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.
Every Phish fan knows the meaning of “the night before”. Tomorrow is a big show like Halloween or New Year’s Eve and the band drops an absolute scorcher of a show to get us pumped for the massive event to come.
Photo by Rene Huemer
After Wednesday’s slightly uneven and messy opener (still a really fun show – check out my review here), expectations were high for what was originally slated to be the 12/30/21 show. The last few December 30th Phish shows have included incredible moments like the legendary 35-minute Tweezer in 2019, the Glide II bustout and overall insane show in 2018, and a 27-minute Down with Disease in 2017 that stands as one of my favorite versions of the song.
4/21/22 established itself as “one of those nights” right from the jump, with Trey shouting out THE Suzy Greenberg for her first show as the crowd erupted with an insane burst of energy. Two strongly-played versions of 46 Days and Plasma followed the blazing opener with short but concise jams in each.
The first WOW-inducing moment of the night came next with a pretty clean reading of The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday, complete with the Avenu Malkenu sandwiched in between. After a quick check of the last two times this song was played (9/1/21, 7/14/19), I was then certain that the rest of the show would continue to be legendary.
The jamming began in the Wolfman’s Brother late in set 1, continuing its 2022 streak after the absurd 22-minute version played in Mexico in February. Sticking to the bouncy groove of the song, Page worked the Rhodes beautifully as Trey took the reins toward the end and erupted into a massive peak to end the song. The crowd fed off of and loved EVERY SECOND of it, and I truly began to understand why MSG is Phish’s home court and the best place to see them.
Continuing with a rare and well-executed Esther (another first for me!), the band closed the set with a powerful Ghost. Taking the now-traditional bliss modulation, Trey seemed to be heading for the end around the 14-minute mark, but the band egged him on and he assertively drove into a manic and rocking jam that almost hinted at Tweezer Reprise to close the song and set.
When the band walked onstage for the second set and ripping directly into Chalk Dust Torture, there was no doubt about this version going deep. As has been the trend for this run so far, Phish stuck to major-key themes throughout instead of the more Sci-Fi Soldier-ish weird jams that dominated 2021. Trey confidently soared through the driving and beautiful Chalk Dust before smoothly transitioning into Tweezer (see 8/7/15 for the last amazing second-set opening CDT -> Tweezer). Beginning the jam with a relaxed vibe, Phish really leaned into the groove, working in aspects and themes of both Your Pet Cat and the Free jam (at least to my ears). Mike then led the band into an absolutely perfect modulation to major key.
Here’s where the jam got crazy.
Trey continued to play the Your Pet Cat-like riff, but it took on different meaning in the gorgeous bliss soundscape. Page’s gentle Wurlitzer playing and Fish’s insistent drumbeat pushed the jam as Trey gently began to solo in an incredibly patient and gorgeous theme. Seeming to stretch for much longer than its 14 minute runtime, Tweezer was absolutely perfect and the crowd ate up every second, absolutely captivated by the beauty of what was being produced in front of us. There was one moment around the 13-minute mark where Trey sustained a long note overtop of a silky bed of electric piano that provoked a loud cheer from the crowd. Absolute madness.
As Tweezer faded, Fish dropped into the familiar 2001 drumbeat and Madison Square Garden erupted as over 20,000 people began to aggressively dance at the same time. Trey played some fantastic funky rhythm guitar as Page took advantage of his synths throughout the patient jam. After the get-down dance break of 2001, Phish ripped through an incendiary Maze > About to Run pairing before taking the first real breather of the set in The Mango Song.
When an absolutely spectacular Hood came next, most people (myself included) assumed that the set would end there. The band wasn’t done, however, and Trey emphatically ripped the opening riff to Character Zero.
As much as people like to hate on this song to close second sets, the crowd absolutely RAGED for this tune and sang along to every word. Led by Page shifting to clav, Zero got dark and filthy for a couple of minutes before Trey dropped into Tweezer for a minute before cleanly transitioning back to Zero to close the set.
Let that process for a minute. Character Zero -> Tweezer -> Character Zero to close the second set.
