Joe Jencks and Kray Van Kirk traded songs at Caffe Lena in Saratoga Springs on Sep. 16. The night was divided into three sets: a solo set by Van Kirk followed by a solo set by Jencks, then both singers came on stage to trade songs back and forth for a story-filled hour plus from these two singer songwriters. Joe Jencks was last featured on NYS Music at the folk music Old SongFestival of Traditional Music and Dance.
In the solo sets, Kray Van Kirk started the night off. A highlight from Van Kirk for this listener was when he introduced a song with this: “I am going to spend my time rejecting my heritage.” He then sang a song of solidarity with people of all kinds. Van Kirk said after the show that his “ancestors were slave owners in this country.” He finished his solo set with the title track from his most recent album Midnight Commander.
Joe Jencks took the stage for his solo set and began by saying that he was standing in solidarity with the workers of Amtrak. Jencks mentioned that his friend Van Kirk, who lives in California, was fortunate that he took a plane over to the Northeast, as a trip via train could have been tricky. The highlight for this listener was also a title track. This time it was Jencks singing the title track to his new album The Coming of the Years. Jencks mentioned how this song was an homage to “getting together” and how nice it was to get together with an audience considering the past couple years of the Covid pandemic.
During the combined set, Van Kirk told an incredible story/legend about Irish Selkies. These are the Irish people’s version of Mermaids. Jencks continued the theme of water-related storytelling. He sang a song of acceptance that centered on “The Lady of the Harbor” (Statue of Liberty). Both singers spun tales of politics and bravery. Concluding the night, the two singer songwriters invoked Pete Seeger telling the US Congress that he was not invoking his 5th Amendment rights; he was invoking his 1st Amendment rights. Then the crowd sang along to a swelling rendition of The Youngbloods’ Smile on Your Brother.
If you grew up in the early 1960s, or watched Nick at Nite in the late 1980s, you probably remember this theme song:
An ear worm if there ever was one, the theme song to Car 54, Where Are You? is one of the greatest in television history and one that traverses four of New York City’s boroughs in just 16 seconds of the 29 second theme song. Meanwhile, Officer Gunther Toody (Joe E. Ross) and Officer Francis Muldoon (the legendary Fred Gwynne) are playing checkers on the dashboard of the titular Car 54.
For a run of 60 episodes, starting on September 17, 1961, Car 54, Where Are You? was the start of a career for a few of the actors on the show, and served as one of the early examples of portraying police, fire and even the military in more comedic situations than had been the custom on TV and in cinema.
The cast also included Al Lewis as Officer Leo Schnauser; Charlotte Rae as Sylvia Schnauser; Nipsey Russell as Officer Dave Anderson and Paul Reed as Captain Paul Block. Guest stars were a staple of the show, and featured notable names including Tom Bosley, Hugh Downs, Hal Linden, Charles Nelson Reilly, Sugar Ray Robinson, Jean Stapleton and many more.
Car 54, Where Are You? aired on Sunday nights from 8:30–9:00 p.m. on NBC, following Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color and preceding Bonanza. The show wrapped up on April 14, 1963 after two seasons.
Created by Nat Hiken and with theme song and lyrics composed by John Strauss, Car 54, Where Are You? had multiple directors, including Hiken, Al De Caprio, and Stanley Prager. The show was filmed on location and in the Bronx at Biograph Studios, which burned down in 1980 and now is the home of the New York Department of Sanitation. The show was nominated for four Emmys, winning one for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy for Nat Hiken in 1962.
In order to renew the show for a third season, NBC wanted to negotiate a part ownership deal for the show. Hiken would not agree to the deal and the show’s sponsor, Proctor and Gamble, could not convince CBS into taking the show over, where there was no room on the schedule. Hiken had become burnt out with writing, directing, and overseeing the show, and becoming exhausted with issues on the show, he ended the show after the second season and never worked on anothre series again. Not maintaining the success of the first two years – where the show placed in the top 20 of shows each week – led to cancellation in 1963. Hiken would pass away a few years later at age 54.
An early show that made light of the boys in blue, viewers did find enjoyment in the show, as seen in Nyack, NY where a patrol car was stolen from the police station parking lot was given the nickname “Car 54.” Not every police officer liked the show, leading one high-ranking New York police official, speaking anonymously, said he’d have liked to see the show cancelled as he believed it made all policemen look morons. “Being a policeman is a grim and humourless business, not at all funny,” he was quoted as saying.
