some public access here), you can spy the incredible, heavy, meticulous bank door which is something straight out of an old time gangster film. You expect to see someone with a tommy gun and a bag with a dollar sign on it. It’s very cool and that’s one of the unique things about this place.
RRX: Now how long have you been with The Linda?
PH: I’ve been here just over a year. My personal history, you know straight out of the womb (laughs) out of college. I worked for Proctors in Schenectady, and I was there for almost 23 years. I started out making five bucks an hour at the box office and eventually made my way up to heading the marketing team. I was in programming and producing of events. Producing of a film series, Broadway marketing, entertainment marketing, producing, all of that. You do everything over that amount of time. That was a long time, so I moved on to other ventures, bounced around a little bit and then Covid hit. I was working for a wonderful organization in Massachusetts The Talmis who produce the great Nutcracker around the country. We were working on that, and everyone was just devasted, everyone was laid off, everyone was unemployed. Every job I ever had was gone. You know this as a musician, we’re all just on the sidelines. The sitting on the bench part was too difficult.
One day last April, a year ago, I get an email from a really good friend of mine who said “Hey, WAMC is looking for a new guy to run The Linda and you should go for that.” I’m so depressed at that point, I’m thinking I’m never going to get it because I’ve been let down so many times. So, I apply on a Friday, I get a call on Monday, I get interviewed, hired on Wednesday and start on Thursday. Boom I was back in the game!
They told me my first day that I had a radio show. I thought great! Immediately started working on virtual concerts at that point which was what everyone was doing at that moment. We made a transition into winding those down because we had to look towards re-opening for live humans. There were a mountain of restrictions and social distancing rules, so we needed a very detailed plan in order to do that. We did that last June.
RRX: I am so glad you did.
PH: So back to music, cinema events, speakers, authors, scientists and political debates (again we are an NPR affiliate). All of that is part of what The Linda is. It was built to be a community asset and a room dedicated to the concept of free speech.
RRX: I don’t remember exactly when The Linda became The Linda.
PH: I think 20 years ago. From what I hear, and this may not be the total story so don’t quote me as this being fact, it’s just the story that I’ve heard. Dr. Alan Chartock, who is our Executive Director, would walk by this bank building on his way to get lunch (likely Ichiban) and would say one day we’re going to turn that into a performing arts center.
RRX: Well, I hope that is the story because I can just envision Alan Chartock and his dream coming into fruition. That’s pretty neat.
For more on The Linda WAMC’s Performing Arts Studio visit thelinda.org
Cell phones have changed the dynamic of concerts and festivals in the past 20 years. Whereas in the early part of the 21st century, holding up your cell phone so your friend at home can (sort of) hear a song was fairly common, now in 2022 you can stream the concert direct to them with clear sound and visual quality.
It doesn’t have to be like this. When you’re at a show, naturally you want to take a photo or post to social media, but that can distract from your enjoyment of a show, as well as the enjoyment of those around you.
Enter Yondr. Since 2014, the company has partnered with comedians, musicians and even schools to provide pouches that seal phones inside so they cannot be used during performances or instructional time.
If you haven’t heard of Over Yondr Festival via social media, there’s a reason for that – the company does not have any social media accounts and does little advertising. “People are bombarded with so many notifications and advertisements, it’s not something we need,” said Yondr founder and CEO Graham Dugoni. “People don’t need to be hit up for new things. We practice less is more. Social media isn’t going away but its presence in daily life is going to change.”
The lack of social media hasn’t prevented Yondr from partnering with big names like Dave Chappelle, Alicia Keys, John Mulaney and more to keep events completely phone-free using Yondr’s patented sealable pouch.
The use of these pouches at shows is so that patrons are not distracted by their phones and unable to use them, all while holding onto them during the performance in a sealed pouch. Returning to the intimacy of a distraction-free environment is one thing that drove Dugoni to build the brand in the past 8 years.
At a show when someone photo or text, their attention leaves the space for a moment, making it harder to re-engage. You miss what a great show can be. Spaces need to be carved out for things, like music festivals and live entertainment, that are negatively affected by the presence of phones and digital media.
Yondr founder and CEO Graham Dugoni
Considering the impact phones have on young people, and the next generation of festival attendees, live music and performance patrons will need to keep the phone at bay so they can enjoy the full scope of the event, not what is limited to glances at screens.
Dugoni notes the factors that go into the artist’s decision to insist on a no-phone policy. “When there is privacy, perhaps an artist wants to try out new material and not have the music show up the next day. You need a degree of privacy to make that happen. If you pull a phone out often it can have a negative impact.”
By entering the venue, locking your phone in a pouch and carrying it with you, possession is maintained if access is not. There is of course a smokers-section style area to check your phone just in case, while creating a simple gorund rule for all to get along with.
“After 5-10 min people will forget about their phones. You get out of the rhythm of responding to texts and pings,” noted Dugoni.
