Indie legends Sharon Van Etten, Angel Olsen, and Julien Baker joined together for The Wild Hearts Tour, a mostly outdoor-focused concert series. Angel and Sharon released the cathartic and joyful song, “Like I Used To” together last year, to critical acclaim. Julien Baker’s latest album, Little Oblivions also received widespread praise when it was released last year. Given the triple-headliner lineup on The Wild Hearts Tour, it quickly became one of the most highly anticipated acts in the indie music scene. After hitting roughly 20 stops in the United States, the tour concluded with two incredible nights at Central Park SummerStage during the weekend of August 21, with support from Quinn Christopherson.
Sharon Van Etten performing at Central Park SummerStage, photography by David Reichmann
The final night at Central Park’s SummerStage began with light cloud cover and mild heat. Fans lounged on picnic blankets and enjoyed the afternoon sun with a beer or a snack. Quinn Christopherson opened the show with driving guitar progressions and passionate vocals. His set also included a handful of tear-jerking and quieter moments. The crowd was well warmed up by the time Quinn’s set finished, and the onstage crew turned over for Julien’s set in what seemed like just a few minutes.
Quinn Christopherson performing at Central Park SummerStage, photography by David Reichmann
Julien Baker took the stage as the sun began to dip and the air cooled. The crowd swelled as she began playing her hard rock set. Julien leapt up and down the stage, flipped her hair, and held her guitar above her head at moments. She also sprinkled in a number of quiet and sorrowful moments throughout her set, displaying the great range her musical catalog is known for. Julien thanked the audience and joked with them occasionally between songs. She mentioned how special this tour had been. As her set neared an hour in length as the sun entered into golden hour, she thanked the crowd one last time before walking off to great applause.
Julien Baker performing at Central Park SummerStage, photography by David Reichmann
Angel Olsen’s set began at the very last moments of daylight. The stage lights took over as the atmosphere in the venue turned stark and dramatic. She walked onstage under a glowing orange spotlight and thanked the crowd. She played a number of tracks from her latest full-length record, Big Time as well as a number of deep cuts and fan favorites. She ended her set with the rousing lead single, “All The Good Times.” Angel thanked the audience one last time, told them how special this tour had been, and walked off as the crowd’s excitement peaked in anticipation of the final set of the evening and the tour.
Angel Olsen performing at Central Park SummerStage, photography by David Reichmann
Sharon Van Etten took the stage as the final headliner in The Wild Hearts Tour. Her latest album, We’ve Been Going About This All Wrong, was released earlier this year and was a smash hit. Her performance featured intimidating and powerful vocalizations and dancing. She frequently singled out audience members to lock eyes with and single directly towards. Sharon’s dynamic movements and passionate vocals created an all-encompassing stage presence which took over the crowd.
Sharon Van Etten performing at Central Park SummerStage for The Wild Hearts Tour, photography by David Reichmann
Sharon paused occasionally between songs to share sentimental moments with the audience. She said towards the end of her set, “I came up in New York City,” and mentioned how great it was to be able to end this tour “where it all started.” She talked briefly about the 40 or so people working on the tour, the hardships of touring in a post-pandemic world, and urged the New York City crowd to embrace kindness and acceptance. She also shared a few anecdotes of her first times meeting Julien, Angel, and later Quinn. “These people have become my family…Thank you so much for coming out.”
Sharon closed out her main set with her hit track “Seventeen.” She walked off stage briefly, only to return a few moments to answer the cheers demanding an encore. She began her encore with a solo rendition of “Darkish.” For the final track of her set, Sharon invited Angel Olsen onstage to perform their sensational single, “Like I Used To.” She talked about writing this track of Angel, saying how she had been a fan of hers and wanted to work on something together. Then she invited Julien, her bandmates, and Angel’s bandmates to join Sharon onstage for the final song of The Wild Hearts Tour. Sharon thanked the crowd one last time and the band played as the artists slowly walked off.
Now concluded, The Wild Hearts Tour was surely a one-of-a-kind event. You can follow Sharon Van Etten’s ongoing world tour here, and listen to her music here. Angel Olsen’s tour has a few remaining stops in the US before she heads overseas, and her catalog can be found here. Julien Baker has one upcoming show scheduled for November in Atlanta, and her catalog can be found here. Quinn Christopherson’s music can be streamed here.