Still, while being set in the fictional 53rd precinct in the Bronx, Car 54, Where Are You? was filmed at a studio in the Bronx’s real-life 48th Precinct, where the captain of the 48th made the show aware that he and his men found the show amusing and enjoyed it in their squad room.
Gwynne and Lewis would go on to greater fame in The Munsters, and Gwynne would write children’s books while extending his acting career into the early 1990s with his memorable role in My Cousin Vinny.
Joe E. Ross would provide vocals on a popular Milt Jackson jazz track, “The Oo-Oo Bossa Nova” on the album Jazz and Samba, a reference to Officer Toody’s trademark catch phrase “Oo-Oo.”
In the early 1980s, the show’s theme song is parodied as “Mario, Where Are You?” in an Atari commercial for Mario Bros. video game.
The lyrics to the theme song include five calls to respond to that lie in and outside the 53rd precinct: a hold up in the Bronx, fighting in Brooklyn, a traffic jam that spans from Harlem to Jackson Heights in Queens (a stretch of 7 miles), a missing child report and the head of state of the U.S.S.R. arriving at the future JFK Airport who presumably needs a police escort a mere 17 miles away. Can Muldoon and Toody really be expected to handle all these crises at the same time? Of course not, but the myriad of duties these two and their station are needed for expresses a positive view of the police in the early 1960s, keeping the role comical yet respectable. But was Car 54, Where Are You? an early form of copaganda, or just a light-hearted look at an integrated precinct in the melting pot of New York City?
The line “Khrushchev’s due at Idlewild” is the only part of the theme song that reference real events (although a cross-borough traffic jam is not out of the question), dating to September 1960, when Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev flew into Idlewild Airport (now John F. Kennedy International Airport) to attend the United Nations General Assembly.
Debuting in the 1960 when merchandising became a key part of any major network show, there were multiple comic books based on Car 54, Where Are You?, as well as a board game, a car model, and puppets of Toody and Muldoon.
The Car 54, Where Are You? board game
A reboot of the show took place on the big screen in 1994 when Orion Pictures released what would be a bomb in Car 54, Where Are You? Starring David Johansen (of New York Dolls and Buster Poindexter Fame) as Officer Toody and John C. McGinley as Officer Muldoon, they were joined by original-series cast members Al Lewis and Nipsey Russell, and accompanied by Fran Drescher, Rosie O’Donnell, Daniel Baldwin, Jeremy Piven, Tone Loc, The Ramones and Penn and Teller. Among the reasons the movie bombed – the movie was filmed as a musical, but most numbers were later cut, leaving the movie to the dustbin of Hollywood.
A Car 54, Where Are You? comic book
A classic television show set in the Bronx, Car 54, Where Are You? serves as an early TV show set in the Bronx with a legacy that goes beyond its memorable theme song.
“Car 54, Where Are You?” theme-song lyrics
There’s a holdup in the Bronx, Brooklyn’s broken out in fights. There’s a traffic jam in Harlem That’s backed up to Jackson Heights. There’s a scout troop short a child, Khrushchev’s due at Idlewild Car 54, Where Are You?
British folk rock band Bear’s Den played at historic Webster Hall in the East Village on Thursday, September 15. They have been touring nonstop for the past 18 months gaining a loyal fanbase. The duo consists of Andrew Davie (lead vocals, guitar) and Kevin Jones (vocals, drums, bass, guitar). Christof van der Ven joined the band in 2016 as a session musician and plays in their live shows. Jools Owen is also their current drummer and horn player when they perform live.
Bear’s Den performs at Webster Hall 9.15.22
Bear’s Den opened their set with the title track of their recently released fifth studio album Blue Hours. The album was released in May of 2022 and debuted on the UK Albums Chart at # 6. They then played “Frightened Whispers” which is also featured on the new album. Fans were excited when the band went back in time a few years and performed “Red Earth & Pouring Rain” from their 2016 album of the same name.
Bear’s Den performs at Webster Hall 9.15.22
Continuing the mix of new and old material, the next portion of the set included “Fuel on the Fire,” “All That You Are” and “Isaac.” A big highlight of the night was when the band performed an unplugged version of the 2013 song “Sophie.” After that, they played a few more new tracks from the new album including “New Ways” and “Shadows.”
