Joe Russo’s Almost Dead (JRAD) have wrapped up a weekend that saw the Grateful Dead tribute act celebrate 10 years as a band with a 4 night run, including one at the Brooklyn Bowl & three nights at The Capitol Theatre. Grateful Dead guitarist Bob Weir even made a surprise guest appearance at the Brooklyn Bowl show.
The first night at The Capitol Theatre run on Friday, January 27, started off with a jam > “Scarlet Begonias”. The first set featured “Six Days on The Road”, “Hell in a Bucket”, “The Eleven”, & concluded with a thorough jammed out “I Know You Rider”.
The second set featured a funky “Cats Under The Stars”, “Feel Like a Stranger”, and dead head favorite “Franklin’s Tower”. The second set was concluded with “Days Between” which was rather slow and somber but well executed. The band encored with “Not Fade Away” & “In the Meantime” a Spacehog cover that left some of the audience a bit confused, but thoroughly delighted nonetheless.
Check out the setlists and videos from JRAD’s 10 years anniversary run below.
Thursday, January 26 – Brooklyn Bowl
Set 1: Tennessee Jed > Till the Morning Comes > Jack Straw* > The Music Never Stopped* > Let It Grow Set 2: Shakedown Street > Truckin’ > Viola Lee Blues > Althea > Ten Years Gone > The Other One > How Many More Times > Breathe > Terrapin Station Encore: Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues * with Bob Weir
Friday, January 27 – The Capitol Theatre, Port Chester
Set 1: Jam > Scarlet Begonias > Six Days On The Road > Hell in a Bucket > Black Peter > The Eleven > I Know You Rider Set 2: Man Smart, Woman Smarter > Cats Under the Stars > Feel Like a Stranger > Franklin’s Tower > Throwing Stones > Days Between Encore: Not Fade Away > In the Meantime
Saturday, January 28 – The Capitol Theatre, Port Chester
Set 1: Foolish Heart > Slipknot! > Casey Jones > Cumberland Blues > My Brother Esau > Box of Rain > Playing in the Band Set 2: Rubin and Cherise > Hard to Handle > Eyes of the World > Brown-Eyed Women > Estimated Prophet > Ramble On Rose > Good Lovin’ > Touch of Grey Encore: Deal
Sunday, January 29 – The Capitol Theatre, Port Chester
Set 1: Lost Sailor > Saint of Circumstance > St. Stephen > Only Daddy That’ll Walk the Line > Dire Wolf > Uncle John’s Band > King Solomon’s Marbles > Uncle John’s Band > It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry > Wharf Rat > Jack-A-Roe Set 2: Fire on the Mountain > Samson and Delilah > Mission in the Rain > Dancing in the Street > New Speedway Boogie > Dancing in the Street > West L.A. Fadeaway > Dear Mr. Fantasy > Going Down the Road Feelin’ Bad Encore: Bertha
On Friday, January 27th, Penelope Scott played a one-off show at the iconic venue Baby’s All Right in Brooklyn. With support from openers Hank and Yot Club, there was a dynamic and vivacious energy as the performances spoke for themselves and the audience participated in their own way.
Photographed by Chinaza Ajuonuma
Penelope Scott is an American singer-songwriter who has produced all of her own music. Scott’s debut album, Public Void, was released on Bandcamp on August 29, 2020, then on streaming services on September 25, 2020. In November 2020, her music found a larger audience on Tik Tok. Her song “Rät” went viral with tens of thousands of videos made with the song. The song expresses disappointment with Silicon Valley and technology billionaires, particularly Elon Musk “Rät” peaked at 29 on Billboard’s Hot Rock & Alternative Songs Chart.
A week after playing at the first annual This is Home benefit show at Racket on Jan 11th, Penelope announced the Jan 27th one-off show on Instagram. Her companions were Yot Club, aka Ryan Kaiser (who also played at the benefit show), and Hank, both of whom played their first ever Baby’s All Right show on the 27th.
