London-based, indie-jazz artist Puma Blue performed alongside Houston artist Hamond at Baby’s All Right on Oct. 15, headlining two performances after supporting Arlo Park’s Collapsed in Sunbeams Tour. Returning to the venue where they first performed in the US over 3 years ago, Puma Blue supplied the audience with lush, lo-fi jazz and R&B music for the hour-long set.
The night began with a similarly moving performance by Hamond, whose album, Pirate Radio, released this past June. Alone with a guitar and MIDI keyboard controller, he filled the 280-capcity venue of soul-stirring melodies with every chord. Hamond performed songs off the aforementioned LP, dazzling the crowd early in the night and showcasing his musical finesse, backed by cinematic pop beats.
Hamond, 2022 Photo by Parker Alexander
After a short break between sets, Puma Blue came on stage. They traversed an intricate 15-song set, featuring songs from their debut album, In Praise of Shadows, and two EPs released in 2017 and 2019. Two new, unreleased songs were played.
“Pretty”, was gentle and tranquil, reminiscent of “Only Trying 2 Tell You”. “Light That Is Gone” featured a riff with glimmers of Jeff Buckley’s “Dream Brother”, who Puma Blue’s singer, Jacob Allen, has cited as a central influence on his work (even playing a Fender Telecaster that Buckley had regularly performed with).
The group’s newly released song “Hounds” also made an appearance during the show. The brooding bass line reverberated across the snare and into the crowd, a highlight of the night. Finishing off with “(She’s) Just A Phase” and an accompanying raucous applause, Puma Blue concluded their fall supporting and headlining show schedule.
More music was teased to come (likely next year) and they undoubtedly will make a stop in New York.
Puma Blue | Baby’s All Right | Brooklyn, NY | October 15, 2022
Setlist: Midnight Blue, Soft Porn, Velvet Leaves, Already Falling, Snowflower, Lust, Oil Slick, Pretty, Bath House, Bruise Cruise, Light That Is Gone, Hounds, Moon Undah Water
Veteran club owner, concert promoter and sometimes filmmaker Peter Shapiro is drawing back the curtain on a career that encompasses nearly three decades and 10,000 shows in his new memoir, The Music Never Stops(Hachette Books).
Peter Shapiro is the man behind venues like Wetlands Preserve, Brooklyn Bowl (located in Williamsburg, Las Vegas, Philadelphia and Nashville) The Capitol Theatre and a bevy of tours and festivals including The Grateful Dead’s 50th anniversary Fare Thee Well and LOCKN’ and films like U2 3D to name but a few. Beginning with his work at Wetlands, Shapiro can lay claim to being a central figure in keeping alive and expanding the cult around the Grateful Dead and the many “jam bands” that emerged in their wake. For all his Dead credentials, people sometimes forget that Shapiro also played a vital role in exposing this huge base of open-minded fans to diverse artists like hip hoppers The Roots, rapper Talib Kweli, Americana great Jason Isbell, bluegrass innovators Billy Strings and Molly Tuttle, jazz guitarists John Scofield and Stanley Jordan and countless more.
Shapiro’s journey began after seeing a Grateful Dead show in Illinois in March 1993. It was something that inspired him and a friend to take to the road to film Deadheads in their natural habitat during the band’s summer tour. Things didn’t go too well at first due to his crew being mistaken for D.E.A. agents because of their rental vehicle of choice – a white-panel van sans windows. His love of the Dead community would soon lead him to a job at Wetlands Preserve, the downtown NYC club dedicated to improvisational music and environmental activism founded by Larry Bloch. By age 23, he became a minority owner; a year later he assumes full ownership and is one the first giant step in a long and still percolating career.
Peter Shapiro
The 50 chapters of Shapiro’s book are titled and dedicated to some of his most memorable shows, beginning with The Dead’s 50th Anniversary Fare Thee Well at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara in July 2015. As the last song of the first set ended, a giant rainbow broke out over the crowd. The promoter joked that he paid $50,000 to create the effect, a quip that got reported as fact in a review in Variety. The Dead’s drummer Mickey Hart said: “Not even Bill Graham could do that!”