They then performed their newest single released only a few days ago, “Stitch In Time.” The song was developed during the creation of the new album, but wasn’t completed until they recently started touring again. When asked about the meaning of the song, the duo said, “‘Stitch in Time’ is a song exploring ideas around trauma. Specifically the idea of reaching back through time to be with someone in a difficult moment and just being with them and letting them know that it’s not ok.” You can listen to the new song below.
Perhaps my favorite part of the show was when the band went into the crowd during the encore at the packed Webster Hall and performed “Gabriel.” Without the help of mics, the band sounded amazing and really brought the crowd together for a communal experience. The show ended with “Agape,” the first track from their first album Islands released in 2014.
Setlist: Blue Hours, Red Earth and Pouring Rain, Frightened Whispers, Fuel on the Fire, All That You Are, Isaac, Sophie, New Ways, Shadows, Stitch in Time, Magdalene, Crow, Love We Stole, Spiders, Auld Wives, Pompell, Gabriel, Agape
Chestnut Grove, a Pennsylvania-based rock band, is on the road in support of a new single, with some New York dates in the near future. “All For You” is now available on streaming platforms and the band plans to release an EP titled Can’t Stand The Music sometime early next year.
Last month, Chestnut Grove performed a “revved-up” Free at Noon set at Philadelphia’s World Cafe Live for a lively audience who danced, sang along and got a preview of the new EP. Click here for pictures and an audio recording of the performance. This comes in advance of their scheduled gig this weekend in Camden, NJ for WXPN’s Xponential Music Festival on September 18.
In late October and early November, Chestnut Grove will make their way throughout New York State. Shows in Syracuse and Saranac Lake are scheduled for October 28 and 29, respectively. And the band’s show on November 3 at Putnam Place in Saratoga Springs will receive support from Consider the Source. Additional tour dates can be seen below.
Chestnut Grove 2022 Fall Tour
September 18th Xponential Music Festival, Wiggins Park – Camden, NJ
September 24th Pro Re Nata Brewery – Crozet, VA w/ Disco Risque
October 8th Pick Fest – Boyertown, PA w/ The Manatawny Creek Ramblers
October 28th Funk N’ Waffles – Syracuse, NY
October 29th Waterhole – Saranac Lake, NY
November 3rd Putnam Place – Saratoga Springs, NY w/ Consider the Source
November 17th Sellersville Theater – Sellersville, PA w/ Consider the Source
November 23rd The Soundback – Phoenixville, PA w/ Hunter Root
November 25th Jeremiah’s Banquet Hall – Williamsport, PA
November 26th King’s Rock Club – Erie, PA w/ Medusa’s Disco
Winding down their 14-date tour of North America, in support of their fourth album Crawler (Partisan Records) released in November 2021, avant-garde punk rockers IDLES from Bristol, England made a stop at the majestic Kings Theatre in Brooklyn, this past Thursday night, September 15. Unable to tour for their previous studio album (2020’s Ultra Mono) due to the COVID-19 pandemic, IDLES brought with them plenty of new material to offer its steadily growing legion of fans, present company included.
Joe Talbot of IDLES | Photo by Michael Dinger
Arriving more than an hour before the 7:00 pm doors on a chilly September late afternoon, a signal that autumn would soon be upon us, excited concertgoers were spotted congregating on nearby sidewalks, hastily exiting their Ubers beneath the grand marquee or frequenting the nearby bar that doubles as a tattoo parlor. As patrons filed past the security check point, many had a sheer expression of awe on their face as they witnessed the theater’s ornate, French Baroque style for the first time. The nearly 3,700 seat venue had been restored to its vintage condition and reopened to the public in January 2015, including the ornamental 50,000 square foot ceiling, along with the glazed and gilded walls paneled in American walnut.
Kings Theatre marquee | Photo by Michael DingerKings Theatre ceiling | Photo by Michael Dinger
Approximately 15 minutes before the night’s opening act would take the stage, IDLES fans continued to pack the lobby. Many of which checked out the merch table, grabbed a drink from the array of bars strategically placed on all levels or snapped a cell phone picture of the historic venue’s centerpiece, the console of a “Wonder Morton” pipe organ that was installed in the original Loew’s New York City movie theaters.
Kings Theatre pipe organ | Photo by Michael Dinger
An American hip hop group formed in Tempe, Arizona in 2013, Injury Reserve are rapper Ritchie With a T and producer Parker Corey. However, the current duo was once a trio, until the sudden death of friend and founding member Stepa J. Groggs on June 29, 2020, at only 32 years of age. Having already supported Black Midi on a tour of the West Coast earlier this year, Injury Reserve’s musical genre is best described as experimental, or abstract hip hop – think beat machines with endless cords.