Photographed by Chinaza Ajuonuma
Hank performed first, letting the audience know that despite being an NYC local, they had never played at Baby’s All Right. Hank’s music is self-described as “music for truck drivers who wear short jorts and rip juuls” which was evident in their setlist. With a sound that can be described as pop indie tunes with a southern twang, their set kicked the show off with an animated and captivating vibe.
After his last appearance alongside Penelope and friends at the This is Home Benefit show on Jan 11th, Yot Club (Ryan Kaiser) took the stage again right after Hank. Although it was also his first time ever playing a show at Baby’s, he has toured with Penelope before, revealing he loves opening for her fans due to their open and energetic demeanor.
During his set, Kaiser played his signature lo-fi bedroom pop beats with songs like “YKWIM?”, “Japan”, and a Mountain Goats cover of “No Children” for what turned out to be an electric performance with the crowd screaming back lyrics.
Photographed by Chinaza Ajuonuma
By the time Penelope Scott came on stage, the crowd was thoroughly warmed up and buzzing with excitement. She showcased her musical prowess by jumping from her borrowed guitar (courtesy of Kaiser) to the keyboard, to her prerecorded electronic tracks. Throughout the show, her moxie and vivacious spirit infected the crowd as she busted out some dance moves, accepted a fan-made bracelet, and did a bottle flip challenge during an instrumental break. By the time the show came to a close, Scott debuted a couple of half-baked bangers that she affectionately referred to as “campfire time”. After closing her eyes and throwing her setlist into the crowd, she left the crowd with a liveliness that defines a Penelope Scott show.
Photographed by Chinaza Ajuonuma
Be sure to keep up with all these artists on socials, especially since there are some shows that just can’t be missed!
Yot Club can be found opening for Skegss during their US tour dates, and you can catch Hank next month on February 12th. They’ll be performing at The Sultan Room in Brooklyn with friends as part of Cumulonimbus, a collaborative music playlist that Hank is featured on.
Photographed by Chinaza Ajuonuma
Hank Setlist: Call Me Hank, All for You (Baby), Adore You [Miley Cyrus cover], Bugs, Good Guy Hard Life, One True Dear, Your Ex Man
Yot Club Setlist: u dont kno me, Comfort Zone, Dog Song, down bad, No Children [The Mountain Goats cover], YKWIM?, The Bay, Fly Out West, Mardi gras, anything, japan
Penelope Scott Setlist: Pseudophed, Sweet Hibiscus Tea, Feel Better, Bad Advice, Baxter 3rd Is Under Fucking Siege, 7’Oclock, Lavender, American Healthcare, Montreal, Runaway, Cool Girl Shuffle, Cigarette Ahegao, Gross, TOML, Rät, Lotta True Crime, Sineater, Cemetary Pigeons [unreleased], Something Blue [unreleased]
Photograph by Chinaza AjuonumaPhotograph by Chinaza AjuonumaPhotograph by Chinaza AjuonumaPhotograph by Chinaza AjuonumaPhotograph by Chinaza AjuonumaPhotograph by Chinaza AjuonumaPhotograph by Chinaza AjuonumaPhotograph by Chinaza AjuonumaPhotograph by Chinaza AjuonumaPhotograph by Chinaza AjuonumaPhotograph by Chinaza AjuonumaPhotograph by Chinaza AjuonumaPhotograph by Chinaza AjuonumaPhotograph by Chinaza AjuonumaPhotograph by Chinaza Ajuonuma
“Welcome to Hell” shouted Ryan Stasik from the stage as fans marched into Garcia’s directly following the Umphrey’s McGee show on Saturday, January 21st in Port Chester. It was a big night for the bass player. Not only was he celebrating UM’s 25th birthday, he was also throwing the official Death Kings after-party under the moniker ‘Bassik Stasik Presents.’
Ripping into original songs as well as classic 80’s, 90’s and 2000’s punk rock staples, the band obliterated the late-night crowd with an old school no-holds barred throwdown. Featuring guest sit-ins from members of the Trey Anastasio Band and Lespecial, the packed-out pub at Garcia’s was given the royal treatment.