Dugoni and his team first came up with the plan for a phone-free festival when the company was founded, he notes how “there is big community of people paying attention to their phones and social media who want to get together without that. Society is looking for spaces where they can unplug.”
aerial view of the festival grounds
Scheduled to take place from June 24-26 on private farmland at 5143 Route 81 in the town of Greenville, the Over Yondr Festival will bring more than a dozen eclectic musical acts and hundreds of music fans to Greenville.
map of the Over Yondr Festival grounds
Greenville was chosen for the location of the festival after the Yondr team took a trip to the area several years ago. They stopped in Rensselaerville and also looked for sites in California but they felt built up. Given how Yondr sees the world now, it seemed like a natural fit. “The locals have been great and it just seemed right. You still have the feel of counterculture and with this generation we are ready for one, pushing back on technology and aiming for simplicity in life. And I think it’s already beginning. Coming out of college, grads don’t want to stare at a screen all day, and a lot of political and social division can arise from that.”
We are trying to put the technology in its right place. The next generation has to learn to treat the physical world as real and their interactions online as different. If you don’t disaggregate those two, a lot of negative things tend to happen. Phone free spaces are helpful and unique places to see 20-30,000 interacting and talking in concession line. It takes only a little to remove this social impediment.
Yondr founder and CEO Graham Dugoni
As for that eclectic lineup? Dugani and his team assembled the artists, looking for a diversity of sounds among the more than 15 performers, a lineup that felt right for the atmosphere, per Dugani.
Tickets are on sale now for Over Yondr Festival. and get 15% off by entering code NYSMUSIC.
Over Yondr Festival Daily Lineup
Friday, June 24
Topaz Jones Kaleta & The Super Yamba Band Black Mountain Symphony Anna Fox Rochinski Nas Leber SVB
Saturday, June 25
!!! (chk chk chk) Sheer Mag Bones of JR Jones Kississippi Jadeisdxpe Artz
Ricky Persaud Jr.’s discography is stellar, to say the least, and is ever-growing as his versatility continues to elevate his status. Although, the multi-instrumentalist is a recent graduate from the prestigious Berklee College Of Music in Boston, his professional music career has been years in the making. The talented musician is known to cover a multitude of genres ranging from pop, rock, reggae, funk and more, while providing fans with a unique experience.
Michael D. Spencer
At two-years-old Persaud Jr., began his musical journey with the banjo. Since music was his main priority, he became a child prodigy within a short period. By four-years-old, Persaud Jr. had begun playing percussion and while attending the Newark School of the Arts, studied the drums.
At the tender age of 9, he played the guitar for the first time and realized there were no limits to how he could express himself. After receiving professional training, he was not only a proficient guitar player, but was able to add the bass, as well as the piano to his repertoire.
Thanks to his mother, Valerie Persaud, there were no limits to Persaud Jr.’s ambitions as she encouraged him to excel at each instrument. She dreamt of playing the piano herself, but was denied the opportunity, so she ensured her children would not have the same experience. Besides, music ran in the family.
Persaud Jr.’s father, Ricky Sr., engineered Caribbean albums and often played Bob Marley, The Wailers, and Third World, which quickly influenced his infant son. Contrarily, his mother favored classic-rock music, particularly the Beatles, who are Persaud Jr.’s favorite musicians along with Michael Jackson, Nirvana, and Bob Marley.
I never paid attention to music until I heard the Beatles. With them it’s not just about the sound of the instruments, but the message being relayed. Their music is all about love and inspiration.
Ricky Persaud Jr.
While his love of instrumentation was fostered at home, his songwriting exploits were a way to escape the outside world. As a victim of bullying, Persaud Jr. was encouraged by his mother to express himself through songwriting. Soon enough he realized this was a powerful way to overcome the social adversity he dealt with. In the end, songwriting became his main coping mechanism, which only made him a better musician.
When you bottle up everything inside you are hurting yourself. Therefore, I truly believe people should use platforms like music and sports to release their emotions and express themselves. Songwriting was like a diary for me.
Valerie Persaud
Having built a great amount of mental fortitude over the years, his self-belief even applies to his music. While on quarantine during the pandemic, he was faced with the obstacle of connecting with other musicians without physical touch. It was during this time that an already tight familial bond continued to grow. He connected with his mother and brother to continue their musical work as a band, by the name of Ricky Persaud Jr and Crossroads.
Outside of his immediate family, the Indie Collaborative (IC), an organization for independent musicians and professionals to come together as one, has been essential in Persaud Jr.’s development. On April 25, he performed alongside other IC artists at Carnegie Hall.
The Indie Collaborative helped me as far as my artistry, confidence, networking, and exposure to other talented artists. I will always be grateful for them and the opportunities they presented me with.
At such a young age, Persaud Jr. has been awarded a 2016 Governor’s Award for Excellence in Music, the Artist of The Year in Pop award at the 2019 Josie Music Independent Awards, a 2020 Global Music Award, he was named 2020 Best Male Artist in Pop at the Indie Music Channel Awards and is a Grammy voter. However, according to him, his most heartfelt achievement was not only being accepted into the reputable Berklee College of Music, but being awarded a full four-year scholarship.
The people who selected me for the full four-year scholarship, said they chose me because of how active I was with my work on social media. If I was to give others advice, it would be to take pride in their work, show off their craft, and post professionally.