Albeit for blinding flashes of strobe lights, Injury Reserve performed in near darkness, with their figures appearing in silhouette, or barely discernible at all. Notwithstanding, as the steadily increasing crowd took their seats or joined the general admission floor, they cheered and applauded loudly at every opportunity. Ritchie With a T and Corey would perform ten songs over the course of nearly 45-minutes, all taken from their second studio release By the Time I Get to Phoenix, self-released nearly one year ago. The only song not played from the album was the third track titled “SS San Francisco.”
Injury Reserve | Photo by Michael DingerInjury Reserve | Photo by Michael Dinger
After a 30-minute turnover of the stage by IDLES’ crew, the quintet comprised of Joe Talbot (vocals), Mark Bowen (guitar), Lee Kiernan (guitar), Adam Devonshire (bass) and Jon Beavis (drums) unassumingly appeared in the dark shadows a few ticks past 9:00 pm. With its cinematically suspenseful introduction and a perfect number for opening the show, the first of IDLES’s 18-song set was “Colossus,” from 2018’s Joy as an Act of Resistance, which would also find Kiernan tip toeing along the narrow barricade in front of the stage apron. With one foot perched up on his monitor, prior to launching into the evening’s second offering “Car Crash” (Crawler), about Talbot’s real-life experience in a near-fatal accident, he instructed the entire floor audience do split apart, forming a no man’s land down the middle. Then, on his command, each side came crashing back into one another (like a car crash) in a fevered, giant mosh pit like I have never seen before.
Lee Kiernan of IDLES | Photo by Michael DingerIDLES | Photo by Michael Dinger
For the remainder of their 90-minute set, sweaty, beer-covered bodies would often sway in unison as IDLES filled the entirety of Kings Theatre with a raw emotion that emanated from songs across their ever-growing discography, including the rallying cry of “Grounds” (Ultra Mono), the cathartic “Mother” (Brutalism, 2017), “The Beachland Ballroom” (Crawler) about the iconic Cleveland venue, the violent vigor of “Never Fight a Man With a Perm” (Joy as an Act of Resistance) and the grittiness of “Crawl!” (Crawler). Oftentimes, when Talbot was not prowling the stage in concentric circles or jogging in place, he could be seen engaging with his fans directly by looking straight into their eyes, as if he were singing to them only. I was also fortunate enough to catch his gaze on more than one occasion.
Lee Kiernan & Adam Devonshire of IDLES | Photo by Michael DingerMark Bowen of IDLES | Photo by Michael Dinger
There were too many highlights in the IDLES set to count, and all five members were in prime form. But the moment that seemed to electrify the fans the most was not when Kiernan stood atop the crowd’s shoulders hugging a pink cowboy hatted fan, but when Bowen climbed his own way into the crowd, microphone in hand, as he led the frenzied crowd through the bridge section of the anthemic “Danny Nedelko” (Joy as an Act of Resistance).
Despite being a self-described “angry band” from the U.K., IDLES have built a really loving community amongst their fans. People constantly look out for out for each other, and tonight’s show was no exception. The final concert of IDLES’ “Back To Normal Tour,” before trekking to New Zealand and Australia in late-October, will be at the Sea.Hear.Now festival in Asbury Park, New Jersey on September 18.
Injury Reserve Setlist: Outside > Superman That > Footwork in a Forest Fire > Ground Zero > Smoke Don’t Clear > Top Picks for You > Wild Wild West > Postpostpartum > Knees > Bye Storm
IDLES Setlist: Colossus > Car Crash > Mr. Motivator > Grounds > Mother > Divide and Conquer > The Beachland Ballroom > Never Fight a Man With a Perm > Crawl! > 1049 Gotho > The Wheel > Television > A Hymn > War > Wizz > I’m Scum > Danny Nedelko > Rottweiler
Freddie Gibbs hosted a pre-album listening party for his upcoming album “$oul $old $eparately” (SSS). The album is set to release on September 30th. The party occurred on Wednesday, September 14th, at 383 W Broadway in SoHo. His label, Warner Records, stated that this is “Freddie’s first major label album debut and is based on the refusal to compromise his morals or integrity under the pressures of the industry.”