Making a rare appearance, the punk/metal anti-hero trio Death Kings formed during the pandemic to pay homage to all things heavy. Comprised of Ryan “Little King” Stasik, Mike “Muerto” Gantzer of Aqueous on guitar/vocals and ex-Turkuaz drummer Mikey “OX” Carubba, the band debuted early last year and have only played a handful of live shows since, making each time out a special “can’t miss” occasion. Notable by his absence, for this show Carubba was replaced on drums by Jonathan Peace. While it remains unclear if the band will have a revolving cast of characters, what we do know is that every Death Kings performance is unique.
Opening the gig with special guest Jennifer Hartswick on vocals, the band launched into one of their signature tracks and the theme of the evening, “Welcome to Hell.” Hartswick, who had also lent her musical talents to Umphrey’s McGee earlier in the evening, was a pure badass in the role, shouting out lyrics like:
I can’t wait for my turn To ride the rails and send it down below Welcome to Hell Oh my God, it’s been a long time running Ain’t no use when the blood starts coming Feels so good to burn
Lyrics from “Welcome to Hell” by Death Kings
After reveling in the moment and exchanging hugs, Death Kings would continue with another original song “Fight!” before turning back the clock for our first punk cover of the evening, “Cyco Vision” by the legendary Suicidal Tendencies. Perhaps in a nod to an earlier Stasik/Gantzer collaboration dubbed Dookie, a pair of Green Day songs were chosen next. First was “Longview” which had everyone singing along, then despite the shows “Hell” theme, Death Kings flowed directly into “Welcome to Paradise.”
With the whole room feeling the vibe, it was time for another original banger in “March of the Kings.” From punk to metal, everyone was getting down to the cover of System of a Down’s smash hit “Aerials,” which more people seemed familiar with than the next cover choice, Harvey Danger’s “Flagpole Sitta” which fit into the “hell” theme nicely.
I’m not sick but I’m not well And I’m so hot ’cause I’m in Hell I’m not sick but I’m not well And it’s a sin to live this well
Flagpole Sitta Lyrics
Death Kings would channel some Cobain angst next with a sped up rendition of Nirvana’s “Breed,” before throwing it back to one of the original punk rock anthems “I Wanna Be Your Dog” by Iggy Pop and The Stooges.
With the party now hitting a new level of rowdiness, the Kings called upon another special guest, Luke Bemand, bass player of Lespecial, to help out on vocals for the Camp Kill Yourself skate anthem “96 Quite Bitter Beings.” Popping off his shirt to throw on the now infamous “Hot Joel” tee, Bemand and the boys had quite the chuckle over the false start of the CKY song. On the second attempt, the Kings got it right and were clearly having a ball sharing the stage together.
While the after party at Garcia’s was scheduled to start at 11:45pm, when the Umphrey’s McGee show in the next room over ran well past midnight, things on the setlist had to be condensed. The band would joke, “25 years of Umphrey’s, 25 minutes of Death Kings.” With the curfew rapidly approaching, the band couldn’t call it a night without paying homage to one of punk’s original misfits, Glen Danzing, opting to cover the 1988 song “Twist of Cain.” With time for just once more, Death Kings let it all hang out on the final song of the night, the DK penned original “Disembodied,”which featured a huge guitar solo from Ganzter and Pony playing the bass behind his head. Check out fan shot footage of that song below.
A loud, sweaty, high-octane performance that was so much fun that even the devil himself would have got in the pit. With no upcoming Death Kings shows to speak of, those who were lucky enough to score a ticket to this sold-out night in Hell walked away from it feeling most grateful. It was still Garcia’s after all.