Persaud
Persaud Jr.’s most recent album, Enlightenment, relays the message of “shining some positivity into the world.” Meanwhile the featured song “Cease Fire”, sheds light on racism, Black Lives Matter and police brutality.
If there is any advice I would give other musicians of color, it’s that there will be a lot of discrimination along the way, but no matter what believe in yourself and use what God instilled in you.
Although Persaud Jr. has proven himself within the music industry, he feels that he has only scratched the surface of his potential. With plans on becoming a Grammy-award winner and having a “musical connection worldwide,” Persaud Jr.’s future is nothing short of promising.
Pigeons Playing Ping Pong [PPPP] has experienced a momentous April and May in 2022 including the release of their latest album, Perspective. At the album release party at Brooklyn Steel, friends both on stage and off celebrated. This upcoming weekend marks the commencement of Domefest for the 12th year in production.
Rainbows Outside, Rainbows Inside by Em Walis
PPPP bassist Ben kept contact with Em Walis over the first two weeks in April about the creative process, rituals for wellness, farming, rainbows, Perspective, and their festival Domefest which is happening this weekend, May 19-21 at Legend Valley. Special commentary is provided by members of the PPPP fanbase affectionately nicknamed “The Flock” as well as Funky Dawgz saxophoinist Tommy Weeks and the gal changing the bass game, Karina Rykman.
Framework
Three conversations with bassist Ben Carrey coincided with three events. The first conversation occurred the week before the Perspective release. The second conversation happened two days after PPPP performed at Brooklyn Steel. The final chat happened the following week after PPPP played Brooklyn Bowl Nashville.
Each interaction with both Ben and the PPPP community at large illuminated more and more understanding as to why so many people choose PPPP for priority declaration and lifestyle identity. Commentary and elaboration follows each conversation.
At The Front Of The Flock. Perched on the rail. By Em Walis
Commentary On The Quest For Perspective:
Why this band? What is it about PPPP that compels someone to declare themselves a part of “The Flock”? How did this epiphany happen anecdotally for members of The Flock? These questions have no bias and could be asked to any dedicated fan in regards to any artist they plan their sacred and few vacation days around.
The current landscape for music provides what feels like infinite options available for dedicating a lifestyle to. New flavors of musical genre fusions, coinciding side orders of artist side projects and mini super-band collaborations form on what feels like a daily occurrence. Smaller festivals catered specifically to citizens of that community have been popping up everywhere. Streams and communities allow some to participate without traveling outside of their county, let alone outside of the United States.
PPPP Bassist Ben Carrey speaks by Em Walis
Conversation 1: March 26 2022 Before The Shift | Pre Perspective Release
Em Walis[EW]: Thank you for taking the time! Where are you right now?
Ben [B]: No problem! I am on a walk to get coffee now at home in Maryland.
EW: How do your routines differ from home versus being on the road?
B: At home, my main focus is this small farm where my wife and I live.. There might be metaphorical cultivating to do on the road, but there is not much room for physical crops. Finding routine for being at home and while on the road are equally important. Not finding touring hacks for prosperity and longevity in what could be a detrimental hamster wheel lifestyle.
EW: What are you growing?
B: Right now we have kale, other wintered greens, potatoes , as well as both white and red clovers. Clover isn’t a harvest crop, just ground coner between rows. We are also working on composting. I love it.
EW: What kind of advice do you have for someone that is either new to touring, or seasoned and seeking a better sense of existence?
B It is extremely important to have healthy routines. I recommend that anyone on the road carve out 5 minutes of quiet breathing before a show and 10 minutes of stretching after. It is not a big commitment but can make all of the difference. Greg is known for his post show routine. He is always full of smiles after a show, takes a shower, cleans up his guitar, does office work then goes to bed. The most he will differ from this would be getting a slice of pizza.
I recommend that anyone on the road carve out 5 minutes of quiet breathing before a show and 10 minutes of stretching after. It is not a big commitment but can make all of the difference.
Ben
EW: I can imagine that it can be easy to let certain aspects of your wellbeing go to the wayside amongst the constant motion that is being on tour.
B: It is all about finding what you need. Each person has different needs and to find attainable ways to feed that. Things like yoga and meditation can be great for dealing with issues like addiction which runs rampant in music. We discuss many of these topics on the podcast I have with Luke Bemand from Lespecial called Back2Bassics.
EW: Very cool. I hope you get to soak in your time at home before the upcoming excitement begins. Would you like tell me a little about what you have coming up?
B: Our new album is about to come out, we have a really exciting release party planned for Brooklyn Steel. Our friends TAUK are opening. It should be a great time. After that, we go back on the road. May 19-21 willl be Domefest which has some of my favorite artist like Lotus and Spafford.
EW: Excellent! Tim Palmieri has been doing such a great job with Lotus. I saw Karina Rykman is on the lineup. She is fabulous. How was touring with her?
B: Karina was a complete pleasure to have on our last tour. She really brings that positive energy similar to Marco [Benevento’s]. You can listen to some of my conversation with her on the podcast.
B: There are no overlaps in sets which means if you miss something, that’s on you. We aim to minimize the heartache here.