A great encore of power ballad A Life Beyond the Dream and the best three minutes in rock music (Tweezer Reprise) closed this legendary show with more incredible energy from both the band and crowd.
This band is nearly 40 years into their career and continues to blow minds in unexpected ways. Tonight we celebrate New Year’s Eve in April and I could not be more excited to see what Phish has in store for us across three sets.
Phish Madison Square Garden – New York, NY 4/21/22
Set 1: Suzy Greenburg > 46 Days, Plasma, The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday > Avnenu Malkenu > The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday, Wolfman’s Brother, Esther, Ghost
Set 2: Chalkdust Torture -> Tweezer > Also Sprach Zarathustra > Maze, About To Run, The Mango Song > Harry Hood, Character Zero -> Tweezer -> Character Zero
E: A Life Beyond The Dream, Tweezer Reprise
This was the rescheduled date for the show that had been postponed due to the Omicron variant of COVID-19 surge in New York City in December of 2021. Suzy Greenberg was dedicated to “the hero of the song,” Suzy Greenberg, who was attending her first Phish show. Chalk Dust Torture was unfinished. Trey teased Super Bad in 2001. Mike quoted Kung and Trey teased Plasma in Harry Hood. The conclusion of Character Zero contained a Third Stone from the Sun tease from Trey
For the first time in just over two years, Phish returned to the familiar stomping grounds of Madison Square Garden (MSG), kicking off a four night run postponed from late December 2021.
This was also the band’s first show on April 20 since 1994, and first show in April in the NYC Metro area since 1998, setting up a night full of potential, the rescheduling notwithstanding.
Wasting no time, Phish began the run with 19 minutes of “Carini,” that helped set the tone for the evening. Riding the early wave of energy, Phish parlayed this into a crowd favorite in “Possum” that helped shake the Garden to its core. A funked out, but unfinished, “Moma Dance” then found itself batting third in the lineup.
“Stash” and “Blaze On” satiated fans expecting cannabis-themed references for 4/20, with the former in usual mid-set placement and delivering a blistering jam.
“Sigma Oasis” opened Set 2 and gave way to 22 minutes of “Down with Disease”, an all too prescient combo of ‘take off your mask’ and ‘down with disease / three weeks in my bed. Somewhat surprisingly, Phish didn’t use the “Disease” jam as an immediate launchpad into something else and instead rounded back into completion.
“The Howling” seems to be one of the more popular selections from the band’s Sci-Fi Soldier experiment recently unleashed in Vegas last Halloween and made another appearance mid-second set. A clean segue into “Twist” followed which brought another momentous jam along with it before Phish throttled it back down again once more with ever poignant “Mountains In The Mist.”
To the delight and surprise of many, a late set “Reba” then emerged that yielded a mesmerizing, slow build jam that was rife with euphoria, getting a well deserved cheer from the Garden crowd. The newer Ghosts of the Forest tune “Drift While You’re Still Sleeping” then capped off the emotional second set.
In another surprise of sorts, a rolicking “Gumbo” started off the encore before Phish tapped into the feels once more with a “Slave To The Traffic Light” closer that hit just the right notes, ending the first night of the four-show run in grandiose fashion.
Setlist via Phish.net
Phish – MSG – NYC – April 20, 2022
Set 1: Carini > Possum, The Moma Dance[1] > Leaves, Strange Design, Stash, Blaze On
Set 2: Sigma Oasis > Down with Disease > The Howling -> Twist > Mountains in the Mist, Reba, Drift While You’re Sleeping
Patterns of Decay, a five-piece heavy metal band from New York has dropped their self-titled, second studio album. Their newest project continues to showcase the thrashy and violent metal they have founded themselves on.
The band was first formed in 2014. Moreover, in 2014, Patterns of Decay released their debut EP Malicious Intent. Four years later, the band would go on to release their first studio project, Suicide Notes In Comic Sans.
The band consists of Christian Contello on vocals, who throughout the album showcases his impressive death metal scream. Moreover, Dan Gold is on guitar and Matthew Stirrat is on guitar and vocals. Lastly, Antonio Romano provides the drumming for the band and Jesse Herman plays the bass guitar. Since 2014, the band has kept its same lineup.
