New York-based band Melt played their first ever international show in Toronto at Adelaide Hall on Thursday, September 15, dropping a powerful performance that showcased each of the seven band members’ talents in a perfectly locked-in way.
Opening their 10-song set with “Waves” off their 2021 EP West Side Highway, the group played with dynamics from the start, a powerful opening section leading into a beautiful quiet area that featured lead vocalist Veronica Stewart-Frommer sitting down at the front of the stage and crooning to the audience.
Shy” came next, a 2020 single, featured beautiful melodic guitar lines from guitarist Marlo Shankweiler and staccato horn stabs from the saxophone/trumpet duo of Nick Sare and Evan Lane.
One of the best-kept secrets of Melt was revealed to be keyboardist Eric Gabriel and his incredible vocals – taking the lead on West Side Highway cut “Hours”, his gentle tones contrasted perfectly with Stewart-Frommer’s powerful harmonies.
At this point in the show, I was becoming increasingly honed in on the rhythm section of bassist Lucas Saur and drummer Andres Valbuena, whose rock-solid grooves were a perfect foundation to all of the music. Saur in particular (as I’ll mention again later) absolutely blew me away with some gorgeous melodic solos.
“Inside”, a single from Melt’s early days, started with a gentle intro on electric piano but quickly built to a frenzy, Stewart-Frommer unleashing vocal power and Shankweiler delivering an absolutely SEARING guitar solo in a style that blends classic rock favourites with clear Trey Anastasio influence.
The next track, “Brown Eyes”, was the first true slow song of the night, and acted as a perfect breather and let Sare shine on a fantastic saxophone solo.
Stewart-Frommer took a second before the next song to announce that Melt is recording their debut album on the road this fall, incorporating segments from some concerts into the recording.
A slightly mysterious vibe began “Walk to Midnight”, a song that just calls to mind a classic pop song. Shankweiler and Stewart-Frommer gave another stellar performance here, both whipping the crowd into a frenzy once again. The next unreleased song, titled “The Door” began with an extended and VERY psychedelic guitar/bass duet. As the jam band fan I am, I would have loved to see it extended for 5-10 more minutes, but the song absolutely killed and I eagerly await its translation to the studio when it (hopefully) is on the upcoming LP.
Now let’s talk about “Fade Into You”.
Melt’s latest single, just released today, began with strong guitar melodies and is another instant-classic Melt tune, but the real treat came in the middle with the performance of the band’s instrumental jam vehicle “Duh-Duh”. I honestly couldn’t tell you when the transition happened, but suddenly punchy horn melodies and an absolutely DOMINATING groove developed as Shankweiler took yet ANOTHER incredible solo. The rest of the band then dropped to the floor as Valbuena lit up the stage with a thrashing solo section, his stoic drum-face breaking briefly to express his glee. Bassist Saur then jumped up for a shot in the spotlight and built upon the drums with an expressive solo of his own. With some cool delayed-guitar lines thrown overtop by Shankweiler and Gabriel’s use of a Supertramp-like sound in the closing part of the song, the sandwich of “Fade Into You” -> “Duh Duh” -> “Fade Into You” was absolutely my highlight of the night.
As the band introduced a cover of Neil Young’s “Harvest Moon” (featuring opening act Joel McLeod on vocals) to close out the main set, I was a little bit apprehensive about a ballad closer. However, the septet struck into their unique arrangement of the song, a driving, powerful take on the classic tune with a guitar line chunky and reminiscent of the Home Depot theme song (in the best way).
The encore began with a performance of “Communion”, an unreleased ballad in the form of a beautiful duet between Gabriel and Stewart-Frommer, the former’s gentle keyboard playing on full display.
A powerful cover of Bill Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine” with more incredibly powerful vocals continued the encore before Melt’s first-ever release, “Sour Candy” closed out the night on a high note.
Melt is on tour this fall across the USA – do NOT miss them if they are playing near you! A sound built on a tight band with audible influences across the musical spectrum, each member contributes to the overall sound that fills every corner of the venue with its exuberant energy. I eagerly look forward to seeing what heights Melt will reach in the coming years!