EW: Speaking of heartache, the day is March 26 and it would feel dishonorable to not mention the untimely passing of Taylor Hawkins. I know the news is still very fresh, but would you like to comment on this?
B: Taylor’s passing hit hard. The band actually comes pretty close to home for us. Jeremy’s dad was the was Dave Grohl’s orthopedic doctor while on tour. The Foo Fighters have had Jeremy’s dad up on stage to sit in for a song on multiple occasions. I’m sure you can find a video on youtube somehwere.
EW: Wow. That is wild. I will look this up as soon as we get off the phone. Thank you for speaking on this and sharing that extremely fun fact. It seems it has hit hard for a lot of people and that there is something to be said about doing everything possible to have a positive impact on those around us.
BI like to think that when great energy is released into the world, it becomes a better place.
EW: Thank you. That is a really refreshing way to look at loss.
Like father like son by Em Walis
EW: Not to try to crack jokes in order to break up a sad moment, but what a beautiful Perspective you have. Not getting back on track, what does the recording process look like for PPPP? Was this one different in any way?
B: Ha! I see what you did there. It is in fact, all about perspective. [Perspective] was tracked pretty quickly, though putting it all together definitely took some time. We put the drums down first and use the best take from that. We build off of those tracks and add layers. We could only get into the studio here and there. I am psyched on the song “Water.” It has a cool vibe with different sonic textures imbued throughout. “Elephante” features this Nashville brass band called Here Come The Mummies. We have a music video from that track.
EW: Super cool! Well I know we did not have a whole lot of time today, but I wanted to thank you for the introduction and I look forward to talking to you after the album release party?
B: Looking forward to it all!
Commentary 1: Contemplating Cultivating Wintered Greens and Home Routines
Greg shows up by Em Walis
It appears that PPPP do a lot of work individually to help improve their chances for showing up for the band in their best possible form. Having mindful routines and practices cultivate creativity, open-mindedness and good communication.
In dark times, it is all too easy to tend towards automatic negative reactions to any input. The desire to tune out or numb out. Letting the wind beneath our wings fall away can be normal, especially in the wake of such isolating times. It does not have to be this way.
Perspective is readily available and we have the power to choose. How we think about a situation, the behaviors associated. Narratives we tell ourselves and others reinforce similar feedback loops. It might be difficult to molt old beliefs, but over time, new instinctual responses occur, and a better example can be set for others.
PPPP Perspective Album Cover
PPPP have taken the endless void of shutdown and created a space for practice, looking at the feelings that would have been directed towards despair as an opportunity in order to improve their own sense of self-care and wellbeing. The finite resource of mental bandwidth and physical energy typically poured into touring provided a magnified fountain for energetic resource in the studio. Ben provided a great reminder of how small practices, repeated over time can improve the way we show up creatively and for those that we care about.
Karina Rykman flies with the flock by Em Walis
Guest Commentary: Karina Rykman Weighs In
When asked about her experience with Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, bass sorceress Karina Rykman had this to say:
I will never forget how kind and welcoming PPPP was to my band and crew, and the lengths they went to to make our daily lives better while we spent a month on the road together.
Karina Rykman
“I will never forget how kind and welcoming PPPP was to my band and crew, and the lengths they went to to make our daily lives better while we spent a month on the road together. They truly went above and beyond at every turn – sharing greenrooms, having us sit in, giving us their hotel rooms in Crystal Bay when their bus was leaving for the night, etc etc. They are truly one of the nicest touring operations, with everyone on their crew being spectacular at their jobs and hilarious to hang out with, respectively. I had no idea what to expect, and I’ve walked away with huge admiration for those guys. They take their craft wildly seriously – rehearsing new material every soundcheck until the minute they have to be done, and then rehearsing more in their practice room. I’m thrilled to be a part of Domefest and I can’t wait for our crews to be reunited!”
April 10 2022: Experiencing The Shift | Double Rainbow Album Release Party
Dramatization: This double rainbow was not taken at Brooklyn Steel by Em Walis
EW: How was your experience surriounding the album release party?
B: It was a really good time. Good vibes. There was like a double rainbow over the venue before the show. I remember there have been a few rainbow shows summer camp when we played the secondary sIt was a really good time. Good vibes. There was like a double rainbow over the venue before the show. I remember there have been a few rainbow shows… for example, at summer camp when we played the secondary stage. Ten minutes before we were about to go on… It’s been super hot all day to the point where like, I’ve tried having a breakfast of some gravy egg hodgepodge or other and I was laying in the back of one of our rental cars since we’d flown in and we were staying at a hotel which was like 45 minutes away. We had gotten there for soundcheck at like noon after not much sleep and didn’t play till like six or seven or something and I’m just like laying in the back of my rental car with AC on while the sun is beating down just like nauseous as fuck. This. Fucking. Sucks. I started to feel better in the hour or two before our set and then right before we go on…
Dramatization of Ben’s first rainbow show
I looked up and thought this is totally rainbow weather. I pointed to a security guard and told him to keep an eye out in that direction (opposite the sun) and let me know when you see a rainbow.. it’s gonna happen. We are literally about to walk on stage after we are announced and he goes there it is! There’s the rainbow! We walked on stage and behind this giant crowd of like 5000 people, the biggest we’d played in front to that point, there was a gorgeous, multi-hued arc of some facet of the universe saying…. We Good.