Notably, some of the best work on this project comes from the lead guitarist. Throughout the album, the tone of the guitar is rather brittle and harsh. However, the speed and precision at which it is played harmonize every song in a thrashy fashion. One such song, “Ru(m)ination,” goes as far as to showcase this excellence in its entirety.
These skills can also be found on “Of Famine and Plague,” which is easily the best song on this album. Excellent drumming, harsh strings, and demonically screeching vocals all make this track a total moshpit essential.
This project still comes with many flaws, however. Most notably, for every good song on this album, there is also an equally as bad one. Sometimes the instrumentation is too harsh like on “Reguirtate”, and sometimes there may be displeasing dissonance like on “Ocean Black”. However, that should not deter any metal fan from listening though, because there are definitely some hidden gems amidst the filler.
Patterns Of Decay is available on streaming platforms now. For more information on the band, visit patternsofdecay.com.
In the Court of the CrimsonKing, Toby Amies’ fantastic new film about prog rock pioneers King Crimson, is like no other rock documentary that has come before it.
And that, Music Lovers, is a very good thing.
It’s as far from the tiresome VH-1 Behind the Music cliche of rise/drug-fueled fall/redemption as a music doc could be. At times, it’s something curiously akin to The Office (the U.K./Ricky Gervias edition, of course). Like this hilariously dry TV sitcom, it’s the study of the personalities, pressures and pleasures in a workplace. In this case, it’s the most profoundly creative and frequently reinvented band in art rock for 53 years and counting. Also like The Office, it hinges on the whims of a prickly but impossible not to love leader – the superlatively serious and accidentally humorous god of guitar and ensemble discipline, Robert Fripp.
Amies’ film follows Fripp and his latest incarnation of Crimson, a seven-man virtuoso ensemble including three drummers, on their 50th anniversary tour right before COVID-19 descended. The director complements this fly-on-the-wall vantage of the present with a wonderful survey of the dozen or so incarnations of the band past. This begins with the fiery five-man ensemble that set the template for progressive rock with their earthquaking 1969 debut album, from which this film takes its name. It was a group that lasted for only 13 months and included ELP front man-to-be Greg Lake and Foreigner co-founder Ian McDonald.
More than anything, this is a study of the social environment and unique creative methodology through which Fripp and his many collaborators have crafted some of most transcendent moments in 20th and now 21st Century music. These are always evolving sounds that lurch between heavenly harmonic beauty and unsettling noisy dissonance. It’s a formula that has forged an almost spiritual hold upon Crimson’s cultish, cross-generational fanbase and the music makers themselves, for whom their time with Fripp, no matter how fleeting or difficult, was the apex of their creative lives.
For fans like myself who have been enthralled since confronting the shrieking red-faced man on the cover of their debut disc, the uncensored interviews with past members of different era of Crimson is what makes Amies’ take so meaningful.
Fripp himself begins by calling the whole experience an exercise in “joy with acute suffering,” saying he was “incredibly unhappy, in a word, wretched from 1969 – 2013.” This is a man who confesses he starts his day with a cold shower because it’s good for “telling the body to do as it’s told.” He claims his 2013 and post ensemble is the only band “where not one member actively resents my presence.”
In the film, Fripp calls Amies on the carpet for interrupting his 4-hour daily rehearsal routine for an interview, something that he claims has ruined the prior evening’s concert. Discipline is the keyword in Fripp’s lexicon. In fact, it was the initial name of the band (replaced by once again utilizing King Crimson) and debut album of his classic Gamelan-inspired guitar synth quartet of the 1980s. This much-beloved aggregation featured Adrian Belew, Fripp’s still-current bassist/Chapman Stick player, Woodstock’s own Tony Levin, and monster percussionist Bill Bruford.