Melt next plays in New York on October 20 at Webster Hall.
originally posted on https://ryanstorm.substack.com/p/show-review-melt-91522
On Friday September 16, 2022 Tom Petty sideman, Mike Campbell, brought his band The Dirty Knobs to Port Chester for their first appearance at the Capitol Theatre. For two hours they did what they love: performing music that is dirty, gritty, with no regrets. Joined by John Sinay on guitar, Matt Laug on drums, and Lance Morrison on bass, Campbell and crew performed songs from their two albums along with much more. Opening with “Wicked Mind” from their latest release External Combustion, the tone was set. This was all about rock ‘n roll.
When Jerry Garcia passed away in 1995, people wondered if the Grateful Dead’s music would live on. Bob Weir and surviving members answered with a resounding, “Yes.” The passing of Tom Petty almost five years ago brings about that same type of question. The Dirty Knobs answered without hesitation.
Mike Campbell and The Dirty Knobs
Petty / Heartbreakers tunes would find their way sprinkled liberally into the night’s setlist. “Even The Losers” started it off early. Then, strapping on his twelve string Rickenbacker, Campbell shared the distinctive opening notes of “Listen To Her Heart.” Late in the evening, the band offered up a dark version of “Refugee.” With the song concluding and the crowd singing the refrain, Mike stepped forward and knelt at the foot of the stage, paying homage to the might rocker from Gainesville, Florida. The spotlight then faded to black offering a sober reminder how fragile life is.
I’m a sinner, with a rebel soul, got a wicked mind, and a heart of gold.
“Wicked Mind”
A few songs into the evening the band broke from its normal performance mode, to share John Lennon’s “Working Class Hero,” acknowledging another fallen soldier. But this was also a night for fun. Campbell had everyone singing along as the night progressed. One of the crowd favorites was “Fuck That Guy”: a tune so named by fellow rocker Chris Stapleton because we all know someone like that.
Alvin Youngblood Hart
Grammy nominated guitarist Alvin Youngblood Hart opened the night. Performing solo, Hart presented his Mississippi inspired style of blues. Throughout his set Alvin would move between electric, resonator, and acoustic guitar, accentuating the different flavors of the genre. To close, Youngblood took a turn north and performed a powerful rendition of Neil Young’s “When You Dance I Can Really Love.”
Mike Campbell and The Dirty Knobs “External Combustion” tour continues through October finishing up November 1 at the Hollywood Bowl.
Dawes and Bahamas joined forces for a late summer tour that was first billed as a set of Bahamas with Dawes backing, followed by a set of Dawes joined by Bahamas, aka Afie Jurvanen. Turns out the billing, even as cool as it looked on paper, didn’t quite do justice in preparing for what unfurled in person.
On a sunny afternoon, pleasantly in the mid-70s, overlooking a sparkling Keuka Lake down the grape filled slopes of Point of the Bluff Vineyards on Saturday, September 17, this pairing was a match made in Finger Lakes heaven.
It didn’t take long for the magical show’s prestige to be revealed. The five men of Dawes on stage with Bahamas, launched into Dawes’ “Someone Else’s Cafe.” Jurvanen stepped up to take the first guitar solo. Griffin Goldsmith took a drum solo, then all three guitarists, Jurvanen, with Dawes’ Taylor Goldsmith and Trevor Menear locked into a grooving jam that fizzled into the next song, Bahamas’ “Own Alone.” The end of that song had Lee Pardini extending the action into Dawes’ “Doomscroller Tries to Relax.”
Let’s pause here to point out that “Someone Else’s Cafe” and “Doomscroller” appear on Dawes’ just out new album, where they are played together as a suite. Pretty remarkable that they split the two with their tour mates’ song, and that they were willing to tour their new material for the first time sharing the stage in this unique fashion in the first place.
The show continued similarly, Dawes and Bahamas swapping songs seamlessly, in a way that didn’t feel like two bands at all, just one stellar band with two incredible songwriters. Jurvanen sang backup and harmonies for Goldsmith and Goldsmith the same for Jurvanen, their voices blending and complementing like they were working toward this sound exclusively for years.
Those on stage were having as good a time as the near-capacity crowd under the tent. They showed mutual love through cute lyrical changes, Bahamas singing, “I feel lucky to be here with Dawes today” in “Everything to Everyone,” and Goldsmith replying “I want Bahamas to make the days move easy” a few songs later in “If I Wanted Someone.” Goldsmith’s guitar solo there worked its way expertly right into the next Bahamas song, “I Got You” of course.