The early part of the book deals with the ups and downs and incredible evenings at Wetlands. These include the 10th anniversary show where Bob Weir jammed with Hanson, the unmatched 21 show run by Disco Biscuits, the Black Lily Jams with Questlove and the new talent, like Jill Scott and India.Arie, who emerged with the opening of club’s Downstairs Lounge. The heartbreak of the closing of Wetlands would come around 9/11, but not before a stellar lineup of farewell shows and jams featuring club favorites like The Spin Doctors, Rat Dog, DJ Logic and Stanley Jordan.
Some of the best parts of the book deal with Shapiro’s matter of fact communication of his struggles and occasional failures. One was his participation, as an investor only, in 2012’s Great Googa Mooga Food and Music Fest in Prospect Park. This was one that failed because it was too successful, drawing an overflow crowd that well exceeded the 40,000 expected. It was also hampered by a forward-thinking digital payment system that was a little too ahead of its time. Shapiro also talks about the incredible run and occasional SNAFUs that took place at The Jammy Awards, including the vastly understaffed 2001 edition.
Peter Shapiro at The Capitol Theatre
The tale of his efforts to get Brooklyn Bowl going are also pretty entertaining. When Shapiro sought the advice of veteran NYC promoter Ron Delsner on the concept, he said he thought it was insane to have a bowling alley next to a stage where the band played. On this, the old man was wrong as Shapiro would go on to create hugely successful off-shoots of The Brooklyn Bowl in Nashville, Las Vegas and Philadelphia.
One poignant chapter is the one dedicated to Easy Rider Live at Radio City, a film screening with live music to mark the 50th anniversary of the legendary film starring Peter Fonda. Artists like Steppenwolf’s John Kay and The Byrds’ Roger McGuinn were on hand to play their songs featured in the soundtrack live during the screening, with an all-star band corralled by T. Bone Burnette. Unfortunately, Fonda would pass the month before the September 2019 event. His final Instagram post was a picture of himself before the marquee announcing the show.
Naturally, Shapiro’s book is bursting at the seams with a lot of hard-earned wisdom about the music business.
In the early days of Wetlands, he noted the importance of the late great Village Voice in getting the word out about shows. The sell-out of the unsigned and unmanaged Vulfpeck at MSG in 2019 is credited to smart way the band built a huge following via social media, viral videos, a killer email database (a Shapiro go-to) and their efforts to keep ticket prices (and profits) reasonable. Shapiro is also the kind of guy who would fly for 20 hours to get facetime to pitch an idea to an artist like Bono, Robert Plant or Taylor Swift, but only if the vibe was right. He also tells us that sometimes cash is really king – that a wad of it can be (take over in) the inspiration needed to get a band like Umphrey’s McGee to do a second encore (that one cost $500.)
Peter Shapiro at Brooklyn Bowl Las Vegas
Readers will get plenty of anecdotes about their favorite musicians and celebs. Shapiro recounts the night when Jimmy Fallon joined Joe Russo’s Almost Dead at the Capitol Theater for a rousing rendition of Neil Young’s “Fuckin’ Up” and how it was B.B. King who gave hippie icon Wavy Gravy his unforgettable handle. We hear about the night SNL’s Chevy Chase played piano at The Jammy Awards and another when he made Shapiro valet his car at the 2010 Climate Rally in D.C. There are anecdotes from Questlove’s memorable “Bowl Train” nights at Brooklyn Bowl, the site where SNL’s Maya Rudolph pioneered her popular Prince Tribute. Naturally, there’s lots of insight into the Dead and the many shows he promoted for Bob Weir’s Dead & Company and Phil Lesh & Friends. You also get an insight into their differences with Phil liking things “loud and fast” and Bob preferring his music “slow and quiet.”
The later chapters of Shapiro’s book deal with the onslaught of COVID and what it wrought on his and the concert business as a whole. While he was able receive PPP support for The Capitol Theater, LOCKN’ Fest and his media off-shoot Relix, there was none in the offing for The Brooklyn Bowls, due to a partnership venture with Live Nation.
Peter Shapiro at Lockn’ Festival
A lifeline during COVID came from longtime running buddy Trey Anastasio of Phish. The guitarist created a weekly series of concerts – The Beacon Jams – streamed from The Beacon Theater via Relix’s partnership with Twitch. The eight events attracted nearly 2 million viewers and some sorely needed capital. Shapiro’s Brooklyn Bowl in Nashville became the site of the novel “Be In the Stream” concerts carried on FANS.live featuring Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires. Viewers joined a Zoom session and could be selected to be projected on the walls at the venue at the end of songs, giving the virtual events a live audience feel and the performers some sorely needed applause. At The Capitol Theater, Shapiro greeted COVID and passersbys with a sign that said: “This is only a set break!”