Bruford, who left Yes at the height of their fame in 1972 and continued with Crimson incarnations through 1984, launches some of the most quotable moments in the film. He joined because King Crimson was “the dream band viewed from the outside, the band that could do anything.” He continues: “Like Miles Davis, you find the most interesting people you can find, throw them in the recording studio and throw away the key. You might get something interesting… if they haven’t killed each other!” Bruford adds that when it comes to being in Crimson “without a sense of absurdity, you are lost.” Longtime collaborator Trey Gunn puts the experience this way: “It’s like having a low-grade infection, you’re not really sick, but you don’t really feel well either.”
Jamie Muir, the madcap percussionist of the highly improvisatory Lark’s Tongue and Aspic era band says of performance: “It was a maelstrom of electricity. You’d have to stand in the middle of this storm and play music.” Of the compositions: “It was like a regal animal trying to emerge out of something, like an unfinished Michelangelo sculpture.” Muir left the band within a year, just as the critically-acclaimed Lark’s Tongue was released. To wind down from the creative chaos, he headed straight to a monastery in Scotland to become a Buddhist monk!
Ian McDonald, the keyboardist, reed man and co-composer of some of the classic tracks on their debut disc, left shortly after the album’s release, at the end of their first U.S. tour, along with drummer Michael Giles. “I hated the dark music we inflicted upon the audience,” he says. But he ultimately came to regret his sudden decision to leave the band, one that was just taking flight. “I used to beat myself up about it, used to regret it, but I don’t anymore.” Giles for his part reminisces about his love of the band’s “spontaneous music, the ability to enter into the unknown.” In his efforts to keep this first iteration of the band together, Fripp offered to leave the band he founded to let McDonald, Giles and company continue on. But it was something his partners rejected. Of McDonald, who passed in February 2022, Fripp says “his only decision was the wrong one.”
Saxophonist Mel Collins, who joined Crimson for a three-year, three-album run in 1970 and returning around the time of the documentary tour, speaks to the changes in the band, then to now. “It’s better to be in this edition of King Crimson, there’s more freedom,” he says. “In the 1970s, there was a lot of trauma. I had problems with Robert; he was so serious. If you made a mistake, it was the end of the world. Some of us went through hell.” On fearless leader Fripp, he concludes: “Robert went through some traumas himself… He’s mellowed, he’s a nice person.”
Speaking of hell, with a lot of heaven, the most seemingly still wounded feelings come from Adrian Belew, guitarist/singer/songwriter in Crimson iterations from 1981 – 2013.
“Ninety-percent of it was this beautiful and unique partnership, as writers and guitar partners… it was a lot of fun,” says Belew. “But it was so stressful, my hair had fallen out.” Of his removal from King Crimson, Belew recalls: “I thought it was a partnership, but he let me go. I thought it was ‘our band,’ but he wants it all his way.” If things aren’t going to his satisfaction, Belew says Fripp “will take his guitar and go home.”
But the heart of this documentary is the current edition of King Crimson, the backstory on the members, their fans and majestic music they are still conjuring, plenty of which is captured in this film.
One fan who gets prominent play is Sister Dana Benedicta, the so-called Prog Rock Nun, who compares their music-making to the liturgy, a religious experience like a Catholic mass. Another fan comments on the two-way relationship “where the musicians and the audience have to be present for the music to happen.” It’s compared by another fan to Scientology, an arcane cult experience, where “the music is making itself, flying, possessed by something other than (the musicians) themselves.”
What the musicians and audiences are after is a “peak experience” says Trey Gunn. And the pressures, within Fripp, the band and with audiences come from “wanting to reach that peak experience again and again.”
The most poignant character in the documentary is the late Bill Rieflin, the drummer/keyboardist who worked with industrial music icons Ministry, The Revolting Cocks, The Swans and Nine Inch Nails among others before join King Crimson in 2013.
Amies then catches up with Rieflin at home after the tour, shortly before his passing in March 2020. Here he states he “has no fear of death because consciousness is a continuum.”
In a band where Fripp seems to keep the “process” fresh by changing partners again and again, he says of Rieflin. “Bill is irreplaceable.” He concludes that he will be an on-going member of the band, in spirit perhaps, for as long as there is a Crimson King forever reaching for another peak musical experience.