Phil Lesh and The Midnight Ramble Band joined forces for a recent gig on Saturday, August 20 at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts. With the Midnight Ramble Band featuring names like Larry Campbell, Teresa Williams, and Amy Helm (daughter of Levon), the powerhouse ensemble delighted all with a mix of The Band and Grateful Dead material. NYS Music’s Howard Horder was in attendance and captured some of the magic with the photos below. And check out archive.org for an audience recording of the show if the setlist below appeals at all.
Phil Lesh & The Midnight Ramble Band Bethel Woods Center For The Arts – Bethel, NY 8/20/22
Set 1: Tennessee Jed, Rubin & Cherise, Scarlet Begonias > Not Fade Away, Brokedown Palace, Franklin’s Tower, Ophelia, Sugaree
Set 2: Shakedown Street, Playing in the Band, Eyes of the World, Chest Fever, Unbroken Chain, Atlantic City, River Deep, Mountain High
On the eve of the 53rd anniversary of the 1969 Woodstock Music and Art Fair, blues/rock artist Kenny Wayne Shepherd brought with him living blues legend Buddy Guy and up-and-coming blues man Christone “Kingfish” Ingram to the Bethel Woods stage for three sets of incredible music. The showcase of three generations of blues musicians is the inaugural edition of the touring Backroads Blues Festival. In addition to a remarkable evening of music, Shephard spoke with us about the tour and the entire interview can be seen at the end of this article.
The Backroads Blues Festival’s inaugural run is visiting six venues between the Northeast and Virginia and included two stops in New York. Christone Ingram, a Mississippi native who goes by the nickname Kingfish, has had an impressive career so far for only being only 23 years old. While he has a bit of a name for himself, the show was a fantastic introduction for new fans. Though a younger musician, he blazed through his guitar work with emotion as if the blues were his primary language.
Kenny Wayne Shepherd, who conceived the idea of this festival and curated the show, took the stage with his own band between Kingfish and headliner Buddy Guy. Shepherd is a musician who knows the business and how to draw his audience in to his music and guitar with his stage presence. Shepherd’s set included not only his own work, but concluded with a hat tip to the legendary B.B. King with “You Done Lost Your Good Thing Now.” Headlining the show was Buddy Guy, who celebrated his 86th birthday over the summer. There is a lot to be said for seeing and hearing Buddy perform which is why his shows are not just a performance, but an experience. He works the crowd with his wit, humor, and a sharp sense of being in the moment with his band to deliver pure, unfiltered blues.
Before the evening concluded, both Shepherd and Kingfish joined Buddy Guy on stage to trade solos and do some call and response traditional to the style. As Buddy Guy usually does at the end of his shows, he set his guitar down and let his band (along with Shepherd and Kingfish) jam and play him out while he paraded around the stage to toss some guitar picks into the crowd.
The Backroads Blues Festival was a unique experience of listening to three generations of musicians fit into a touring concert format. The crowd was left energized by the music with conversations about each of the three performers drifting through the air when the lights came back on. While the festival tour is wrapping up this weekend, we’re looking forward to the future versions of the Backroads Blues Festival coming back around to New York.
Interview with Kenny Wayne Shepherd
Steve Malinski: You mentioned during the show that the, this touring festival’s kind of been a dream of yours for a few years. So what inspired that dream to bring a few gen generations of blues musicians together like that?
Kenny Wayne Shepherd: Well, I felt like there’s something, you know, there’s an opportunity for something like this. There’s kind of a void and I was looking to fill it. When I was a kid, there was an annual touring blues festival that B.B. King did. And, you know, I went to it several times over the years as a spectator, as a fan and saw some of the greatest talent in blues from Etta James, B.B. King, Joe Cocker, Stevie Ray and Jimmy Vaughan, Robert Cray, Buddy Guy. I mean, the list goes on and on, right. And then not too long after I joined it as an artist and did the tour myself with my band several times over the years. So, I mean, I just have a lot of really fond memories of that festival and those kinds of experiences. And I think I wanted to give the fans the opportunity to have their own experience like that, you know? I also think the genre still needs something like that. The multi-generational approach where you had three different generations of kind of the hottest names in blues. But I mean, the goal is just to have the best bands that are out there right now. I mean, it doesn’t necessarily always have to be representative of three generations, but I thought that was a really perfect way of kicking off the tour.