EW: That’s amazing. It was pretty magical. I was struck by the easygoing, fun atmosphere in the crowd. I had a blast that night and 3,000 frames were made without realizing. What is it about the The Flock that sets them apart from other music communities out there?
B: Inclusivity: the idea that we’re all in it together. The idea that we are all a part of the experience, its just different. We have different roles. I’m the bass player. Jeremy’s the guitarist. The audience is the audience. We’re all part of it. No one’s just observing or spectating in the flock. You’re co-creating essentially.
Moon Taxis’s Wes Bailey sitting in at Nashville show by Em Walis
I think people get that vibe and feel fulfilled. You know, creation is one of our Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. The creativity aspect. I think attending our show scratches that itch for a lot of people. It allows them to just be like, genuinely nice and genuinely want to share it.
We’ve worked hard and constantly over the years to help instill this mentality in the flock, from way back when we started the Facebook group ‘The Flock’ with the idea that our fans/friends are more than just a collection of people. We are an entity
Big leaf energy by Em Walis
EW: The negativity didn’t seem present at all.
B: The idea is, we’re all worshipping music together… it’s about proselytizing the power of Love & Music & togetherness.
Be kind Funky Dawgz by Em Walis
EW: Would you say that PPPP has a defined set of core values with which it conducts itself and its community at large and do you think it has had an impact on the ways in which folks conduct themselves?
B: The values of the band are obvious so those that are that are with you know why they’re with you. Two things we are certainly all about are valuing kindness and spreading positivity. Greg wore “be kind” on his [flocking] shirt on Saturday because… it’s not hard. We’re humans; we make mistakes. So just be kind to others, as well as to yourself. I think that shows through.
EW: This is all great stuff. Thank you and I will be in touch!
B: Anytime.
Commentary 2: The Brave Little Roll of Toilet Paper
Find a place safe to expose weaknesses by Em Walis
At the album release party, there was a ritual performed that at its surface might seem pretty silly. With an open mind to a fresh perspective, unraveling an entire roll of toilet paper could represent much more than a tool for bathroom emergencies. The delicate paper with tiny ribbed areas for easy tearing was held up for quite some time by many fans. The way the white paper glowed with such vibrancy was striking. The vulnerability and willingness to expose our areas of weakness, allows for more joyous color to enter the room. The decision to remain all coiled up with hundreds of protective layers might mean a little more resistance to spilled beer, but it lacks the ability for personal growth, or in this case, length.
Being at a PPPP show is all about mindset and how you show up. The experience is about showing up ready to have a good time, let loose and ecape from outside roles and responsibilities. What you wear, how you dance and who you are is accepted immediately. The crowd is welcoming and full of more smiles and fewer phones.
Guest Commentary 2: Tommy of Funky Dawgz and Sophistafunk
Taking care of each other with loving kindness is a practice that could help improve the overall landscape of live music. After sitting in with PPPP at the album release party, Funky Dawgz and Sophistafunk saxophonist Tommy Weeks shared his thoughts about how artists can help support each other better.
“Artists supporting artists is a great way to make for a kinder music community. There is so much room for different styles of music and so many people consume music on such a wide spectrum. There should be no competition. Promote each other’s releases, videos, and successes. Musicians are in a spot now where everyone wants to go out and see shows. Promote each other. Also more importantly, educate younger musicians. We all had music teachers; I see it as a duty of professional musicians. Inspire young musicians like you were inspired, we all have stories of great music teachers that we remember from when we were younger. Give the kids some stories to tell about you.”
Don’t know the Dargz? Now you do.
Conversation 3: Many Hats and Many Wraps
“These guys always put me in my happy place” – Uncle Kendall
EW: Your touring photographer Kendall McCargo has been a real pleasure to shoot with. What is it like having someone like him on your team?
B: Kendall is a hard worker and fantastic photographer. Everyone on the team works hard, but he works the hardest. Always going. Always helping us look and feel great.
Many Hats by Em Walis
EW: I have noticed that you are often wearing different hats throughout the show. This feels significant. Can you describe your relationship with “many hats” both physically and transcendently?
B: I suppose the hat is a representation of the ego/of a hat that we take on as we are born into this world and by changing it so often I remind myself that I am simply the wearer a hat or of an experience of a body… I’m not the hatbody experience itself!
Guest Commentary 3: Let’s Ask The Flock
Flock dedication by Em Walis
Gavin And His Fresh PPPP Tattoo Might Have Something To Say
Flock member Gavin was happy to share his story about how PPPP took center stage in his life during a tough time. “So in 2019 I went to Peach Fest, and they played one set and I was like, Okay, this is it. This is cool. I kept going and go and go and go into shows and about 25 shows. I was like, this is everything. This is it. this is everything.
I paid it back with my energy on the rail the best I could. I got right up front. You know, we needed it. They needed it.