The film, which premiered at SXSW in March 2022, is expected to premiere in theaters and streaming services in fall 2022.
Holler stompin’ their way back through the Northeast, The Ghost of Paul Revere made a spirited stop at the historic Bearsville Theater in Woodstock on Friday, April 15. It may also have been their last.
Joined by longtime friend and frequent collaborator, Jackson Kincheloe (of Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds) on harmonica for the evening, the band displayed all the hallmarks and charisma that once made mainstream success seem like a “sure thing.” Playing with passion and purpose and like their lives depended on it, you could almost feel there was something more to this performance; something bubbling under the surface that the band already knew but wasn’t ready talk about yet.
They say what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, and if that’s really true, The Ghost of Paul Revere should be ready for WrestleMania. Indeed, things have never been “easy” for the hard working alt-Americana folk rockers based out of Portland, Maine. Seemingly faced with one set back after another, things came to a literal crossroads this past Februrary in Colorado when their tour van — along with all their instruments, sound gear, swag and merch — was stolen from a hotel parking lot. With everything necessary to make a livelihood suddenly ripped away, the guys had two choices: either head back east with their tails between their legs, or take a chance and travel on into the unknown while relying on the kindness of strangers and fans. With an overwhelming show of support via a GoFundMe page set up for the band, they choose to travel on and were miraculously able to complete the tour without missing a single date. Even more inspiring, after reaching their estimated GoFundMe goal of $20,000 in just two days, GOPR gave back all extra donations, paying them forward to a charity of each band members choosing.
Riding into Bearsville on Friday, it was the first time many fans in attendance were seeing The Ghost of Paul Revere. After being treated to an intimate opening set from singer/songwriter Daniel Rodriguez, one of the founding members of critically acclaimed folk act Elephant Revival, the ‘boys from Buxton’ took the stage shortly after 9pm. Comprised of Griffin Sherry on guitar and vocals, Max Davis on banjo and vocals, Sean McCarthy on bass and vocals and drummer Chuck Gagne, GOPR wasted no time in planting foreshadowing seeds, opening the set with “Love at Your Connivence,” a song about reckoning with the emotions of walking away from someone you love. Up next came the Davis sung “Two Hundred and Twenty-Six Days” before the band welcomed an old friend to the stage, multi-instrumentalist and New York native Jackson Kincheloe. A lanky long-haired cowboy, covered in tattoos and armed with a harmonica, Kincheloe allegedly “just showed up looking like this, knowing all the songs and was ready to go,” immediately making his presence felt on the rocking, up-tempo rendition of the seldom played “Fire in the Sky.”
I lost my will to carry on the day you walked away Now I’m chained to a bottle of whiskey praying the levees goin’ break Just burn my home and take all my things, send me to the lord above Because I know on the day that the judgement comes sure as hell not going up
Lyrics from “Fire in the Sky”
A few songs in and guitar player Griffin Sherry couldn’t help but comment on how well behaved the crowd was, almost daring them to cut loose a little. It was easy for fans to do just that on one of the stand out songs of the night, an extended take on the 2015’s “Two Weeks,” which easily doubled the length of the studio recording and featured the entire band locking in on a groove lead by drummer Chuck Gagne, who appeared to be having an absolute blast playing behind the kit.
After working their way through career spanning staples like “Good at Losing Everything,” “Little Bird,” “San Antone” and “Wild Child,” Ghost of Paul Revere would introduce one of the songs they are most proud of, “Ballad of the 20th Maine” which earned them national attention in 2019 when it was named Maine’s official ballad.
Between songs, banjo player Max Davis took the opportunity to talk about what it felt like playing there that night. That there are certain rooms that have a magic about them, a rich musical history, and that this is one of them and he could feel it, stating “There’s just certain feelings and there’s no lying about it. The people that have been in this space have charted in unknowns and you just hope that you’re also charting in one of those unknowns.” He would then introduce one of his favorite songs to play, “Montreal.”
Well the grass may be greener and the scenery cleaner, but your heart never found a home; Are we growing apart or are we growing up? Are we stuck in a dream or are we waking up?