SM: Yeah, it’s kind of a neat way of doing that.
KWS: Yeah, I think it was good. I mean, Kingfish, he’s one of the big up and comers, he just won a Grammy. I mean, he’s kind of really blazing a trail and making a name for himself. And then, I’m the generation before and then Buddy’s, obviously the generation before that and everybody’s kind of at the top of their game. And so, it was a really strong lineup.
SM: So how’s the experience been so far with it having a few shows in the books already?
KWS: I think it’s great. I mean, to be honest with you the first night in Providence was completely packed. And it was a really great opening night. Bethel had a great crowd as well, but, you know, we were getting constant feedback. My people who were out in the merch area and the crew that was scattered throughout the venue and even myself at the end of the night… all the people that were working at the venue as they were leaving were just extremely complimentary about the show, said it was one of the best shows that they had there all season.
So you know, that’s great. I mean, obviously, this is my project and it’s very important to me, but I mean, I’m telling you every single person that walked outta that venue that walked past me told me how great the show was. So that’s really satisfying. It’s very encouraging, especially because we’re trying to establish the brand here, because we want to move forward with this on an annual basis. They said they would love to have us come back again.
SM: Yeah. One of the things I was going to say is I see huge potential for this growing into something more than just the limited run of shows you’re doing this summer.
KWS: Yeah, this tour is more to get the word out, establish the brand and kind of like a proof of concept for lack of a better term. But back in the day the B.B. King fest would have around four headlining acts and then they would also have local acts that would perform, you know early on in the day. I mean the whole thing would start, and the local act was playing at like 4, 4:30 in the afternoon, you know? So it was a bit of a longer event and I’m hoping that we can grow into that. And the goal is to be inclusive. We’re gonna have, the hottest women of the blues, the hottest artists. Also, it’s like everything doesn’t always have to be electric either. There might be, you know, some more acoustic driven blues artists that will be included in the bill going forward and things like that. But regardless, it’s gonna be the top performers in the genre for sure.
SM: Awesome. So I’ve seen Buddy Guy a handful of times, and he always talks about learning, not from the book, but just from what he hears and picks up from others. What have you kind of picked up on as inspirations from working with Buddy Guy and Kingfish as you’ve gotten ready for this tour?
KWS: Well, I mean, I’ve learned a lot from Buddy Buy. And so has any other guitar player in the past, you know, 50 years probably. I mean, Jimi Hendrix was a huge fan of Buddy Guy’s. So Buddy influenced, you know, the guy who’s regarded as the greatest guitar player of all time. So people, whether they even realize it or not have been influenced and affected by Buddy Guy and who he is and what he does. So, I mean, the main thing is he’s just incredible at age 86, you know, that he can perform at the level that he’s still performing at. And he’s a true show. And I just, I try and absorb that to the best of my abilities and, and take, things from people like that and incorporate them into what I do. And, that’s the tradition for all of us.
SM: As you know, the Woodstock anniversary is this week. So being on that historic site, were any special feelings that you had performing at Bethel Woods?
KWS: Yeah. You know, I’ve gotten to play this venue more than a few times over the course of my career. And, I’ve been to the site and done that whole thing. It’s certainly cool. I mentioned it earlier on, I think on one of my social media posts, especially because we are doing a music festival and launching a music festival… It’s like that place is sacred ground for music festivals. It was one of the biggest of all time, one of the most historic music festivals of all time took place there. So I thought it was an amazing opportunity to try and do the inaugural run of my festival and play one of our dates at that location.
SM: I noticed you have a tour coming up leading into next year to celebrate the 25th anniversary of your album Trouble Is…. So looking back to 1997 and before, when you signed your first record deal at a six as a 16 year old kid in the early 90s, how do you reflect back on that?