Gavin of “The Flock”
Then COVID hit. I turned the streams on. They were my heavy jams. You know, the world’s still gonna be good one day just not today. We went for a drive-in show and I paid it back with my energy on the rail the best I could. I got right up front. You know, we needed it. They needed it. Crazy. So then I went to another drive in and then another so then I went to Domefest and got my poster signed. The Security guard went back and I was able to meet Ben and Jeremy and it meant the world to me“
Coop shares his chair by Em Walis
Coop
One moment observed at the Perspective release party encompassed everything important to the world of PPPP. When an entire beer rained upon the crowd beneath the balcony at the Brooklyn Steel, a young man with a very broken leg put this belief into practice. Temporarily injured and grounded Flock member Coop was asked to recount what happened.
“I forgot about that! I felt so bad for her! half a beer was spilled on this poor woman and just kept dripping on her from above and no one was doing anything about it. No one should have to put up with that especially if you are handicapped. I couldn’t just sit and watch that happen. It doesn’t matter that my leg was broken. I’m a young kid and my other leg works just fine! I offered up my seat and then went to make sure they cleaned it up. It was the least I could do. It took a while and I had to bug security a few times but they eventually got someone up there to mop it up.”– Coop of “The Flock”
I couldn’t just sit and watch that happen. It doesn’t matter that my leg was broken.
Coop of “The Flock”
Vibrancy derrived from kindness by Em Walis
After hearing the story of the raining beer, the obvious next thing to do was ask Coop about himself, his experience at the show and what his relationship with PPPP looked like.
“I’m just a dude with an afro and a broken leg who is a fan of PPPP. my name is Coop and I am a marijuana extractor out in Colorado. The show was spectacular and the new album is awesome! My favorite song on it is probably water. The community as a whole is much like the deadhead crowd. Weird and wonderful and kind. I feel at home within the trippy scene. I can show a more authentic side of myself and have the freedom to be me. Good vibes all around. Loved yours! You can use whatever you want in your article. I would love to read it when its done!“– Coop
I can show a more authentic side of myself and have the freedom to be me. Good vibes all around.
Coop of “The Flock”
Taking the TP metaphor to the limit by Em Walis
Commentary 3: Wrapping It All Up… Wait, What?
Without fully knowing about Here Come The Mummies,, or that they were based in Nashville, the idea about the toilet paper ritual had already formed. It was thus with complete shock and utter disbelief when, there it was, a group of people collaborating creatively while quite literally wearing what many use, toilet paper, for making mummy costumes!
Repetition of words like “kindness’ and themes about improving the lives of those surrounding came up with every participant. The sampling of PPPP community members speaking of their values in similar terms provide evidence to infer the true strength and shared belief system among a larger population of fans and associated artists. While this may seem like a no-brainer, not all music communities have maintained synchronicity with this level of cohesion.
Gavin’s story was striking because the proclamation story of shutdown and streams helped so many find their community in music. Livestreams truly helped know what day it way. Playing pretend festival during couch tour evoked a sense of normalcy and hope. Many friendships were formed on forums and online platforms. The story was not one that could only be applied to PPPP which indicates that despite difference in musical preference, common ground can be found among music fans that transcends genre.
Some takeaways from this experience: Show up. Breathe for 5 minutes before you do something important. Don’t take life to seriously, at least for the few hours during the show. Trust that you will be welcomed with open arms. Take care of yourself, take care of others. Make it to Domefest if you can. Give Perspective a try by all meanings of the definition.
We’re very opinionated when it comes to music. That stands to reason, since music is so much a guiding force in our lives. So, we listen to songs, and when we find one we love, we want to hear every song like it. That’s how we ended up with genres. And it is not easy for a band like NEQ that crosses genres to gain traction, because, essentially, they are creating their own, new genre.
NEQ, a.k.a. Nelson Esposito Quintana, is just such a band, and their new album, Nevertheless is a fine example of how to cross musical boundaries. The band is comprised of Todd Nelson, Kyle Esposito, Manuel Quintana, Mike Kelly and Carlos Valdez.
RRX: Okay, so not to bury the lede, you have a new album out, “Nevertheless.” It’s amazing. Tell us a little bit about it, if you will. How long did it take to put it together? And what was your concept for it going in, or was it more a collection that precipitated from some jam sessions?
TN: All told, it took a couple of years, although we weren’t working steady on it. We did a couple of tracks in 2018, and then the band kind of took a hiatus for a little while from live gigs, and we can talk about the reasons for that, but then we reconvened when COVID was getting kind of hard and realized we could keep working on this if we did it in such a way that the recording was done remotely. Rather than having such a large ensemble all playing together, we’d have maybe two or three people in the studio at a time. It was all put together in Manuel’s studio, although some of the recordings are done here at my house, and Manuel very expertly integrated all of those things.
KE: I think the concept sort of snowballed as it went along, as far as our approach, I mean, it became evident to us what it was like, what the strength of it was, which it became almost more of a cinematic approach where we weren’t really thinking about can the trio play this live? But more, what does the individual song call for? And we just went with it completely. So, in a way, that’s different from our previous recordings, where we kept it closer to a trio format. No holding back there as far as overdubs, adding what it seemed to need.