Lyrics to “Montreal”
One of the things that has helped GOPR gain so many new followers since forming in 2011 has been their tasteful selection of cover choices. Known for putting their unique Holler-folk twist on classics like “Baba O’Riley,” “War Pigs ,”Nothing From Nothing” and even newer songs like Dr. Dogs “Shadow People,” considering we were in Levon Country, a betting man would have probably placed his chips on them doing something like “I Shall Be Released,” a song GOPR has played rather frequently over the years. However, on this night, the band upped the ante and took things in a meta direction, opting to play a cover-of-a- cover in the form of “Atlantic City,” which received one of the biggest ovation of the evening.
Watch video of Ghost of Paul Revere covering “Atlantic City” in Bearsville, NY 4/15/2022
Ghost of Paul Revere would also play “Travel On,” a “yet to be named” new song that featured Sean McCarthy handling the bulk of singing duties before closing out the performance with one final bit of foreshadowing, a powerful and thought provoking song called “This is the End.”
Tell my father it was worth it; Tell my sister not to wait for me
Just don’t ask me if I’m doin’ okay (’cause I’m not okay)
Tell my friends that I love them Oh, my friends, this is the end, this is the end”
Lyrics to “This is the End”
The following day, Ghost of Paul Revere would play a show in Jersey City, NJ before making an announcement on social media Monday that nobody saw coming. “It has been a wild ride filled with an abundance of trials, tribulations and joy. When we first got together eleven years ago, we never could have imagined that we would be given the incredible opportunity to share our music with all of you for this long. Over 1200 shows, 400,000 miles, 46 states, 6 countries and (soon to be) 9 albums later, our journey has finally brought us to the here and now,” the band wrote. “Change is hard, it can be a subtle breeze that pushes you in a specific direction, or a rogue wave appearing without warning from the darkness. For the sake of our own health, our families and you, our fans, we have decided that this year’s Ghostland festival will be our last show – the end to a fantastic journey performing together – as The Ghost of Paul Revere,” the post continued, describing a mix of sadness and gratitude that comes with the decision, and encouraged fans to join them for shows as they finish their final last ride together.
“Although it may seem like it, we want you to know that “This is [not] the end.” The songs and music will always be there to share and enjoy with one another. We are excited to journey into the next chapter of our lives and will continue to keep everyone posted about our future, individual endeavors. We hope to see each and every one of you throughout spring and summer for “The Last Ride,” our final tour, which will include a number of new and exciting announcements and show additions coming soon! We hope to see you there so we can sing the songs we all love and share these final moments with you at least once more.
Love you all and thank you for believing,
Griffin, Sean, Max, & Chuck”
Following the announcement, long time fans flooded the internet with photos and personal memories they’ve shared with the band. Coming from a small town in Maine, it’s clear the Ghost had a far greater reach and meant more to people than they probably realize. Honest songs with beautiful harmonies, the universal appeal of the hard-working everyman and full of untapped potential. With a handful of new dates already announced before their final show in September, you’re encouraged to go see this band while you still can.
NYS Music would like to thank The Ghost of Paul Revere for the music, memories, good times, and for always making time for us over the years. We wish each member the best of luck and success in all their future endeavors.
4/15/22 | Bearsville Theatre | Woodstock, NY
One Set (partial): Love at Your Connivence, Annabelle, Fire in the Sky, Two Weeks, Little Bird, Good at Losing Everything, Travel On, New Song, Ballad of the 20th Maine, Atlantic City, Wild Child, San Antone
Encore: This is the End
For more photos from their final performance in Bearsville, NY, check out the galley below, courtesy of Rock Journalist and NYS Music contributor Zak Radick.
Brooklyn-based indie rock band Big Thief played an intimate performance to a sold out Kings Theatre on Friday night. This was the first night of two-night residency for the band which has been touring in support of their new double album, Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You, since late-January.
Left to right: Buck Meek, James Krivchenia, Max Oleartchik, and Adrianne Lenker of Big Thief performing at Kings Theatre. Photo by Lindsay Brown
Canadian composer and musician, Kara-Lis Coverdale (K-LC), opened the night with a moody electronic set. K-LC will be on tour with Big Thief for the month of April while they make their way out west for a number of shows going through June.