They also both couldn’t help but mention the early 3pm show time. Goldsmith complimenting the audience, “You guys don’t give a shit how early it is, you came to party. I respect that.” Jurvanen while having a bit of fun plinking out a guitar solo remarked, “Morning person, night person… I’m an afternoon person. This is perfect.”
After 70 minutes of fun, jams and sharing incredible songs, they came back out to do it some more. To start the second set, Jurvanen arrive alone to (surprise!) sing a Dawes song, “Just My Luck,” solo. Midway through Goldsmith came out to join in, but (surprise! surprise!) he was singing Bahamas’ “Half Your Love,” the two songs mashing up with ease. They followed that up with a new song they wrote together, “Folk Singer,” that hilariously poked fun at each other and themselves.
The second set’s energetic highlight came with a rare-for-this-show one-two punch from Dawes, as their new song “Come in Waves” jammed its way brilliantly into their early hit “When My Time Comes.” The crowd singing along all the way, got a solo turn for the last chorus.
The show was billed as Dawes and Bahamas, as the graphic behind the stage reminded us throughout the afternoon. But it was clear from the get-go, and crystal clear by show’s end, this wasn’t just two bands swapping songs. The lines were fully blurred. The “and” was inaccurate. This wasn’t Dawes AND Bahamas, this was simply Dawhamas. They weren’t a pairing of wine and cheese, but simply a fine blended wine itself. A reverse of Dylan and the Band. The two main songwriters evening the playing field by going one for one, not unlike Bob Weir and Jerry Garcia would do in the Grateful Dead. And if this is how good they sound midway through one short tour, we can only hope it isn’t just a one time thing.
Dawes – Point of Bluff Vineyards – September 17, 2022
Set 1: Someone Else’s Cafe > Own Alone > Doomscroller Tries to Relax > All the Time, Still Feel Like A Kid, Everything to Everyone, Everything is Permanent, Way With Words, If I Wanted Someone > I Got You Babe, Somewhere Along the Way, Opening Act Set 2: Just My Luck / Half Your Love, Folk Singer, Caught Me Thinking, Comes in Waves > When My Time Comes, Trick to Happy, Roll With the Punches, Lost In the Light, Things Happen Encore: Up With the Jones, All Your Favorite Bands
French DJ and music producer Madeon released his second LP Good Faith back in 2019 but has been touring strong behind the record ever since. Madeon puts on a few different types of shows ranging from DJ sets, to the standard club concerts but he will also perform select shows dubbed Good Faith Forever. These shows boast a unique production, with the most recent one happening at the revamped Brooklyn Mirage last Sunday, September 11.
Madeon’s choice of venue is one of the key factors for the unique Good Faith Forever shows. The venue must have large-scale production capabilities to allow Madeon to take on a larger-than-life presence and completely engulf the audience into the show. For New York City, there is no better choice than Brooklyn Mirage. The venue has a massive LED screen that is curved and wraps around the front end of the crowd, making you feel immersed in the visuals no matter where you are in the venue. The venue has all the bells and whistles already built in, giving Madeon the joy of incorporating lasers into Good Faith Forever for the first time.
A key element to the show takes place in the last leg, when an elevated platform takes Madeon about 20 feet above the stage right as he performs the unreleased song “Gonna Be Good.” At this height, Madeon is towering over the crowd with an intense visual show taking place on the LED, carefully aligned and framing the musician. The venue again provided amplification; not only were fans dwarfed by the show at this point, but the sheer size of the screen and the visuals on it made the entire production feel truly out of this world.
The setlist featured Madeon’s latest one-off release “Love You Back” which came out earlier this year, and the show closed with fan-favorite “Shelter” (a collaboration with Porter Robinson). Good Faith was released back in 2019, but given the delays performing live due to the pandemic, the support for the LP did not begin until 2021. Combine that with the variety by which Madeon performs and you have a tour cycle that goes on without ever getting stale. Good Faith Forever makes a few more festival stops including III Points in Miami before heading to Mexico and then Jakarta, Indonesia. There are also a handful of DJ sets mixed in between. Head over to Madeon’s website for the full tour dates.
The Grateful Dead wound up playing more than 50 shows at MSG by the time their touring career ended, but the September 1990 run had a unique feel all its own. With keyboardist Brent Mydland’s recent death just months earlier, the Dead once again found themselves in an era of transition. Vince Welnick was brought on as his replacement, but was still very much finding his footing and shaking off stage fright at this point in his tenure with the band. To combat this, they recruited the willing and able talents of Bruce Hornsby to help them along in this new era of Grateful Dead music. His first shows were during this September run at MSG in 1990, offering fans an extraordinary new addition to the music as well as giving a glimpse of what might have been.