It was one that would last for 18 months.
Post-COVID, Shapiro is back with the launch of Relix Studios in the home of the old Jazz Standard on NYC’s East Side, with the opening of Brooklyn Bowl Philly, a proposed concept for yet another club called Jazzlands and much more.
The 13 testimonials at the beginning of the book, from boldfaced names like Phil Lesh, Stevie Van Zandt, Don Was, Questlove and Trey Anastasio, demonstrate Shapiro’s importance to music makers and fans alike. More than one, call him “the Bill Graham of our generation.” The 330-plus pages in this book are evidence that more than supports the claim.
A Gofundme started only ten days ago, on October 6, has already raised over $100,000 for veteran tour manager Dave Burton. After Burton suffered a massive stroke in September while working in Kentucky, his found family of touring musicians immediately rallied behind him — donating, spreading awareness and even creating limited-edition merchandise — in a heartwarming display of solidarity and respect for those members of the music industry that do heavy lifting outside of the spotlight.
Dave Burton has been tour manager for hundreds of bands and artists: The Hold Steady, Drive-By Truckers, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Shins, Liz Phair, Animal Collective, Primal Scream, Beach House, Best Coast, Franz Ferdinand, Liars and Mercury Rev, just to name a few. He’s been working as a tour manager for over 25 years, traveling across the globe at the drop of a hat with the upmost enthusiasm, his friends said.
But, the flip side of the tour manager life style is that Burton, and most touring professionals, have no long-term health care coverage. This reality has left Burton in financial instability after an over three-week-stay at a hospital in Kentucky last month following the stroke. His long-term prognosis is good, Burton is expected to heal fully in time, according to his fundraising page. And thanks to the continuing success to Burton’s Gofundme, the tour manager might be able to get on the road again once he is healed.
Since 2017, Dave Burton has been Brooklyn-based indie/rock band The Hold Steady’s tour manager. His loyalty and stability during the chaos of touring prompted The Hold Steady to call him “a major, unseen part of The Hold Steady family for over a decade.” To give back, The Hold Steady declared all sales from their Bandcamp will go to Burton’s recovery fund.
The band also added a new shirt to their merch holdings that reads: “Who the f— is Dave Burton?” The Hold Steady called the shirt “pure Dave,” and it’s a reference to the silent movers behind the scenes, that do it not for the fame, not for the notoriety, but for the pure love of music.
Patterson Hood, guitarist for Drive-By Truckers, encapsulated Burton’s personality in his statement on the Gofundme:
David Burton. Great father, film aficionado (he probably would hate that term), foodie (pretty sure he would hate that one too), excellent writer… Rocker, par excellence. A man for all seasons. He’s also one of the finest Tour Managers ever to take that horrifically hard and thankless job. He’s grumpy, but we love him. Very much.
Amid a 20-date fall tour of North America that kicked off in early-October, Violent Femmes played City Winery’s intimate Main Stage on a rain-soaked evening on Thursday, October 13 in the West Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan. The underground folk punk legends who formed in 1981 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin were gracing the City Winery stage yet again – for the fourth of five consecutive sell-outs.
Violent Femmes | Photo by Michael Dinger
As drenched concertgoers hustled into the venue’s main entrance along 11th Avenue to escape the downpour, there were several options to pass the time until showtime at 8:00 pm. Many participated in the free wine tasting featuring a Limited Edition Violent Femmes Cabernet Sauvignon – each of the five residency dates featured its own label artwork with band autographed bottles also available. Some patrons attended the art exhibit (“Live From the Cell Block: Will Livingston and His Silk Screen Machine”) taking place on the second level, a remarkable body of work featuring vintage-style concert posters Livingston created during his forty years in prison. While other fans who came for dinner and a show were seen seated at tables on either side of the standing floor orchestra section, or in the balcony section with a bird’s-eye view of the ‘action’ to unfold shortly.