Setlist: Death Kings | Garcia’s | Port Chester, NY | 1/21/23
Setlist: Welcome to Hell [1], Fight, Cyco Vision (Suicidal Tendencies), Longview (Green Day), Welcome to Paradise (Green Day), March of the Kings, Aerials (System of a Down), Flagpole Sitta (Harvey Danger), Breed (Nirvana), I Wanna Be Your Dog (The Stooges), 96 Quite Bitter Beings (CKY) [2], Twist of Cain (Danzig), Disembodied
[1] w/ Jennifer Hartswick [2] w/ Luke Bemand of Lespecial
Where does the time go? A lot can happen over the course of 25 years, but for a rock band, sticking together that long isn’t typically one of them. From the beginning, however, Umphrey’s McGee has never been a typical band.
Often considered “too heavy for the hippies,” or “too jammy for the metal heads,” UM has emphatically made a career out of bridging those two musical scenes together; a theme that would unveil itself throughout the final night of their silver anniversary run through New York. Playing their 2,644th show on January 21, 2023 at the Capitol Theatre, exactly 25 years after their first known performance, appreciative fans from all over the country made their way to “the original rock palace” to commemorate this milestone birthday bash.
Consisting of Brendan Bayliss and Jake Cinniger on guitars, Ryan Stasik on bass, percussionist Andy Farag and drummer Kris Myers, improv-heavy prog rockers Umphrey’s McGee have come a long way since forming as students at the University of Notre Dame and the road to this historic night at the Cap hasn’t always been an easy one. Sticking together through untold sacrifice, overcoming tragedy and navigating through an ever-changing musical landscape, Umphrey’s McGee has remained one of the most colorful, innovative, and hardest working live acts in the business for a quarter century now.
After kicking off their birthday weekend with an intimate sold-out show in Williamsburg and then wow’ing The Cap crowd on night one in Port Chester with a plethora of heavy fan favorites like “Front Porch”, “JaJunk” “Higgins,” and an acoustic debut cover of “Helplessly Hoping” in memory of the late David Crosby, when the band members took the stage on Saturday night, you could just feel that something special was about to go down.
Starting the party with a bang, “Bridgeless” had the hyped crowd with their ‘horns up’ and dancing shoes on from the get-go. The band would leave the song unfinished and throw fans their first surprise of the night, shifting gears into “13 Days,” a song which had not been played since before the Covid-19 pandemic. From something old to something new, up next was a song dedicated to UM crew member Rachel who is moving on after sixteen years with band. “Escape Goat,” from the band’s most recent album Asking for a Friend would stretch out for nearly 19 minutes. Revisiting their roots some more, “White Man’s Moccasins” followed suit before Umphrey’s McGee jammed even longer on another new song, the tongue-in-cheek titled “Unevolved.” Played for only the second time since debuting last November, this version clocked in at well over 20 minutes and sent fans to intermission with plenty to smile about and discuss.
Prior to the start of Set Two, Capitol Theatre owner Peter Shapiro would lead the crowd in singing “Happy Birthday” while presenting the band with a cake. In return Umphrey’s McGee then launched into an equally ‘sweet’ rendition of “Wappy Sprayberry” to get things going strong. ”Pure Saturation” came next and provided lighting director Ben Factor a prime opportunity to dazzle the audience with his impressive skills and tasteful color palettes. Following it up with another surprise was “Dear Lord.” An emotional nod to the bands earliest days, the rarely played song was first performed back in January of 1998. Another deep cut was next in the form of “The Other Side of Things,” which has only been play five times this century!
Jake Cinniger would join in on percussion with Andy Farag in a duel with drummer Kris Myers before bassist (and best T-Shirt of the night winner) Ryan Stasik would take over with his distinct riffage of the heavy hitting “Puppet String.” Another tip of the cap to the band’s early history was up next with the UM classic “Divisions” which was also played at their very first show.
Umphrey’s would then unplug for some candid banter as Brendan Bayliss took an opportunity to give proper shout-outs to his bandmates, the crew and the fans for making the last 25 years possible. Claiming he didn’t prepare a speech, so if he was speaking from the heart, it would have probably come out sounding offensive. “And if I did offend you,” Bayliss hypothetically joked, “go fuck yourself.” He then invited out special guest and frequent collaborator Jenifer Hartswick for an acoustic anything-but ‘Hartliss’ rendition of the rarely played “Bullhead City.”