Big Thief started their set with title track “Change” off of Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You, playing a mix of songs new and old throughout the evening including “Not” and “Certainty”. Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You is the indie rock band’s fifth studio album which was released February 11, 2022, featuring 20 tracks. In addition to celebrating the recent release of Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You on tour, guitarist and vocalist Adrianne Lenker announced that drummer and producer James Krivchenia dropped his second solo album Blood Karaoke this past week.
Buck Meek and James Krivchenia during Big Thief’s set at Kings Theatre. Photo by Lindsay Brown.
The indie rock band took several opportunities to address the crowd during the show, thanking everyone for their support and singing along. One of the most notable moments was guitarist and backing vocalist, Buck Meek, reminiscing about his days spent busking in New York City parks with Lenker a number of years ago to a now sold out King Theatre which seats over 3,000 people.
Another highlight of the evening was Lenker inviting her little brother, Noah, on stage for their last song, “Spud Infinity” where he lends his talents with a jaw harp to add a bit of twang to the track. Meek commented after the song, “I wish we could keep playing all night, but we’re actually out of time so goodnight!”
Big Thief at Kings Theatre, Friday, April 15 – Setlist
Change, Dried Roses, Certainty, Cattails, Shoulders, Black Diamonds, Forgotten Eyes, Not, Dragon New Warm Mountain I, Believe in You, Sparrow, Simulation, Swarm, Flower of Blood, Secret Side of You (Buck Meek song), Like a Rose (Lucinda Williams cover), Rock and Sing, Happy With You, Shark Smile, Real Love, Spud Infinity (with Noah Lenker)
Thank you all for making it out here…and Kara-Lis Coverdale…take care of yourselves, take care of each other. Thanks for coming. Love you! Bye!”
Adrianne Lenker closing out the night with genuine thank you to all.
Adrianne Lenker of Big Thief at Kings Theatre. Photo by Lindsay BrownMax Oleartchik of Big Thief at Kings Theatre. Photo by Lindsay BrownBuck Meek of Big Thief at Kings Theatre. Photo by Lindsay BrownJames Krivchenia of Big Thief at Kings Theatre. Photo by Lindsay BrownBuck Meek and James Krivchenia of Big Thief at Kings Theatre. Photo by Lindsay BrownLeft to right: Buck Meek, James Krivchenia, Max Oleartchik, and Adrianne Lenker of Big Thief performing at Kings Theatre. Photo by Lindsay Brown
On March 30th, Attack Attack! brought the East Coast Scuttle to Montage Music Hall in Rochester and what a performance it was. It had everything from mosh pits, to crowd surfers and crab fingers. Although the venue wasn’t sold-out, it was hard to tell on this Wednesday evening as a sea of fans could be seen while entering the venue’s main entrance.
The night began with local act, Armor Alive. While the lightest out of all the bands with their rock sound, they were still was able to pump-up the crowd.
Next up was Across The White Water Tower, who are another local but are part of the tour. They brought a mix of rap and metalcore on top of their high energy stage performance.
Until I Wake followed, who also hail from the state. The Buffalo natives performed with a heavy metalcore influence
Conquer Divide were the penultimate performers. The group, which is made up of 5 very talented women” were the reason for many of the fans in attendance.
With the first 4 performers, the crowd was delivered wild night of raging and uproar and that was before the headliners made their way to the stage. Attack Attack!, who are known for their crab stance as they perform and their unique song titles, rocked the stage. Bringing full-circle a night for the ages at Montage Music Hall.
If you didn’t catch them on this tour, don’t worry, a little birdie said that they may be back in the fall with a new lineup.
Six shows in three nights ladies and gentlemen!” Danielle exclaimed, addressing the crowd in-between songs. “Amazing crowds, amazing people. This has just been really a great moment and it actually has been very surreal, but I’m going to get into these songs. Hope you enjoy them!