City Winery Stage Backdrop | Photo by Michael DingerLimited Edition Wine Bottles | Photo by Michael Dinger
Preceded by Amy Ray (Indigo Girls) and Jeff Fielder who opened the October 9 and 10 shows, Alsarah and the Nubatones provided support for Violent Femmes on the October 11, 13 and 14 dates. Although their musical genre could not be any different from the post-punk headliner to follow, the East-African retro-pop group formed in Brooklyn in 2011 nonetheless quickly won the over the crowd. Performing on a stage bathed in soft violet and fuchsia light for more than 30 minutes, the five-piece ensemble enchanted the City Winery audience with Alsarah’s beautiful voice and soulful presence, accompanied by backing vocals from her sister Nahid. The dynamic fusion of sound was equally rounded out with pulsating basslines courtesy of Mawuena Kodjovi and warm timbre, low texture rhythms from Brandon Terzic playing an oud (an 11-string instrument similar to the lute).
Alsarah | Photo by Michael Dinger
During the stage turnover following Alsarah and the Nubatones’ set, I chatted with a lovely couple from Denmark who revealed to me that their entire vacation itinerary was planned around this specific concert, ever since it was originally announced in the early summer. With the cozy venue now quickly filling up in anticipation of Violent Femmes taking the stage, I surveyed the crowd surrounding me and noticed the age diversity of the attendees – many of whom were twentysomething – a testament to the everlasting legacy of the Femmes, and a point to which frontman and guitarist Gordon Gano would speak to in the closing moments of the night.
After a brief introduction of the band by City Winery’s emcee, Gano and his two bandmates – founding member Brian Ritchie (bass guitar) and John Sparrow (their drummer since 2016 who plays on a Weber charcoal kettle grill!) – appeared from stage left to loud applause from the nearly 400 fans in attendance. The trio was joined by longtime touring partner and multi-instrumentalist (including a 6-foot contrabass saxophone) Blaise Garza.
Gordon Gano | Photo by Michael DingerBrian Ritchie | Photo by Michael DingerJohn Sparrow | Photo by Michael DingerBlaise Garza | Photo by Michael Dinger
Over their nearly four decades together as a band, Violent Femmes have released ten studio albums, with their last being 2019’s Hotel Last Resort and for which they toured extensively. On this night of their residency stay, fans of the Femmes were indulged to a 21-song setlist, lasting for more than 90 minutes, that spanned their nearly four decade career. The most recent material played from their discography – which otherwise focused on the first twenty years of their career – was “Memory,” taken from their ninth studio album (We Can Do Anything, 2016).
However, if you came to this show hoping to witness live offerings from their stellar 1983 self-titled debut album, as I did, you were not disappointed. All the Femmes’ classics that made up their distinctive, early career sound were played, including “Good Feeling,” “Gone Daddy Gone,” “Blister in the Sun,” “Kiss Off” and “Add It Up.” Gano’s unmistakable, nasal-style voice, accompanied by Ritchie’s thumping bass lines (whether using his signature Ernie Ball acoustic or his MusicMan StingRay electric), was solidified with a solid percussion backbone provided by Sparrow (albeit via a minimalist approach using steel brushes on a non-traditional setup of drums). All of which afforded a superior listening experience in the state-of-the-art venue with custom-designed audio acoustics.
Brian Ritchie | Photo by Michael Dinger
In their new “home away from home,” the Femmes displayed an easy-going chemistry coupled with undeniable showmanship. The band were in top form, and so too were the audience, as many sang the chorus to any catchy lyrical pop nugget they recognized, while others chose to abandon their coveted dining table for any nearby space to dance in. The ‘stole-the-show” moment came when banjo ace and New York (Syracuse) native Tony Trischka made a special guest appearance on “Country Death Song” and “It’s Gonna Rain” – both from the Femmes’ sophomore studio album (Hallowed Ground, 1984) – the former of which Trischka performed the recorded version at the Secret Sound Studio at nearby West 24th Street.
Tony Trischka | Photo by Michael Dinger
The Violent Femmes’ tour culminates at The Eastern in Atlanta, Georgia on October 28. Tickets for remaining shows on the fall run are available here.