Freddie Gibbs at his “$oul $old $eparately” Album Listening Party. Photo By: Lucas Kurzweil
Freddie Gibbs hails from Gary, Indiana, was initially signed to Interscope Records in 2006, but would not release his first album until signing with Young Jeezy’s CTE World where he released mixtapes through the label, including Baby Face Killa (2012).
Freddie released “Too Much” featuring Moneybagg Yo in advance of his casino-themed album. The track features cutting flows that have become Gibbs’ token sound. Freddie’s last album, “Alfredo,” (made in collaboration with California producer the Alchemist) was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 2020 Grammy Awards. “Alfredo” featured Rick Ross, who will make another appearance on SSS. Other features on the new album will include Anderson .Paak, Offset, and Pusha T. Merchandise for the release is out for pre-order on Kanecomics.shop.
Guapdad 4000 at the “$oul $old $eparately” Album Listening Party.Ben Lambert, Thefitmamii, and Freddie Gibbs at the “$oul $old $eparately” Album Listening Party.
There will be dancing in the aisles once again as the Grateful Dead return to cinemas worldwide for the 2022 Meet-Up At The Movies, celebrating the 50th anniversary of a notable Europe ’72 show.
All year the Grateful Dead and Deadheads have celebrated the 50th Anniversary of Europe ‘72, and Meet up at the Movies brings the previously unreleased Tivoli Concert Hall performance from April 17, 1972 to the big screen on Tuesday, November 1st with additional screenings across the U.S., Canada, and select territories on Saturday, November 5th.
This ground-breaking concert broadcast event was the Dead’s first major live concert broadcast, and a first in Danish television history. Fully restored and color corrected in High Definition with audio mixed from the 16-track analog master tapes by Jeffrey Norman and mastered by David Glasser, Tivoli 4/17/72 features nearly an hour and a half of the Grateful Dead at a peak of their performing career.
The show’s many highlights include an overview of the Dead’s 1972 touring repertoire, including magnificent versions of “China Cat Sunflower>I Know You Rider,” “Big Railroad Blues,” “Truckin’,” and many more of the Dead’s classics, as well as the first live performance of “He’s Gone,” and other new songs including “Ramble on Rose,“ “Jack Straw, “ and “One More Saturday Night.” Pigpen, on what would prove to be his last tour with the Grateful Dead, is well-represented by three songs, including the broadcast’s opening number, “Hurts Me Too.”
Brooklyn singer-songwriter Sam Rappaport has returned with his third single, “Easy to Love,” a candid, romantic soft rock song.
It’s the lead single off his upcoming debut EP “Get Me Away From Myself,” and follows “Till the Morning Comes” and “Journeyman’s Ballet,” released in February & November of 2021. With this track he also continues to supplement his work with Gooseberry, an indie-rock band for which he sings and plays keyboards.
Promotional art for “Easy to Love.”
It follows a simple pop song structure and includes jazzy instrumentation, with saxophone and watery keys leading the way. The song’s slow tempo and simple rhythm section make for a relaxed tone along with Rappaport’s soft vocals, as he muses about being enveloped in an enamoring feeling of love. “The way you laugh makes me tingle,” he sings on the chorus, nicely supplemented by female background vocals. “The way you touch me makes me cry.”
Produced by Lorenzo Wolff, subtle touches such as the gurgle of a baritone sax distantly in the background give the song an added element of depth, and make the rise in energy during the louder, more outgoing chorus even more satisfying.
“Easy to Love” by Sam Rappaport doesn’t take any serious risks musically, but given the song’s romantic themes, maybe that’s okay. Sometimes love is simple, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
Fake Dad, a Brooklyn alt. pop duo just released their new single “Painkiller,” about struggles with mental health and addiction, and how hard it is to support someone as they struggle with both.
Fake Dad is made up of Andrea de Varona and Josh Ford. They make music out of their tiny Brooklyn apartment, and since the beginning of 2018 have been inseparable with a love of music at the center of their relationship long before they started writing together.
Their music has a signature production sound with distinct voice styles and is there to give you a friendly pat on the back after a long day, and they want you to know everything is going to be okay.
We hope listeners feel understood and not alone in their respective battles with anxiety, depression, substance abuse, self-harm or really any kind of mental health struggle. Sometimes our connections with others, and a sense of belonging alone are reasons to stay on this earth and try to get better.
Fake Dad
Their new single “Painkillers” is a nod to the 80s synth-pop era, with uplifting lyrics about trying to break free from inner demons, and an ode to a relationship between two extremely anxious individuals desperately looking inward for ways to love each other better.