RRX: NEQ is so-called because of Todd Nelson, guitarist Kyle Esposito, and Manuel Quintana. And the great thing about the band is that, by listening, none of you are clearly ‘leading.’ It seems very much an equal contribution to the music. Now you usually think in a band like this, one person puts everyone together. Was that true with NEQ?
MQ: I think it was a team effort, but I think Todd led the way, as far as bringing in both full compositions and sections that were completed to some extent. But it was a big collaboration, I think we all put our stamp on it and what not.
TN: I have to say that you were the person that was the impetus behind the recording. If you didn’t have this great studio and the motivation to work on this stuff, because you did a lot of the work on your own. And as far as the composition of the stuff, it kind of just worked out that I’d written all of the composition of this particular album. We’d written together in the past, and I’m sure we will in the future. But usually, the way we would do that is through jam sessions, we would get an idea, and take it home and develop it, decide what needs another section. So, we would work that way. But we couldn’t really work that way with the COVID thing going on.
RRX: When I hear NEQ, I think fusion. I think Mahavishnu Orchestra, Weather Report, with a feel of a Friday Night in San Francisco – McLaughlin, Dimeola, DeLucia. A lot of references, but it’s a feel of musical exploration. But fusion is something more than simple experimentation. How does NEQ transcend ‘noodling around?’
Kyle: I’m a strong proponent for noodling around, but I think this is the least we’ve ever left to chance as far as putting the songs together. Solos are still solos, but even the sections that are their places are composes, not the solos but sections set aside for someone to improvise on, as opposed to just playing the song over and over again, different people soloing over the same form, that kind of thing, that’s what I’m getting at. There’s a lot more through-composed material, a lot more specific events set out to conquer in this batch of tunes, for the most part. That’s my impression.
Todd: That’s basically what I was going to say. I think that people want to hear soloing, I think they want to hear that kind of thing, but I also get tired of it. I think what we’re trying to do is tread the line between that jam-band thing and a totally composed approach, and not fall too heavily to either side. That might keep people’s interest, hopefully.
Kyle: And I think that the solos are interspersed with other sections which, to go back to my cinematic comment, there are a lot of scene changes going on in the songs that are pretty much designated. We’ll go from a keyboard solo to another section that’s composed for everybody to play their part and move on into another section where there’s space for a guitar solo, that kind of thing. It is kind of Weather Report-ish in that way.
Todd: Yeah, they were not head-solo-solo-head. A lot of that arrangement comes from jazz musicians – it’s their language, and that’s how they get together and play together even if they’ve never met each other, never played together before, makes it easy to gig.
RRX: One thing I would definitely say about NEQ is that it’s a very expansive sound. I had a very worldly signature. I imagine that having such an expansive sound is difficult, not just a matter of skill, but also a matter of vision. I mean, we’re talking about musical sources that evolved and intermingled globally. Are there any guiding principles to this?
Manuel: I don’t think we had any guiding principles, no. However the song came to be what we went with.
Kyle: It’s a bit of a mystery. I think it comes down to tastes and sounds and grooves that we all like as individuals, what overlaps, and really the essence of what Todd’s idea was to begin with. Things didn’t change that drastically; now that I think of it, wasn’t Camoplaid a jam?
Manuel: Yeah, that was a rehearsal from a long time ago. Rehearsal jam; Todd may have had it. Recorded piece for a while too. We definitely sat on that, and I do think it came from a jam.
Kyle: The beginning bassline thing I remember being out of the blue. Maybe I was working on a different song too; maybe it was that song.
Todd: Yeah, I remember writing the melody for it, but I don’t remember jamming on it.
Kyle: Getting back, that’s all to say that it’s stuff we’ve been influenced by that just comes out without too much intention.
Todd: One intentional thing for me is to not censor myself so much, you know? And as a band, we refrain from censoring ourselves, saying ‘oh that’s too Latin sounding,’ or too something else. We embraced it all, we didn’t look at something and say ‘that style doesn’t belong.’ We just let it happen.
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
On Friday, April 29th, Consider the Source brought their eclectic instruments and extreme talents to Lark Hall in Albany during the last leg of their “Acoustic-Electric Hybrid” tour to celebrate the release of their album Hybrid Vol. 1: Such As A Mule. Lark Hall was the perfect space to enjoy a slightly toned-down version of this hard-rocking band. To kick off what was one of the most musically interesting night’s of my life was delightful duo Cosmal.
Cosmal
Ryan Coyle and Alison Lazarus are two delightfully well-rounded and multi-talented individuals and they created an amazing group called Cosmal. While Ryan creates incredible electronica jams with his midi-controller, chaos pad, and guitar, Alison live-paints and sings. This band is made of two truly unique individuals with an incredible idea — you should check them out as soon as you get the chance.
Consider the Source
Consider the Source is easily one of the most unique bands I have ever had the pleasure to listen to. They call their sound “Sci-fi Middle Eastern Prog Fusion” and if you think that sounds interesting you should hear what they actually sound like. If you’re looking for something different from the usual stuff, this is your band.