Violent Femmes | Photo by Michael Dinger
Violent Femmes Setlist: Prove My Love > Promise > Memory > Confessions > I’m Nothing > Life Is an Adventure > Country Death Song > It’s Gonna Rain > Breakin’ Up > Nightmares > Jesus Walking on the Water > Good Feeling > Dance, Motherfucker, Dance! > Gimme the Car > I Held Her In My Arms > Color Me Once > Gone Daddy Gone > Blister in the Sun > Kiss Off > Encore: In the Dark > Add It Up
Saturday Night Live‘s third show of the season featured a double threat with Megan Thee Stallion returning as both host and musical guest. Following Queen Latifah in 2004, this was only the second time a female rapper served as both host and musical guest on Saturday Night Live.
The show’s cold open featured a take on the January 6th Committee, with second-year player Sarah Sherman appearing as New York Senator Chuck Schumer negotiating for a pastrami sandwich delivery during the insurrection.
Megan’s monologue was brief and allowed her to share one success over the summer, Bachelor’s degree in Health Administration from Texas Southern University, an HBCU. Before her career took off, Megan Thee Stallion’s was enrolled at Prairie View A&M, leading the rapper to joke that while her fans know her as Tina Snow, Suga and Hot Girl Meg, she can now be known as “Megan Thee girl that needs some sleep.” Stallion continued by saying “I got my degree in health administration because I have always wanted to help the people in my community. I believe it’s important to have a sharp mind and a sharp body-ody-ody.”
Megan Thee Stallion also took a moment to plug the website she launched last month, called Bad Bitches Have Bad Days Too, which features mental health resources, crisis hotlines and directories of Black and LGBTQ therapists.
The first sketch of the night put her degree to good use with “Hot Girl Hospital” where, joined by nurses Ego Nwodim and Punkie Johnson, they were “three everyday heroes glow up the community one dusty chick at a time.” The trio were on point together, with Nwodim standing out as the new female lead cast member thus far in the season.
The first song of the evening, “Anxiety,” from her sophomore album Traumatize, had a Beauty Pageant vibe with Megan Thee Stallion and backup dancers all wearing formal dresses with sashes that read “Ms. Overlooked,” “Ms. Insecure,” “Ms. Overlooked,” “Ms. Underpaid,” and Megan wearing “Miss Anxiety.” Rapping about bad girls having bad days too, the emotional empowerment number struck a chord with fans online, and Megan, as she sang about the loss of her mother.
A medley of “NDA” and “Plan B” were featured in the second performance of the night, with Megan wearing a black corset and cutout jeans, with knee length hair and a Cuban link chain, all whiile backed by a full rock band.
Saturday Night Live is off this week and returns on October 29th for the annual Halloween show, with host and musical guest Jack Harlow, who previously was musical guest in 2021.
When you think of Westchester, you may not picture a thriving rap and hip hop scene; one local producer is looking to change that. John Darling aka Poncho is a producer turned entrepreneur, who highlights local artists on his Youtube show, the Encore Podcast.
Growing up in Cortlandt Manor, Poncho didn’t seriously start making beats until a sports injury in college prompted him to switch gears and make music. After dropping out of the University of Mississippi his sophomore year, he returned to his hometown and quickly learned how tough it was to make a career as a producer.
John Darling aka Poncho is a producer turned entrepreneur. With an eye for upcoming artists and an ear for beats, the Westchester native uses his talents daily on his Youtube show, the Encore Podcast.
“You got the industry route where you’re trying to get beats on an album and the internet route posting beats on Youtube, but it’s just so saturated,” he explained. “You can only get so far doing that.”
Rather than DMing artists with his beats and hoping for responses, Poncho wanted musicians to come to him. His solution was the Encore Podcast, where he envisioned himself interviewing up-and-coming rappers, producers and DJs. Poncho had a variety of music contacts from previous ventures hosting live shows and he hoped some of these connections would translate to people he could feature on the podcast. Poncho also believed Encore could serve to connect Westchester artists to one another, creating a community centered around music.
“There’s a lot of people who do music in Westchester, but everyone is just disconnected,” he said. “There’s no home base for people.”
Yet that community is clearly growing under Poncho’s guiding hand. While the podcast is still small – it has less than 1,000 subscribers on Youtube – the fan base is clearly dedicated. The show never appears to lack new voices, whether it be interviews with female rappers like the Yonkers based Prada Mama or big name producers like Mike Snell, who has worked with the likes of artists such as Kanye West and Timbaland.
The podcast is also big enough that Poncho said he only accepts around 15% of interview requests. And on episodes where he reviews new music, artists are now paying him to critique their songs.