KWS: The first album [Ledbetter Heights] came out in ‘95, right after I graduated high school. I had recorded that one when I was 17. And then the one that we’re celebrating is the second album Trouble Is…, and that came out when I was like 19 years old in 1997. I mean, you know, I was young by any means. To compare to anything that’s a very young age to start a career and have that kind of success. And now I’m 45 years old and certainly, you know, a lot of time has passed. I mean, I think one of the most satisfying things we have accomplished a lot – we’ve sold millions of records. I’ve got several golden platinum albums hanging on the wall, awards on the shelf, all of those great things that any artist could ever hope for. But to me, the biggest accomplishment is the fan base that we have acquired over the years. You know, because people that are fans of this music, the music is timeless. It’s not stuck in an era. So, it’s not like pop music that has a certain sound from a certain era which then people move on from that. This is timeless music. And generally people who become fans of this kind of music kind of dig it for life, you know? And so as a result, that’s why 30 years later I’m out here and we’re still accomplishing things and we’re still making new achievements and we’re still, you know, selling tickets to concerts and selling out venues and moving into bigger venues, into new markets and things like that. That’s the biggest accomplishment because without the fan base that we have, then, none of it would be possible. And so they’ve stuck with me and they’ve kind of hung in there with me for 30 years now and they continue to make it possible for me to pursue, my dreams.
SM: Going off of that, have you run into a lot of younger musicians who are looking up to your middle generation of blues musicians as inspiration?
KWS: So, everybody knows that I started so young. I mean, over the entire 30 years of my career, I’ve run into a lot of younger musicians that come because they heard about my story and, you know, they’re aspiring young guitar players and, and things like that. And so, there’s no shortage of young people that are interested in music and there’s never any void of young people that are interested in blues and for some, it’s a stepping stone and they move on to other genres. And for some people like Kingfish, they try and make a life’s career out of it. But, my job is to be a good example and to be encouraging to them and just kind of do what I can do while I’m here and make my contribution, you know, as solid as possible.
The state of the jam scene is currently solid. Not since Pigeons Playing Ping Pong and Twiddle playing Garcia’s in 2014 has the infusion of infectious improvisational music been so exciting. With Goose, and now Dogs in a Pile, the ascending acts in today’s foray are strong. Dogs in a Pile performed a sold out show at Garcia’s on Thursday, August 11 and it was a storied affair. Becoming grizzled veterans quickly, the show served as the band’s ninth performance at the famed space.
Formed in 2018, (guitarist Brian Murray joined the lineup in 2019) Dogs In A Pile consists of Sam Lucid (bass), Jeremy Kaplan (keys), Joe Babick (drums), Brian Murray (guitar) and Jimmy Law (guitar). Based out of Asbury Park, NJ, the band is blowing up – having already performed at a gamut of respected festivals including Peach Music Festival, Summercamp, Domefest, ADK fest and Beardfest. DIAP is influenced by a wide range of esteemed acts including The Grateful Dead, Steely Dan, Phish, Frank Zappa, Dopapod, Twiddle and Jade Cicada. They have dropped a full-length studio album called Not Your Average Beagle, which is available on all streaming platforms. They also have live recordings that have been released through platforms such as Bandcamp, Nugs.net and YouTube.
Starting their career by playing Grateful Dead music together, they evolved into composing original material – everyone writes and composes the material, but Brian and Sam are the primary songwriters. They currently have a catalog of 51 original songs. The band hopes to release their next studio record in the upcoming months and it is currently untitled. The group’s name derives from the Grateful Dead classic “He’s Gone.” Bassist Sam Lucid, one of the many Berklee School of music grads in the band, exclaimed, “There are lots of exciting future plans, including the release of a new studio album, tour dates across the country as well as some exciting supporting tours that have yet to be announced!”
It was hard to remember Garcia’s being so crowded. The energy was palpable before the start with partygoers crowding the stage – it reminded one of DIAP’s most popular songs, “Can’t Wait for Tonight” (45,000+ streams on Spotify) with the lyrics, “Let’s go to the show, I hear the Dogs are back for more!” It’s hard to choose just a few highlights from all the offerings. Dogs In A Pile still shares a penchant for playing the Grateful Dead and this was demonstrated with a first set highlight of a delightful take on the obscure Grateful Dead ditty, “Dupree’s Diamond Blues.” Sang by Kaplan, it was a fast, fun and infectious romp. Any list of the band’s assets begins with the vocals – a smooth and rich sound that reminds one of a close friend coming over for dinner. The jams were tight and took one on a stellar journey to the unknown.