Hartswick would stick around and play trumpet on yet another bust-out, “1,000 Places to See Before You Die,” an instrumental which has only been played 11 times ever. As if that wasn’t special enough, the roof would nearly come off the place next when Hartswick lead the entire theatre in a cathartic sing-along of the Queen and David Bowie’s classic “Under Pressure,” fading out of the set with everyone snapping their fingers in unison. A very neat moment to be a part of.
Now past the witching hour, Umphrey’s McGee returned to the stage one last time, soaking in the cheers with huge smiles before keyboardist Joel Cummins would lead fans into the “Den.” Finally the show would come to it’s high-octane conclusion the same way it began, returning to “Bridgeless” to complete one hell of a celebratory jam-sandwich. Genuinely thanking everyone for “letting them do what they do” for the last 25 years, Bayliss would confirm they’ll “keep doing it as long as you keep coming out.” The band then convened in the middle of stage for a group hug and bow, which received a well-deserved standing and sustained ovation.
Tying the bow on an epic birthday run through New York, Umphrey’s McGee honored their past with a carefully mapped out, career spanning setlist while simultaneously showcasing a glimpse of the greatness yet to come. Combined with an unmatched dedication to their fans and their craft, an astonishing improvisational and technical ability, and a mesmerizing light show, the future for this timeless band is looking bigger and brighter than ever. With the UMXXV Tour officially off and rolling and a number of major festival dates already announced for later this summer, the Umphrey’s McGee train shows no sign of slowing down anytime soon.
Setlist: Umphrey’s McGee | 1/20/2023 | The Capitol Theatre | Port Chester, NY
SetOne: Small Strides, Conduit > Day Nurse[1], FF-> Mail Package[2], It’s Not Your Fault > JaJunk[3] SetTwo: Front Porch > Resolution > Front Porch, The Linear > 2nd Self, Higgins Encore: Helplessly Hoping[4], The Weight Around[5] > The Floor: [1] with Workin’ Day and Night (Michael Jackson) teases [2] with Miss Tinkle’s Overture tease [3] with Top Gun Anthem (Harold Faltermeyer) tease [4] debut, Crosby, Stills, & Nash; just Brendan and Jake on acoustics and vocals, along with Joel on vocals [5] with Brendan on acoustic
Helplessly Hoping played in remembrance of David Crosby, with “Closing Time” (Semisonic) quote from Brendan just before
Setlist: Umphrey’s McGee | 1/21/2023 | The Capitol Theatre | Port Chester, NY
Set 1: Bridgeless > 13 Days, Escape Goat-> White Man’s Moccasins > Unevolved
Set 2: Wappy Sprayberry > Pure Saturation > Dear Lord > The Other Side of Things > Drums[1], Puppet String, Jam[2] > Divisions, Bullhead City[3], 1000 Places to See Before You Die[4], Under Pressure[5]
Encore: Den > Bridgeless
Footnotes: [1] with Jake on percussion [2] just Jake [3] with Jennifer Hartswick on vocals, and Brendan and Jake on acoustics [4] with Jennifer Hartswick on trumpet [5] with Jennifer Hartswick on vocals Show Notes: Before set two, venue owner Pete Shapiro and radio personality Gary Dell’Abate presented the band with a cake and led the crowd in singing “Happy Birthday” for the band
Opening up the show was Nashville-based recording artist Rich Ruth. A seasoned session musician and an ambient music making machine, it was this critically acclaimed up-and-comers first time passing through Albany. Captivating the audience early with dreamy, lush and psychedelic post-rock styled soundscapes, the band created a huge swirling sound layered with rich textures, soaring saxophone solos, syncopated drumming, droning synthesizers, reverb-drenched feedback and huge blues rock guitar peaks. Playing mostly songs from 2022 I Survived, It’s Over, an album written in the days after a devastating twister ravaged Ruth’s neighborhood, the set found a healthy balance between beauty and chaos. Backed on this tour by a talented group of friends and equally skilled musicians, each member of the group brought something unique to the table and the result was something palpable and potent and left the Lark Hall wanting more.