Poncho making beats in the studio
Still, it took a while for Poncho to reach this stage. Over the course of hundreds of episodes and many years, the podcast has evolved from acoustic performance videos to music reviews and artist Q&As. Currently, Poncho says the primary focus is creating educational content for artists and producers.
“The interviews are really about creating teachable moments for artists,” he said. “A lot of artists don’t really know what they’re doing … so there’s an education gap that we’re trying to fill with our podcast.”
Indeed, the podcast excels particularly by providing both a platform for artists and their music while simultaneously serving as a learning tool for viewers hoping to make it in the industry. Perhaps no one knows this better than Westchester rapper Tim Schulze, who releases music under the moniker, Starkiller TmmyX.
TmmyX has been a featured guest on the podcast, working alongside Poncho to review artist submissions. TmmyX is also an avid viewer of the show and said the podcast provides knowledge he wished he had known when he was just starting out.
“Poncho goes through and he teaches all these little things and he gives you all these criticisms,” he said. “Some people might take it the wrong way, but these are things that I wish somebody was telling me earlier in my career.”
The burgeoning reach of Poncho’s podcast also contributed to TmmyX filming a music video with the artist Nyck Caution, a member of the hip hop collective Pro Era, which notably features Joey Bada$$ as one of its founding members. TmmyX and Caution had recently made a song together, although they never met in-person for the collab. TmmyX decided to preview the new single on the Encore Podcast, where it was met with rave reviews. Hundreds of people tagged Caution while Poncho himself gave a shoutout requesting the two meet and shoot a music video together … and it worked.
“Two weeks later, [Nick Caution] is with me and we’re in Brooklyn shooting the video because of Poncho’s podcast,” TmmyX said. “It’s things like that. He’s creating moments. Poncho has created each of these connections by putting his service out there.”
Another connection Poncho has made is with Bobby Lehday, a Westchester producer and now frequent guest of the Encore podcast. Lehday has worked with famous rappers like Lil Durk and serves as an in-house producer for other Westchester artists like TmmyX.
Like Poncho, Lehday has an eye for Westchester talent and sees the opportunity for a community to grow around the rap genre.
“I like to see people from my area win and if I can help them with that, I’ll do whatever I can,” Lehday said. “I love seeing people blossom and grow into artists. I feel like a farmer tending my garden.”
Bobby Lehday, Poncho and TmmyX doing music reviews on the podcast
For Lehday, sometimes helping others comes in the form of tough love, as evidenced by his sometimes critical music reviews on the Encore Podcast.
“I’ve been on the show myself and people have said I’ve been a little harsh, but honestly some people really need to hear that,” Lehday emphasized. “If you’re serious about music, you have to be willing to be humbled.”
As someone who has been humbled many times while making the podcast what it is today, Poncho said he agrees with this mindset.
“At the beginning I was ignorant and after a hundred and fifty podcasts, I learned that, ‘oh, I’m doing this wrong,’” he said. “Eventually after I’ve fixed two hundred things, now I have a good podcast.”
Still, Poncho doesn’t deny that sometimes ignorance is bliss.
“I was blessed because I didn’t know what the fuck I was doing,” he said. “If I had known how difficult this actually is, I might have not done it.”
But by all accounts, Poncho has done it. Through trial and error and sheer dedication, Darling has made the Encore Podcast his full-time job and his main source of income. He continues to grow the platform one new artist at a time.
“I’ve got no other option,” he said. “With the platform we’re trying to build, I only want people that have that hustle, because if you don’t have the hustle, you’re not going to make it.”
Nick Mason’s Saucerful of Secrets returned to The Beacon Theatre in NYC on Wednesday, October 12. The band formed in 2018 to perform the early music of Pink Floyd. It consists of Pink Floyd co-founder and drummer Nick Mason, bassist Guy Pratt, guitarists Gary Kemp and Lee Harris and keyboardist Dom Beken. Mason’s idea was to bring Pink Floyd’s pre The Darkside of the Moon material to a broader audience.
Nick Mason’s Saucerful of Secrets at The Beacon Theatre 10.12.22
Although The Darkside of the Moon was Pink Floyd’s most popular album, there were actually seven albums that preceded it. The Piper at the Gates of Dawn was Floyd’s debut album. It was released in 1967 and is the only Pink Floyd album created under the leadership of founding member Syd Barrett. During the second album, A Saucerful of Secrets, Barrett’s mental health deteriorated. Syd left the band before the completion of the album and David Gilmour joined. “Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun” was the only song on the album featuring all five members.