The familiar chords of “Bubble” marked the beginning of the highlight of the second set – a song from the band’s studio album. A jam laden tune, it builds to crescendo and shows intricate guitar interplay between the members before seamlessly segueing into “EDM.” Three songs debuted on this night: “Frosty,” “Appleseed,” and a bombastic cover of the Rolling Stones “Shine a Light.” The harmonies were lush and layered and offered an exquisite depth of sound The set was festive with rambunctious high-energy and one could hear the influence of Phish in some of the improvisational jams. When the show concluded, the venue was still packed. It was as if no one wanted to leave. With an impeccably crafted two sets of exploratory music, Dogs in a Pile left satiated revelers and left them with “nothin left to do but smile, smile, smile.”
Dogs In A Pile Garcia’s – Port Chester, NY 8/11/22 Set 1: Crazy, Westward, Blues for Brian > Snow Day, Thomas Duncan Part 2, Dupree’s Diamond Blues, G Song Set 2: Stranger, Frosty, Bubble > EDM Song, Bent Strang), Spun > Appleseed, Shine A Light, Charlie
The Knitting Factory in Brooklyn will be closing its doors at the end of this month. Benny The Butcher’s Black Soprano Family played one of the final shows at the venue on Aug. 15. In a statement posted to Instagram, the venue’s management wrote “it is time for the Knit to (once again) reinvent itself.” The last show will be on Aug. 21.
BSF at the closing Knitting Factory
The Black Soprano Family (BSF) consists of Heem, Rick Hyde, El Camino, Loveboat Luciano, Fuego Base, and founder Benny The Butcher. The collective has been gaining a lot of momentum lately. Benny had released Tana Talk 4 back in March which included one of the best hip hop songs of the year, “Johnny P’s Caddy” featuring J. Cole and produced by Alchemist. On Sept. 9, Benny and the BSF crew are releasing Long Live DJ Shay, a tribute to their mentor and collaborator who died of Covid-19 in August of last year. The first single from that project is a song produced by DJ Premier called “Times is Rough.”
Their show at the packed Knitting Factory on Monday night was full of energy and emotion. Benny opened with 3 songs from his solo work including “Raw,” “97 Hov,” and “Survivor’s Remorse.” After that each BSF member had a chance to shine. Rick Hyde got into a track from his debut album called “Pandemic Flow” before he and Heem traded verses on “Da Mob” and “It’s Over” off the Respected Sopranos album. Then Rome Streetz made an appearance to perform “Poza” and “Peri Peri.”
Next Loveboat Luciano stepped up to perform “Grams In Da Water,” “Lovey,” and “Parole.” Fuego Base got to show off his skills on three of his tracks “First Day Out,” “9.37,” and “Narcan.” Then newest BSF member El Camino came out to perform “India” with Benny and “Josh Allen” off his collaboration album with Chase Fetti titled Bethlehem.
Next Benny brought out the “first lady” of Griselda, Armani Cesar. She performed “Drill A Rama” and Mac 10s for Everybody” off her album The Liz. Armani is releasing the sequel to this album titled The Liz 2 on Sept. 2. Stove God Cooks also made a quick appearance to perform “Back 2X ” with Benny. The show ended with a few more Benny songs including “Legend” from his Burden of Proof album produced entirely by HItboy, “5 to 50” and “Johnny P’s Caddy.”
BSF Knitting Factory Setlist: Rubber Bands and Weight, 97 Hov, Survivor’s Remorse, Pandemic FLow, Da Mob, It’s Over, Poza, Peri Peri, 430, The Realest, Fell In Love With the Streets, Grams in Da Water, Lovey, Parole, Shine, Madonna, Wins & Losses, First Day Out, 9.37, Josh Allen, Money Feel Better, Drill A Rama, Mac 10’s Sunday School, Back 2X, Times is Rough, 18 Wheeler, Legend, One Way Flight, 5 to 50, Johnny P’s Caddy
The second ever Catskill Mountain Jubilee took place this past weekend. Nestled within the Catskill Mountains at the Blackthorne Resort, the festival provided a great mix of nature and comfort. There was a pool with DJs playing throughout the weekend, several stages, including a late night rave hangar, lakes, cabins, even a haunted house!