Circles began their set around 930pm, taking to the disco ball laden stage, resembling mid-1960s era Deadheads and Grateful Dead members. The five giant disco balls made the stage seem more full, as the notes the band produced were far greater than the sum of the members. Yet not a moment is wasted among these four – John Lee Shannon (guitar), Dan Horne (bass) Adam MacDougall (keys) and Mark Levy (drums) – as each sonic branch ventured off into another, connecting for a sound that filled in all available space.
The highlight of the night could be found anywhere, but “Language,” a track released in March 2022 featuring the harp of Mikaela Davis, stood out. This funky new disco number is a pure dance potion, consistently hit its mark, retreating before resurging towards an extended ending and then “Money’s No Option.” The 90+ minute set was better than two separate sets, so as not to interrupt the flow. Circles could have easily played another hour and lost few, if any of the dialed in crowd.
An encore of “One for Chuck” had a smooth-flowing Dead-heavy jam that give a hint of “NFA” but ended up falling into a soft rock smooth jazz vibe.
Circles Around the Sun – Lark Hall, Albany – Friday, January 20, 2023
Setlist: Scatlotta, Landline, Outerburrows, Babyman, Rouge > Language, Money, Away Team Encore: One for Chuck
moe. performed a scorching show at The Wellmont Theatre in Montclair, NJ on their Winter Tour. Fans and band mates were happy to see Chuck Garvey back in action, sounding good as ever. Chuck mentioned how grateful he was to be back up on the stage playing with the band.
The band opened with a classic, catchy, full of camel lights “Happy Hour Hero.” (Luckily this was the song stuck in my head all day.) With Nate Wilson on keyboards the entire show, later in the first set there was a well-jammed out “Nebraska” and a band debut of “Long Time Gone” by Crosby, Stills, Nash in honor of the recent passing of David Crosby.
The second set opened up with a psychedelic heavy “Fearless,” a Pink Floyd cover, which gave way to another cover, this time of progressive rock band, Yes, with “Starship Trooper.” The second set proved to be energy filled and jam heavy, ending with “Yodelittle” > “Rebubula” > “Buster” before swinging back into “Rebubla.” moe. wrapped up the show with an epic “Seat of My Pants”
moe. – The Wellmont Theater, Montclair, NJ – January 21, 2023
Set 1: Happy Hour Hero, Mar De Ma > George, Jazz Cigarette, Nebraska, Mexico > Long Time Gone* Set 2: Fearless > Starship Trooper (Yes) > Meat, Yodelittle > Rebubula > Buster > Rebubula Encore: Seat of My Pants
Coming off the October release of his third full-length album, Cometa, Brooklyn-based artist, Nick Hakim, performed at Brooklyn Steel this past Saturday, Jan. 21.
Nick, joined by his incredibly smooth, regular musician accompaniment consisting of bassist Kyle Myles, guitarist Joe Harrison, and drummer Vishal Nayak, brought fresh sounds and layers to his already sonically rich vocal and backing melodies.
The night’s performance began with a few songs off the new record, blending in occasional songs from his second and debut album, also including, “I Don’t Know”, from his E.P. Where Will We Go, Pt. 2.
Midway through the gracefully blended set, show opener June McDoom joined the band on stage, providing harmonies fit for Nick’s soulfully gritty vocal style throughout the remainder of the show (not including the encore).
Later in the night, Nick’s brother Danny supplied guitar accompaniment to “Perfume”, which he wrote the chords for.
Nick and Danny Hakim & June McDoom, 2023 Photo by Parker Alexander
Some highlights of the night were a rousing performance of “Qadir”, named after his late friend, Qadir Imhotep West. Through repeated choruses, the band fully enveloped the audience, reaching out in the quiet and intimate moments, making the once industrial steel manufacturing plant feel like a personal performance in his living room, all whilst not forgetting to shy away from the crunchy, distorted guitar riffs and driving bass line.