Nick Mason’s Saucerful of Secrets at The Beacon Theatre 10.12.22
Nick Mason may not have the same name recognition as Waters or Gilmour, but this show is just as good. I had forgotten how many fantastic pre Darkside hits the band has. The show started with “One of These Days,” the opening track from the 1971 album Meddle. After that they performed Pink Floyd’s first single released in 1967, “Arnold Layne.” Gary Kemp’s vocals really did this song justice as it sounded almost identical to the original. They continued with “Obscured by Clouds,” the title track of the 1972 album, and “When You’re In.”
Nick Mason’s Saucerful of Secrets at The Beacon Theatre 10.12.22
The next portion of the show was devoted to the album Atom Heart Mother. This was Pink Floyd’s fifth studio album, and the first to reach number 1 in the UK. The album was recorded at EMI studios which is now known as Abbey Road Studios. It is also the first album not to feature any photos of the band anywhere, nor their name on the cover. They performed the title track to the album as well as “If”. The first set ended with the psychedelic “Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun.”
After a short break, set two started with “Astronomy Domine,” the opening track on The Piper at the Gates of Dawn. Hallucinatory images of red ooze and trippy lasers flashed in synch to the music. The second set also revisited Obscured by Clouds with “Burning Bridges” and “Childhood’s End.” The highlight of set two and perhaps the entire show was “Echos.” For the first time of the show, the entire audience was on their feet. They included every detail from the opening “ping” to the high pitched screeching noise. Kemp and Pratt’s vocals on this were just as good as the original version’s Gilmour and Wright. This was the culmination of set two.
The crowd remained standing for the rest of the show. “See Emily Play” was the first song of the encore. The show ended with the band’s namesake “Saucerful of Secrets” and again paying tribute to Syd Barrett with “Bike” which Nick Mason considers one of Barrett’s best songs.
The band finally restarted touring in April after postponing due to the pandemic. They recently played The Capitol Theater which you can read our review of here. They also have a ton of upcoming dates in the states as well as Ireland, the UK and Europe. You can see the complete list of all upcoming dates here.
Setlist: One of These Days, Arnold Layne, Fearless, Obscured by Clouds, When You’re In, Candy and a Currant Bun, Vegetable Man, If, Atom Heart Mother, If (Reprise), Remember a Day, Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun, Astronomy Domine, The Nile Song, Burning Bridges, Childhood’s End, Lucifer Sam, Echoes, See Emily Play, A Saucerful of Secrets, Bike
Gorillaz brought their star-studded lineup to Brooklyn’s Barclays Center on Wednesday, October 12th, as part of the final leg of their 2022 world tour. While Gorillaz is primarily the project of frontman Damon Albarn (Blur, The Good, the Bad & the Queen), a Gorillaz live show is always a parade of collaborators and special guests, and the show at Barclays was no exception.
The set featured appearances from Thundercat, Fatoumata Diawara, EarthGang, and longtime Gorillaz collaborators De La Soul and Del the Funky Homosapien. Find the full setlist and photo gallery from Wednesday night below.
Back in June, Gorillaz released the stand-alone single “Cracker Island”. Featuring Thundercat, the song is a classic mix of the nu-disco/rap blend that Gorillaz have been long known for. Thundercat provides the bass line and backing vocals while Bootie Brown delivers the rap verses, both of whom were on hand on Wednesday night to perform it live. The song would ultimately become the title of track of their recently announced eight LP Cracker Island, due out in February 2023.
“Cracker Island” by Gorillaz. Via YouTube
With the announcement of the new album in August, Gorillaz also unveiled a second single, “New Gold” featuring Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker and Bootie Brown. While Kevin was did not make a surprise appearance as he did in Los Angeles, Bootie Brown performed his part with Kevin’s image embedded into the psychedelic visuals of the live show. The setlist also featured “19-2000” from their 2001 self-titled debut with a surprise appearance from Miho Hatori, who had not performed with the band for more than a decade. Miho was the original voice of the character Noodle in the virtual Gorillaz band that was the foundation of the groups mystique early in their career.