Aqueous & Friends ft Craig Broadhead at The Hangar Stage
The music was phenomenal throughout the whole weekend. Sit ins included Aqueous & Friends featuring Craig Broadhead, DJ Logic & Friends as well as Star Kitchen featuring James Casey and Natalie Cressman, and DrFameus featuring Glyfiks were the musical sets that stood out to me. Put a saxophone in my face and I’m hooked!
Craig Broadhead
Dark Star Orchestra played four sets over the course of both nights with the first night being a recreation of 6/3/76. Highlights included a “Might As Well” opener, “Lazy Lightning,” “Dancing in the Streets,” and a thumping two-song encore featuring “The Wheel” and “The Golden Road (To Unlimited Devotion).” The second night proved to be much slower and the “Drums” jam was going nowhere. An incredible “White Rabbit” encore brought life back into the crowd, but not without the sound dropping out for a bit.
Dark Star Orchestra
After the main shebang there was much to do, late night shows were aplenty. DJ Logic with Craig Broadhead, James Casey, & Natalie Cressman was my favorite late night shindig but I also enjoyed Baked Shrimp at 3 a.m.
Marc Brownstein with Natalie Cressman during Star Kitchen
Laura Lee’s gospel set was soul touching and right during that Sunday morning church time. Marc Brownstein made a funny crack about how shorts aren’t showbiz appropriate as he mustered through the hot sun in jeans at the Star Kitchen set.
James Casey sitting in with Star Kitchen
Catskill Mountain Jubilee has something going for it; the grounds are really enjoyable. With every event there’s issues and problems that need to be solved but seeing how well it’s done for it’s second year, I think this festival has a bright future ahead. It has a good mix of live and electronic music, activities, chill spots, amenities, and a good crew.
It is that time of the year for each area to have its own local fair during the summer months. Masses of people come out to enjoy food, rides, entertainment, and live music. The Erie County Fair is hosting many musical acts this year. On Saturday, Aug. 13th, Halestorm played the Buffalo News Grandstand at the Erie County Fairgrounds racetrack. Halestorm is an American rock band from Red Lion, Pennsylvania.
The show started promptly at 7:30 P.M. Many fans were seen stalking the merch booth prior to the show starting. There were general admission tickets in the grandstand bleachers or seated and numbered tickets on the floor. Most of the floor section was filled in. They were the only band on the bill, there was no opener.
Halestorm is currently touring in support of their new album Back from the Dead. Lzzy Hale (singer, guitar), took to the stage with her brother Arejay Hale (drums), Josh Smith (bass), and Joe Hottinger (guitar) to play a 17-song setlist. They played all of their popular songs including “Love Bites,” “I Miss The Misery,” and “Here’s to Us.” Halestorm’s stage presence is well crafted since they tour so much, playing upwards of 205 shows a year. The band was very engaged with the crowd.
At one point in the show, Hale noticed a little girl holding a large envelope that said: “keep this” with a sharpie attached. She had it brought up on stage and she read the contents of it out loud to everyone, “please sign my first guitar.” Security then handed her the fan’s guitar and she signed and returned it.
Setlist: “Back From the Dead,” “Love Bites,” “Wicked Ways,” “Psycho Crazy,” “Mz. Hyde,” “Bombshell,” “I Get Off,” “Break In,” “Raise Your Horns,” “Terrible Things,” “Strange Girl,” “I Miss the Misery,” “Freak Like Me,” “I Am the Fire,” “Here’s to Us,” and “The Steeple.”
On Aug. 8th Rage Against the Machine (RATM) played the first of five, sold-out shows at Madison Square Garden (MSG). This was the 15th stop of their “public service announcement” tour. The reunion tour has 51 shows throughout 12 countries and 40 different cities. They were accompanied by Run The Jewels (RTJ). RTJ is a hip hop duo consisting of Brooklyn based rapper/producer El-P and Atlanta based rapper Killer Mike.