The show begins in a relaxed manner as the band eases into a “Jack Straw” opener with Hornsby lending early vocal support on some of Garcia’s lines. There’s no issue with the music though, as an enthusiastic early jam develops from this, much to the delight of a roaring MSG crowd. After noodling around with the opening notes, the Dead then burst into “Bertha.” A blistering guitar solo from Garcia, along with some musical interplay with Hornsby – a staple of this run, lead the way on this one. With the crowd now fully engaged, Bob Weir takes over and leads the way through a particularly bouncy “Me And My Uncle.”
As soon as the last note of “Uncle” finishes, the Dead keep it going and use a similar drum beat to jump right into “Big River” which gives Hornsby his first chance to solo on piano. With the show off to a blistering start, things mellow out a bit with the Garcia-led “It Must Have Been The Roses” that follows, one of the few Dead songs that feature both Robert Hunter penned lyrics and music. The first cover selection of the night comes next, with Weir playing the role of Bob Dylan for “Stuck Inside Of Mobile (With The Memphis Blues Again),” a song the band added to its repertoire a few years earlier. Welnick adds some nice touches on the keyboards on this rousing tune that delivers a slow build in emotion.
To wrap up this opening set at MSG, the Dead decide to unleash the vaunted “Help On The Way” > “Slipknot!” >”Franklin’s Tower” combination that sees the band at their collective best with a discernable new feel to it thanks to the two new keys players. But by the end of “Franklin’s,” a delighted MSG crowd could make the case that some things never truly change.
The second set begins with another longtime Dead classic, “Playin’ In The Band.” The band wastes no time in crafting an explosive, early improvisational jam that quickly goes deep, fueled by some frenetic fret board work from Garcia. Instead of progressing even further, the jam instead comes to a crawl and the opening chords to “Ship Of Fools” emerges. This quick side journey is another prime example of an older song getting a new “shine” to it thanks to the new piano and vocal harmonies supplied by Hornsby. Once completed, the Dead then go right back into “Playin’,” seemingly picking up right where they left off before they quickly shift gears once more and collectively merge into another fan favorite with “Uncle John’s Band.”
After a powerful, but fairly concise jam, the band brings back UJB to completion and, right after the outtro jam, immediately leap into a surprise “Let It Grow,” the first time it’s been found in the second set in years. This elicits one of the finer jams of the evening, a steady, driving collective effort that never really strays too far from the song’s original structure. Afterwards, however, structure goes by the wayside thanks to a seemingly off the cuff jam with Hornsby prominently involved on piano along with noodling from Garcia and Weir. It turns out to be one of the better jams of the night, one that naturally builds in intensity and gives an enticing glimpse of what the Dead could have become had Bruce stayed on permanently.
This essentially becomes the fuel for an extended “Drums” > “Space” sequence that sees the Dead fill MSG with a plethora of sounds and emotions that range from the ambient to the psychedelic. Hornsby even sticks around for some of the early “Drums” madness, giving that a different feel as well. After this lengthy group improv runs its course, the show rounds back into form with the familiar opening drum beat of “Going Down The Road Feelin’ Bad,” finally providing a dance number with some tempo.
After an exuberant version that gives all parties a chance to shine, said tempo drops back down for “Stella Blue,” sung with its usual emotion and feel from Garcia. One more juxtaposition in mood then takes place as Weir proceeds to lead the band through a cover of Chuck Berry’s “Around & Around” that features a bluesy jam which continues to build in energy before peaking, closing out the set in style. For an encore, one more Dylan cover makes an appearance with “Quinn The Eskimo.” The Dead would go on to wrap up their six-night run at MSG the following evening.
View this and more Grateful Dead shows from across the years in New York State with our interactive map below
Grateful Dead Madison Square Garden – New York, NY
Set 1: Jack Straw, Bertha, Me & My Uncle-> Big River, It Must Have Been The Roses, Memphis Blues, Help On The Way-> Slipknot!-> Franklin’s Tower
Set 2: Playin’ In The Band-> Ship of Fools-> Playin’ In The Band-> Uncle John’s Band-> Let It Grow-> Jam-> Drums-> Jam-> Goin’ Down The Road Feelin’ Bad-> Stella Blue-> Around & Around,
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
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
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.”