Hybrid Vol. 1: Such As A Mule
John Ferrara (bass), Jeff Mann (percussion), and Gabriel Marin (guitar, etc) have truly created a unique, eclectic, and delightful sound. Friday night’s show was a rare treat — fans of the band had never seen them play in such an environment before. They played their new album in its entirety and threw a couple of older songs in there too. They used instruments many of us had never seen or heard before as well including a Banjo Bass, Dombra, Uzbek/Tajik Dutar, Doumbek, a Ukulele Bass, and many more. The set was certainly a departure from what we were used to, but it was killer nonetheless.
The Interview: A Surprise Announcement
I sat down with Ferrara, Mann, and Marin before their set. They told me that they had finished recording Hybrid Vol. 1: Such As A Mule right before the pandemic hit. They used the lockdown to finish mastering the album. However, and here is the big surprise: they also spent that time recording a second album — keep your eyes on their social media to find out when you can check it out. And from what I am told, it will be their hardest-hitting album yet.
Tour inspiration
Consider the Source has such a ground-breaking sound, they could just call it a day and continue to tour for as long as they can handle it. However, they continually want to change it up for their fans. And that was the whole idea behind their most recent album as well as the tour they just completed to celebrate the release. The venues they visited for this tour were the type where you sit down, which is a huge departure from the dancehalls they usually frequent. In short, they wanted to change things up for their fans, and wow — they delivered.
Future Plans
If you weren’t able to catch them on their “Acoustic-Electric Hybrid” tour, don’t fret. Consider the Source has several tour dates coming in the following months in New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. Check out the gallery below.
They say love is all-around. Sometimes the feeling is as palpable as an embrace. Yet, finding the accurate words to frame love into its proper context remains one of the world’s greater mysteries. Love can be all-encompassing, it can be selfless, it can blossom out of desire and it can even be fickle. Only one thing is certain, once love is in the air, it builds its own cocoon within the consciousness waiting to be explored. And on Winter Nights, we get a first-hand look into how Mo’ Love handles his ever-changing disposition.
Lately I’ve been f****d up, all these feelings got me worked up.
In five swift songs we see the enchanted crooner jostle between lust, desire, commitment and emotional weariness. Beginning with the anthemic “Pgp,” where he wastes no time addressing the point of contention. The record opens with voicemails from various women looking to get in touch demanding that he call them back. Instead, he makes himself readily available to all, where his promiscuous flair is captured.
She think I’m a player cause she like what I’m saying. I’m not into selling dreams, you should buy what you like. And if you don’t, you can return me after the night.
Mo’ Love – Pgp
While the project intros with an emotional free-for-all, the more tightly wounded “The Same” is the inverse of its predecessor. With his distinct singing voice and sultry delivery, the r&b singer confronts the feelings of complacency that comes from a long-standing relationship. From fighting about the same things, noticing changes in a partner’s feelings and behavior, while dealing the subsequent yearn for the person responsible for your pain.
Comparatively, “Slow Dance” is next on the queue and sees the South Bronx native do a complete 180. While “The Same” left him picking up the pieces of his dissolved relationship, on “Slow Dance” he goes from prey to vulture, picking at the remains of a woman’s freshly severed union as he looks to seduce her. As the third of five records on the project, the song placement seems to be indicatory of the middle ground between committed and spending time, as he lulls,
flowing through the vibes, I can it in your eyes, Oh I love.
– Mo’ love, Slow Dance
Mo’ Love shows his talents for performative arts with his thespian-like display of character arc, going from player, to sucker and back to the life of easy virtue in just three songs.
Won’t you slow dance for a n****a yea, if you want these bands from a n***a yea.
We keep fighting about the same thing, I need some space so I could maintain Since you left, I haven’t been the same.
– Mo’ Love, The Same
Winter Nights follows this ebb-and-flow throughout all five records, where each mirrors its predecessor and vice versa. It’s a Ying and Yang of commitment versus freedom and promiscuity, with an intermission to ponder giving up both on “F****d Up Anthem.”
Who doesn’t want to be in a nice healthy relationship? But then, also I like my peace. I’m on a journey, I’m trying to get somewhere and there’s distractions. A lot of people are distractions more than help. Me knowing that, I definitely battle with being in relationships, wanting to take one serious. It takes a big, big person to make that leap and I battle with that all the time.
– Mo’ Love
It can be played frontward or backwards and the same message still echoes, combine that with the concise length of the EP and it is a reflection of the fleeting emotions that we share with one another.
I’m losing myself. The only thing I want in this life is bad for my health.
– Mo’ Love, Dirty Diana
Such is the uncertainty that surrounds many modern-day relationships, with not only the number of options, but the availability of it all. Lust can turn to infatuation, which metamorphoses into commitment, yet can just as quickly transform into weariness.
I deserve more than this, hurt on my mind so it’s hard to reminisce.
I’m hoping they [fans] go through the rides of emotions that I felt when I made it and the attention that I put into it. I know I wanted people to dance to it, I know I wanted people to feel good to it, but also, I wanted people to understand that there’s always a message in everything that I’m saying. There’s a message in every song that I put out and that means the most to me.