Originally announced in 2019, and postponed several times due to the COVID pandemic, this tour marked the band’s first time playing together in 11 years. New Yorkers were clearly excited for their return as all five nights are sold out. The bands politically charged messages throughout their songs feel as relevant today as they did when they were first released decades ago. The energy in the arena was through the roof. Although frontman Zack de la Rocha had to perform the show sitting down due to a leg injury he sustained on the second stop of this tour, his passion and excitement were on full display.
Also outspoken about their political views, Run the Jewels is a perfect match as an opening act for RATM. They opened the show with “Call Ticketron” which appropriately has an opening verse of “run the jewels live at the garden”. They made sure to let us know they’ve been waiting years for that moment, and it set the tone for an explosive set. The chemistry between Killer Mike and EL-P on stage is incredible to see live.
Rage Against The Machine – Madison Square Garden – Aug. 8, 2022 Bombtrack, People of the Sun, Bulls on Parade, Bullet in the head, Revolver (intro only), Testify, Take The Power Back, Wake Up, Guerilla Radio, Down Rodeo, Know Your Enemy, Calm Like a Bomb > Sleep Now in The Fire, Born of a Broken Man, War Within a Breath, The Ghost of Tom Joad (Bruce Springsteen cover), Freedom > Township Rebellion > Killing in the Name
Run The Jewels – Madison Square Garden – Aug. 8, 2022 Call Ticketron, Yankee and the Brave (ep.4), Close Your Eyes (And Count to Fuck), Ooh La La (with Greg Nice), Blockbuster Night Part 1, Oh My Darling Don’t Cry, Legend Has it, Stay Gold > Don’t Get Captured, Ju$t, Walking in the Snow, A Few Words for the Firing Squad (Radiation)
After the first night of Phish’s three-night run in Atlantic City concluded, the line outside of The Bourbon Room (a former House of Blues) started forming, with fans eagerly waiting for Lotus. The show proved to be energetic and full of ridiculous jams, heavy bass lines, and non stop dancing. The band debuted a new song “Tar Pits” and encored with “Gilded Age.”
Set: Wax, Spaghetti, Sunrain, Greet The Mind, Wooly Mammoth, Tar Pits, Spiritualize, Automatic, Neon Tubes, Flower Sermon, Sunrain
Charismatic Connecticut improv rockers Eggy made a memorable debut in Woodstock on Friday, August 5th. Billed as the first ever ‘Midnight Scramble’ at the legendary Levon Helm Studios, the intimate and acoustically ideal venue provided the perfect space to serve up a verified barn burner. Featuring both an acoustic set and an electric set and surrounded by relatives and longtime friends, the entire evening had a true family affair feel and surprises no one saw coming.
Eggy kicked off their inaugural ‘Midnight Scramble’ with an acoustic set at Levon Helm Studios (8/5/22)
Eggy, comprised of guitarist and vocalist Jake Brownstein, keyboardist Dani Battat, bassist Michael Goodman and drummer Alex Bailey, take their name in loving memory of their late friend, Edward “Eggy” Torrence. Always in their thoughts, the emotional evening in Woodstock took place the same weekend as the five year anniversary of his passing. The significance not lost on the band, prior to the show members of Eggy let it be known via social media just how much playing the historic venue means to them. ‘The Midnight Scramble’ of course, is their way of paying homage to the legendary ‘Midnight Ramble” events that have taken place on the same property since even before Levon Helm‘s passing in 2012. Widely considered sacred musical ground, Brownstein revealed his first road trip after getting his driver’s license was to “The Barn” and the opportunity to grace the same stage was undoubtedly a milestone for the band.
Eggy’s Jake Brownstein and Alex Bailey sing their hearts out at The Barn (8/5/22)
Opting to play the show using Levon’s beautiful red drum kit, the acoustic portion of the evening began with “All The Way Down (Shadow Pt. 2)” and the momentum would continue to build through “Zugzwang” before entering the centerpiece of the set; “Finding and Losing.” From there fans were treated to the first cover of the night, the Jackson Browne penned “These Days,” which flowed directly into the song “Fragments.”