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.
After a 2 year hiatus due to COVID, Afropunk made its return home to Brooklyn at Commodore Barry Park. The long-awaited festival took place the weekend of Sept. 10-11 and featured headliners The Roots and Burna Boy. Keeping up with the times, the entire festival was live-streamed on Twitch for the entire weekend.
Ebonee Davis at Afropunk 2022
The festival originated in Brooklyn at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in 2005. It was a free festival aimed at making a safe space for young black punks to be properly represented. As the festival grew bigger, the focus shifted from youth interested in punk to a wider array of music genres to grow a bigger audience. Today Afropunk is more than just a music festival. It is considered a celebration of black culture and art.
There is a common stigma that black culture is monolithic. It is often that black artists who do not make traditional rap or R&B are still categorized in these genres or they may not even get a chance to have work played on mainstream radio. Afropunk offers the opportunity for artists who do not fit the norm to have a platform to display their work for what it is to members of their own community.
But Afropunk is more than just music. When you entered the gates, you walked right into markets set up on either side of the park. Both markets featured local art, fashion, and beauty services, mostly from black-owned businesses. There were also food vendors that offered many vegan and vegetarian options to accommodate all types of diets. There were 2 stages; the red stage was set up in the corner of the park, and the green stage was towards the back of the park. Behind the green stage, in a separate part of the park, featured what was called a “Wellness Village.” Services such as massages, yoga, meditation sessions, and djembe drum lessons were offered to festival goers.
A Hot Start for a Highly Anticipated Return
Saturday started off hot, but the outfits were even hotter. Going with the theme of Afro-centrism, fans came in stunting with their best Afro-centric inspired outfits. Many were homemade or altered articles of clothing that made every look unique. Fans traveled from all over the country to experience the festival.
The Red Stage featured a fashion show from Lavntg and an energetic performance from Rodney Chrome. Rodney Chrome had his mother in attendance and gave her a shout-out while performing. Chrome discussed with fans his struggles growing up as LGBTQ in Little Rock, AR.
Freedie Gibbs at Afropunk 2022
The Red Stage was headlined by Freedie Gibbs who started his set about an hour late. With the ongoing tension between police and the black community, he had fans release that frustration by screaming “f-ck the police.” Gibbs’ DJ also played memes from Dr. Umar during the set that helped to break the tension from the crowd.
Doechii Lives up to the Hype
Bodies were moving all day on the Green Stage. Doechii delivered a highly anticipated and widely energetic performance. As part of this year’s XXL Freshman class, Doechii has a lot to live up to as one of this year’s up-and-coming rappers.
Doechii at Afropunk 2022
There was no moment when Doechii was not moving during her performance. Her set started out by cleansing the stage of bad energy by burning sage. Only good vibes were shared from there on out between Doechii and her beloved fans. She evokes confidence from her fans and her audience. It was undeniable that Doechii and her dancers had full control of the crowd for those 45 minutes she was up there.
Her alternative rap style fused with a well-choreographed dance sequence made her one of the more memorable artists that took the stage on Saturday. Doechii also did take a moment to pay tribute to her mother by bringing her on stage. Doechii would come back later to perform a song with Isaiah Rashaad during his performance.
The Roots Solidify a Strong End to Day 1
The Roots closed out Saturday on the Green stage with an exhilarating performance. They played for at least an hour and a half and took no breaks. The band moved very fluently together and had smooth transitions between songs that made it feel as though you were listening to one song the whole time. The band’s unique rap style infused with jazz had the crowd grooving for the rest of the night.
The Roots lead vocalists, Black Thought, performing at Afropunk Brooklyn 2022The roots drummer, Quest Love, performing at Afropunk Brooklyn 2022
Sunday was wet and muddy as it rained all day. The drastic weather change from the previous day did not stop people from showing up in droves. The theme shifted from mostly rap and R&B artists to alternative rock, rage rap, and afrobeat. On display were alternative forms of Afro-centric music that typically wouldn’t be heard on mainstream radio.
Kaleta and Super Yamba Band bring Afro-funk to Afropunk
The band centered around Afrobeat brought a little more than that to the Afropunk stage. Drawing inspiration from small bands in Nigeria and Ghana to large American music pioneers such as Jimi Hendrix, James Brown, and The Who, the band offered listeners a unique version of Afrobeat all sung in the native language of Benin. Listening to their music, references to Afrofunk, American funk, and jazz could be heard.