Danielle Ponder at the McKittrick Hotel’s Manderley Bar
The Rochester-based singer confidently radiated her powerful voice throughout The McKittrick Hotel’s moody Manderley Bar. This performance was the last of Ponder’s three-night run in New York City before joining St. Paul and the Broken Bones on tour later this month. Before exiting, Ponder concluded the set with an inspiring personal anecdote.
I quit my successful job as an attorney to be a broke musician because I absolutely love you, and I absolutely love this stage. I completely live for it. I truly believe in following your purpose, I think that when God gives you a gift, a way you can show gratitude is committing to that thing. Amen, amen, amen! You all feel me? So a lot has happened in the past year that has really changed my life, even to be here with this audience in New York City listening has been so affirming for me and lets me know I made the right decision. I really feel like I’m a living testimony of that and that’s the only reason I’m telling you I’m 40! Because I want you to know my knees hurt, I’m old, but I’m here! So this next song is called “So Long.”
“So Long” is Ponder’s latest single, released on March 11, an anthem about letting go of fear and being the best person you can possibly be.
You can learn more about singer-songwriter Danielle Ponder on her website and listen to her Tiny Desk Contest submission, a recording of her song Poor Man’s Pain,here.
St. Paul and the Broken Bones with Danielle Ponder Tour Dates
April 23 – Dallas, Texas – The Granada Theater April 24 – Austin, Texas – Stubb’s April 26 – Tulsa, Okla. – Cain’s Ballroom April 28 – Denver, Colo. – Mission Ballroom April 29 – Aspen, Colo. – Belly Up April 30 – Salt Lake City, Utah – Commonwealth Room May 3 – Seattle, Wash. – The Neptune May 5 – Portland, Ore. – Crystal Ballroom May 6 – San Francisco, Calif./Oakland, Calif. – Fox Theater May 7 – San Diego, Calif. – Humphreys Concerts By The Bay May 10 – Los Angeles, Calif. – The Theatre at Ace Hotel May 11 – Pioneertown, Calif. – Pappy & Harriet’s May 12 – Phoenix, Ariz. – The Van Buren
Heartbeat Opera’s QUANDO brought a one-of-a-kind film and theatrical performance at The McKittrick Hotel, home of Sleep No More, April 7-9.
Presented by The McKittrick Hotel, QUANDO is Directed and Edited by Tee Vaden, produced and conceptualized by Associate Artistic Director, Derrell Acon, with Photography Direction by Kathryn Boyd-Batstone and Production Design by Yuki Izumihara.
Mx. Oww and Jessie Cox live performance alongside the film, QUANDO.
The film stars Lauren Michelle, Brian Vu, and Shelley Washington. Musical director Daniel Schlosberg arranged the film score for a mix of instruments and electronics. The live performance features Mx. Oww and Jessie Cox.
The 75-minute experience took place in the McKittrick’s upstairs theater, the Club Car. The evening kicked off with the short film, challenging viewers with “…issues of representation, inequity, and self-serving actions that plague so many industries and movements, not by simply calling out the problem but by showing what is possible, while asking viewers to interrogate themselves and their motivations, which is one of my favorite sorts of call to action,” said Director & Editor, Tee Vaden. After the screening, the film played once more with a theatrical performance by Mx. Oww and Jessie Cox actively disrupting the music throughout, creating a mesmerizing experience for the audience.
QUANDO team taking the stage after the performance concluded.
QUANDOis the latest production by Heartbeat Opera whose mission is to create “incisive adaptations and revelatory arrangements of classics, reimagining them for the here and now.” Previous productions by Heartbeat Opera include FIDELIO, which toured earlier this year including performances at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and The Broad Stage in California, and Messy Messiah, Heartbeat Opera’s 7th annual Drag Extravaganza, at Roulette in Brooklyn. Learn more about QUANDO by viewing the trailer and visiting Heartbeat Opera’s website. You can also visit The McKittrick Hotel to experience Sleep No More and Speakeasy Magick at 530 West 27th Street in Manhattan. Special thank you to Stephanie Geyer and the McKittrick Hotel staff for welcoming NYS Music to their beautiful venue.