Damon Albarn and Miho Hatori of Gorillaz, Barclays Center 10/12/22. Photo by Joseph Buscarello
During the encore, Damon welcomed the long time Gorillaz collaborators De La Soul and Del the Funky Homosapien to join them for some of the band’s most iconic songs. De La Soul provided the epic laughing intro and bassy rap verses to “Feel Good Inc.” before Del burst into raucous performances of “Rock The House” and the classic “Clint Eastwood” which sent fans into a frenzy to close out the 2-plus hour, 27 song show.
Del the Funky Homosapien, with Gorillaz. Barclays Center 10/12/22. Photo by Joseph Buscarello
Gorillaz have a handful of dates left on their 2022 tour, before a period of down time ahead of the new album release in February. Head over to their website for the full list of dates, and check out the photo gallery below from Barclays Center.
Gorillaz, Barclays Center, Brooklyn – October 12, 2022
Fun Lovin’ Criminals have released their first EP in more than a decade, The Roosevelt Sessions, with a national tour kicking off in November. The jazz-laden four-track cut is sprinkled with biting political satire, nostalgic samples that romanticize life in New York, and their signature world-weary commentary on rising above a life of crime.
The last album of original music from Fun Lovin’ Criminals was Classic Fantastic, released in 2010, and The Roosevelt Sessions gives fans a taste of the new Criminals sound ahead of more new music slated for release in 2023. The trio features multi-instrumentalist Brian ‘Fast’ Leiser on lead vocal duties following the departure of Huey Morgan in November last year; drummer Frank Benbini and guitarist Naim Cortazzi, formerly with the Manchester band Happy Mondays and soul star Beverley Knight, to restore the trio.
“Shake It Loose”, the second track on the EP, addresses the mental health issues that inspired Fast and Frank to create new music and perform to their fans worldwide after the departure of Morgan.
With silky backing vocals from Benbini, Fast, with his smokey Brooklyn drawl, laments, “back then you didn’t listen, to what was true, now it’s all we wanna hear from you. It’s not about right, it’s not about wrong.”
Fun Lovin’ Criminals are entering a new chapter, with a steely focus on creating new music that our fans will love. Our new EP is a return to our gritty early days in NYC, particularly with the way the music has been composed.
Brian ‘Fast’ Leiser
Fun Lovin’ Criminals began in 1993 after Brian ‘Fast’ Leiser met Huey Morgan at The Limelight nightclub in NYC. Their debut album Come Find Yourself reached no.7 in the UK charts and was certified Platinum in the UK and Gold in the Netherlands. The biggest hit “Scooby Snacks” contains dialogue from Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs. The track peaked at no.12 in the UK singles chart in 1997 and was certified Silver by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) in July 2022.
Fun Lovin’ Criminals Fall Tour dates can be found below, with the tour kicking off in Boston on November 3, and stopping in their hometown of Brooklyn on November 4 at Elsewhere.
The Coronas have been releasing music since 2007, but despite streaming numbers in the millions on even their earliest albums, the Irish band has found themselves getting a different kind of name recognition in the past couple years. And instead of shying away from their unintended ties to the COVID-19 pandemic, The Coronas decided to face it head on.
Their 7th album, Time Stopped, released last week on October 7, focuses heavily on the pandemic and its aftermath. To celebrate its release, The Coronas are heading off on an international tour, with a stop in NYC on November 5, featuring Róisín O.
The Coronas is a three piece band, with Graham Knox on bass, Conor Egan on drums and Danny O’Reilly as lead singer. The band is extremely passionate about performing live, even going so far as promoting their last album, released during the pandemic, by driving around in an ice cream truck to still bring live, if socially distant, performances to their fans.
Irish singer Róisín O, whose solo album Courageous was released in the spring to positive notices, joins The Coronas as their special guest on their tour of North America. Róisín will join as the support act as well as playing keyboards and singing backgrounds on their headlining shows.
This summer, The Coronas sold out shows in Cork and Dublin. Before they land in the U.S., the band will play multiple venues in Germany and Switzerland. Lead singer Danny O’Reilly said the return to live audiences will be affecting.
“Time Stoppedwas written to be played live,” O’Reilly said. “We’re ridiculously excited to be on the road again and to play these new songs to full capacity rooms around the world. It’s going to be emotional.”