The lyrics that get repeated a lot throughout the song are “Someone tell me I’ll survive this/please just tell me I’ll survive.” These set of lyrics are very emotional and fans have actually thanked the band for writing it, as it helps those going through a mental health crisis tell themselves they will get through it.
Overall, the song is very well produced, and Varona’s vocals are very haunting and make you feel like you will make it through anything. “Painkillers” by Fake Dad is out now on all streaming platforms.
Swiss instrumental quintet L’Eclair, Memphis rockers Spaceface, and Rochester’s own Drippers took the Bug Jar audience on a made-for-Saturday journey this past Tuesday.
Mike Turzanski’s Drippers set the night in motion. A mid-set multi-movement piece proved to be a highlight. Dual synths laid down eerie sounds matched with a haunting bass and drums backdrop. The electronics went into hyperdrive as the guitar took over. It spilled into a new wave segment and then ramped back up to something resembling prog-rock. As the groove got thicker, so did the smoke. A smoke machine sat on stage throughout the night and was used liberally but timely by all bands. Later in the set, a dual guitar ripper featured some hang-on-if-you-can bass work while a punk rave up gave the drummer’s star time to shine bright. The smoke had cleared but the journey was just getting started. Takeoff was imminent.
Spaceface, led by Jake Ingalls, formerly of the Flaming Lips, brought their own style of party-ready psychedelic rock. After a quick band huddle, they launched into “Happens All the Time,” it’s crunchy guitar disco rock got limbs moving throughout the room. “Rain Passing Through” amped up the dance grooves and it wasn’t long until bodies were fully in motion.
With a full-body workout underway, it was only appropriate to throw in some 3rd grade gym class references. Ingalls reminisced at the awkwardness of climbing ropes and changing in front of your classmates. It all began to make sense when he busted out a rainbow-colored parachute and tossed it out in the crowd. We all grabbed a hold and started to wave it up and down, following along to Coach Ingalls’ instructions. As the band ripped through a funky jam the crowd ran under the parachute according to their color or other various experiences. When it was asked for those who were at the Bug Jar for the first time, no one moved. A crowd of regulars!
The smoke machine was igniting throughout the set, and so were the tunes. Guitarist Eric Martin occasionally busted out a snow machine, filling the room with fake snow, which as it lingered, mixing with the smoke and lights, resembled the upside-down from Stranger Things, appropriately enough with the Bug Jar’s upside-down apartment. A tripped-out cover of The Verve’s “Bittersweet Melody” was truly unique. Katie Pierce laid down a fat bass line under Daniel Quinlan’s intricate beats on “Cowboy Lightning,” everything pinging back and forth off the walls for an immersive sound. The energy was also pinging around the room, a full-on dance party had exploded. We had ignition.
L’Eclair closed the night, guiding the ship through the cosmos with their Francophonic funk. As the music was instrumental, the French was implied, though those who witnessed soundcheck got a good dose as they called out instructions to their sound engineer. L’Eclair translates to “flash of lightning,” brilliant sparks appropriately emanated off the stage.
The Swiss quintet immediately set the crowd on course for more body moving. Fat intergalactic grooves were accompanied by keyboard laser beams and spacey guitar moans. Wild polyrhythms went in and out of step with jaunty synths.
Shorter flights gave way to extended jams. One built and built, a fiery engine, then dropped out all at once, floating in a zero-gravity groove. The drummer sparked the engine for another burn with oontz-oontz raving rhythms and cosmic beams shooting out from the synthesizers. A magnificent cacophony burst forth before melting down to a spectacular drum solo, complete, of course, with more sci-fi-infused synths.
The grounded dance-party of Spaceface took flight with L’Eclair, the band and crowd bouncing in lockstep, the ground pulling downward less and less as the night grew shorter, until the music felt like it had suspended the crowd in mid-air. The jams grew more electrified, more extended, stretching into the outer reaches. With no vocal mic on stage, banter was kept to an absolute minimum. Non-stop instrumental goodness filled the void between and within. Bursts of smoke provided a physical presence to the ethereal aura emerging along the waves of sound.
An encore is never a sure thing at the Bug Jar, and when one is granted is generally pretty quick. L’Eclair was coaxed out for two encores, each one a lengthy electronic funk out. One last burn to get us back home. Re-entry was a bit rough, Wednesday already underway as we departed the ship.