Tomorrow night, the group heads to Philadelphia, continuing the tour through mid-February, before flying overseas in March.
Post-hardcore collective The Sound of Animals Fighting rolled through Webster Hall this past Saturday, January 21st, for the penultimate show on their 2023 winter tour. The tour comes fresh off the release of their new EP, and first new music in 15 years, Apeshit. These shows mark the band’s only fourth ever tour, but the hardcore supergroup were in fine form Saturday night as the eight-piece collective constantly shifted roles and personnel throughout the night.
The Sound of Animals Fighting at Webster Hall, 1/21/23. Photo by Joseph Buscarello
The Sound of Animals Fighting have always existed behind shroud and mystery, famously doing their original press photos wearing animal masks and only identifying the band members via their animal monikers. While the core lineup has not been a mystery in a long time, the band has a new permutation of their rotating personnel for this era. Vocalist Anthony Green (Circa Survive, Saosin, L.S. Dunes) anchors the band with his soaring, melodic vocal style backed by RX Bandits members Rich Balling, Matt Embree, Steve Choi, and Chris Tsagakis. Rounding out the Apeshit lineup is Keith Goodwin (Days Away, Good Old War), Matthew Kelly (The Autumns), and Jonathan Hischke.
Anthony Green, The Sound of Animals Fighting at Webster Hall, 1/21/23. Photo by Joseph Buscarello
On Apeshit, The Sound of Animals Fighting dial back the atmosphere and cinematic elements of their style in favor of more straight forward and in-your-face post hardcore. Standout track “Sharon Tate, Despite Everything” comes in waves; Rich Balling drones over a dark and melodic instrumental with sporadic drumming then Anthony Green barges in screaming out a long “Sharon Tate…” as the song takes on a more formal post-hardcore progression. The two sections blend together as the song progresses, creating one of the most interesting songs in the genre in some time. The title track kicks off the EP with a relentless hardcore presentation and technical, near math rock guitar and rhythm sections. Things slow down a bit on “Wolf”, with swirling and distorted synths backed by electronic drum kicks before the EP closes with “Duche Das”, most reminiscent of the interludes on 2007’s Tiger and The Duke.
Rich Balling of The Sound of Animals Fighting, Webster Hall, 1/21/23. Photo by Joseph Buscarello
With the tour over, and the EP released, the future is uncertain for The Sound of Animals Fighting. The band has only toured four times since their debut in 2005 and all of their members are active in many other projects. Anthony Green himself has seen a resurgence in recent years, forming new band L.S. Dunes (who are fresh off a debut LP and tour) and remaining active in Saosin. While Circa Survive is currently on hiatus, you never know what Green will embark on next.
The passion and cohesiveness of The Sound of Animals Fighting was top tier at Webster Hall this past weekend. The band performs as if they have been on regular tour for 15 years and the energy and engagement with the crowd was palpable. While we wait and see what the future holds, we can rest assured that we just witnessed one of the best post-hardcore tours in recent memory. Check out the full photo gallery from Webster Hall below.
The Sound of Animals Fighting, Webster Hall 1/21/2023
Setlist: Wolf, Apeshit, I, The Swan, Act I: Chasing Suns, Act II: All Is Ash or the Light Shining Through It, This Heat, My Horse Must Lose, Another Leather Lung, Blessings Be Yours Mister V, On The Occasion of Wet Snow, The Heretic, Act III: Modulate Back To The Tonic, Act IV: You Don’t Need A Witness
Encore: The Heraldic Beak Of The Manufacturer’s Medallion, Skullflower, Stockhausen, es ist Ihr Gehrin das ich suche, Sharon Tate, Despite Everything
I have been eagerly awaiting my first opportunity to see both acts and was incredibly excited when Karina was added to the bill at the Buffalo Biscuits show.
photo by Brian Ferguson
Taking the stage at 7:30 and performing an unrelenting 45-minute set, Rykman filled the room with her deep and punchy bass tone as drummer Chris Corsico and guitarist Adam November backed her up with tight beats and screaming leads. November in particular has a pedalboard capable of making crazy sounds as he tweaked knobs like a mad scientist throughout their set.