Kaleta and Super Yamba Band at Afropunk Brooklyn 2022
Kaleta has studied behind the pioneer behind Afrobeat, Fela Kuti, and toured with him throughout the 80s and 90s before coming over to America. In Brooklyn was where Kaleta united with the Super Yamba band. They released their debut album, Mèdaho, in 2019. They were playing their album across America and soon were going to start a European tour before the pandemic canceled everyone’s plans. They were not able to play together for 15 months.
Sean Smith of the Yamba Band performing at Afropunk Brooklyn 2022
Though Afropunk was not their first time playing together since quarantine, it was special playing on such a big stage in the place where they got their start. With such a unique blend of styles of music, Yamba Band Drummer, Daniel Yount, described their set as “bringing the Afrofunk to Afropunk.” From the James Brown-like grunts to the psychedelic guitar, to the Afrobeat of the drums, it is hard to really just put this band in just one category.
They have a tour coming up starting in October that kicks off in Pittsboro, NC.
Ambré Brings Light to a Dark Day
The Grammy awarding winning artist Ambré took the Red stage on Sunday and showed the crowd that there was still fun to be had despite the rainy day. The New Orleans Native described her performance at Afropunk “as one of the best shows I’ve ever done.”
“The energy in the crowd was amazing. Everyone still had fun despite the rain.”
Ambré
While on stage Ambré brought out her entourage who sprayed bubbles all over the stage. Her light and airy voice coupled with the bubbles floating around the stage lifted the spirits of her fans who probably were not expecting to be drenched all day. Ambré energy and charisma faired well in getting her fans to sing “I’m Baby” with her.
Ambré at Afropunk Brooklyn 2022
Ambré has a pretty impressive track record thus far in her career. Not only does she have a Grammy, but has had the chance to work with other artists including Khelani, 6LACK, and H.E.R. She continues to grow and learns from every show she does, offering something different at every show she performs. Ambré plans to release more music soon and put together her own tour.
Fans Hold their Breath Before the End of Afropunk
Afropunk closed out with headliner Burna Boy. He showed up half an hour late to his set, but fans waited patiently and anxiously in the rain for his performance. There was no announcement about him running late, but instead, his absence was filled by a word from Afropunk’s founder.
Burna Boy did not disappoint as the crowd sang “Last Last” with him in the pouring rain. He played for about 10 mins past the scheduled set time. With the way the crowd was singing, it felt as if you were walking into a summertime block party.
Afropunk’s long-awaited homecoming was worth the wait. It was built on the idea of highlighting artists who may not fit the norm for black music. This year continued the tradition of not only giving musical artists a platform but all kinds of black artists a chance to display to their community that black culture is not monolithic. Afropunk’s next installment moves to Bahia, Brasil for the weekend of Nov. 26 and 27.
Adekunle Gold at Afropunk Brooklyn 2022Ambré at Afropunk Brooklyn 2022Ambré at Afropunk Brooklyn 2022Bartees Strange at Afropunk Brooklyn 2022BbyMutha at Afropunk Brooklyn 2022Doechii at Afropunk Brooklyn 2022Doechii at Afropunk Brooklyn 2022Doechii at Afropunk Brooklyn 2022Earl Sweatshirt at Afropunk Brooklyn 2022Freedie Gibbs at Afropunk Brooklyn 2022Isaiah Rashad at Afropunk Brooklyn 2022Jany Green at Afropunk Brooklyn 2022Lavntg Fashion Show at Afropunk Brooklyn 2022Ebonee Davis at Afropunk Brooklyn 2022Kah Lo at Afropunk Brooklyn 2022Lucky Daye at Afropunk Brooklyn 2022Mick Jenkins at Afropunk Brooklyn 2022Pawpaw Rod at Afropunk Brooklyn 2022Rodney Chrome at Afropunk Brooklyn 2022The Roots Drummer, Quest Love, at Afropunk Brooklyn 2022The Roots lead vocals, Black Thought, at Afropunk Brooklyn 2022The Roots at Afropunk Brooklyn 2022Tierra Whack at Afropunk Brooklyn 2022Sean Smith of the Super Yamba Band performing at Afropunk Brooklyn 2022Kaleta and the Super Yamba Band at Afropunk Brooklyn 2022