Keeping with the sentimental vibe, “Island Afterlife” was played next before keyboardist Dani Battat candidly addressed the audience. Showing his genuine appreciation for everyone who came out to the first ever ‘Scramble, Battat acknowledged the significance of this venue, the weekend as a whole and the somber anniversary of Edward “Eggy” Torrance’s passing. A heartfelt rendition of “Watercolor Days” was then played in his honor and brought the potent opening set to a proper close.
Scramble on: A surprise sit-in from Rusted Root’s Michael Glabicki and Ben Atkind of Goose was the highlight of the night (8/5/22)
After a brief intermission, Battat would do his part to wrangle in the stragglers still socializing outside with an extended keyboard solo dubbed “The Genetic Method” which segued beautifully into the intro of our second cover of the night, The Band’s “Chest Fever” which would also be teased throughout the rest of the set. Just down the road from Bearsville, a newer Americana-tinged tune called “Backyard Bear” came next and was followed by a spirited version of the song “Shadow.”
From there came the biggest surprise of the night when Eggy invited a few friends to join them; Michael Glabicki (guitar/vocals) of Rusted Root and Ben Atkind (drums) of Goose. Launching into a cover of Rusted Root’s 1994 smash hit “Send Me On My Way,” the excitement in the room was palpable. The look on each member of Eggy’s face radiating with pure joy, contagious and exhilarating to everyone on stage and in the crowd, if this musical moment didn’t give you chills you may need to consult a doctor.
Striking while the audience was hot, Eggy then rolled out their hardest rocking song of the night, a rare bowling themed tune called “12 Pounds of Pain.” With its infectious and easily identifiable riffage, the band not only took it for a funked-out walk, but also managed to weave in reprise teases of “Chest Fever” and “Send Me On My Way” to bring the exhilarating electric set full circle and leave the audience howling for encore. Happy to scramble on a little longer Eggy invited members of the opening act, the sensational Brad Goodall Trio, along with Goose drummer Ben Atkind, back out for an absolutely joyous cover-of-a-cover of “Don’t Do It.” Originally performed by Marvin Gaye and later made famous by Levon and The Band, the song served as both a fitting tribute and a perfect way to bring the inaugural “Midnight Scramble” to a close.
Check out pro-shot video of Eggy performing “Send Me On My Way” with Rusted Root’s Michael Glabicki and Goose’s Ben Atkind
Feeling inspired and riding the wave momentum, the band plans to enter a recording studio later this week. Along with major festivals like Resonance and Hulaween on their horizon, Eggy have also announced their first ever full headlining tour this Fall. With dates that include stops in Brooklyn, Albany, Syracuse and Buffalo, New Yorkers will soon have plenty of chances to see why this Connecticut quartet is rapidly becoming one of improv music’s most impressive and talked about acts.
For a full list of upcoming Eggy tour dates, see below. For ticketing details, head to the band’s website.
Eggy – “The Midnight Scramble” – Levon Helm Studios — Woodstock – August 5th, 2022
Set 1: All The Way Down (Shadow Pt. 2), Zugzwang, Finding and Losing, These Days[1] > Fragments, Island Afterlife, Watercolor Days[2]
Set 2: The Genetic Method[3] -> Chest Fever[4] > Backyard Bear, Shadow[5] , Send Me On My Way[6] , 12 Pounds of Pain[7] -> Send Me On My Way[8] -> 12 Pounds of Pain
Encore: Don’t Do It[9]
[1] Jackson Browne cover [2] Dedicated to Edward “Eggy” Torrence [3] FTP, The Band, Dani only. The rest of the band joined after for Chest Fever. [4] FTP, The Band cover [5] With Chest Fever (The Band) teases [6] FTP, Rusted Root cover, with Michael Glabicki on guitar and lead vocals, and Ben Atkind on percussion [7] With Finding and Losing teases [8] Rusted Root cover, With Chest Fever (The Band) teases [9] With Brad Goodall on piano, Rodney Elkins on drums and lead vocals, Craig Burletic on vocals, and Ben Atkind on cowbell. Alex on tambourine and vocals
For more photos from Eggy’s inaugural Midnight Scramble, check out the gallery below courtesy of NYS Music Photographer Zak Radick.