Rykman also demonstrated her contagious and joyous energy as she bounced around the stage while shredding. Standout tracks included the unreleased “Joyride” and the upbeat and driving “City Kids.” Do NOT miss her shows if she plays in your area!
When the lights dropped in Buffalo for the first set of the Disco Biscuits and the band jumped into “Bazaar Escape,” I was immediately struck by how cleanly they executed the wild and proggy twists and turns of the song. Very much a newcomer to the band’s material, I had naturally assumed that there were many simpler song structures to act as launchpads for long and dance-y jams, so “Bazaar” was a pleasant surprise as its arpeggios bounced around the packed venue.
photo by Brian Ferguson
Moving into “The Bridge” next, the music became incredibly euphoric as guitarist Jon “Barber” Gutwillig’s leads reached for the sky. The fabled “untz” began to set in as the Biscuits smashed through an inverted “Home Again” into “The Wormhole.”
As a keyboardist, I am naturally very curious and dialed in to Aron Magner on his side of the stage as he bounced from one board to another, looping on the fly and generally having a ball.
“Spacebirdmatingcall” continued the strong untz jamming and seemed to be closing the set, but bassist Marc Brownstein called for another tune as Gutwillig was in the process of removing his guitar. The funky “Morph Dusseldorf” closed out the set with lots of wah guitar and an anchoring beat from drummer Allen Aucoin.
The energy in the Town Ballroom did not abate in the slightest during setbreak, and the band was met with raucous cheers as they took the stage for the second set. “Jigsaw Earth” was a huge Magner moment as he continued to loop sounds and show off his dexterity on the keys. Aucoin began laying into a propulsive four-on-the-floor dance beat that would dominate the unrelenting and nonstop second set as the Biscuits drove into “Anthem.”
While Brownstein had been sticking out to me all night, this was the moment where he truly blew my mind. While I had previously had a difficult time zeroing in on his playing in the videos I had watched of the Biscuits online, his tone carried through loud and clear last night, locking in with Aucoin to form an incredible rhythm section and groove throughout the second set.
photo by Brian Ferguson
“Times Square” was tapped next and continued to amp up the crowd even more as smiles on band and audience alike grew wider. Moving into “I-Man,” a clear crowd favourite that elicited loud and energetic singing from those in attendance, Gutwillig shredded the song to pieces as the catchy chorus came around again.
Dipping into an inverted “Naeba” before finishing the set with “I-Man,” the Biscuits left a thoroughly torched Buffalo venue with a concise “Helicopters” encore, once again bringing energy to new heights.
My first Disco Biscuits experience was an absolutely incredible night – two sets of nonstop dance party and energy from a very talented band. I look forward to seeing them again soon!
Biscuits tour continues tonight with a two-night stand at Penn’s Peak in Jim Thorpe, PA. Webcasts are available via Couchtour.TV. Karina Rykman joins them again next week for a two nights at Higher Ground in Burlington. Don’t miss it!
moe. kicked off their Winter 2023 tour on Thursday, January 19th at The Paramount in Huntington. Fresh off guitarist Chuck Garvey’s triumphant, yet limited return to the stage on New Year’s Eve in Philadelphia, the tour marks the first time Chuck will be back in the lineup full-time since suffering a stroke in November 2021.
The band made the announcement at the end of their three night run in Colorado to the amazement of the fans that Chuck would indeed be a “special guest” on New Year’s. Fan’s welcomed Chuck to the stage in Huntington chanting “Chuck! Chuck! Chuck…” as he casually took his place on stage as if it was business as usual.
Ever since Chuck left the band after his stroke, moe. kept the wheels turning with additional personnel Nate Wilson (keyboards) and Michael ‘Suke’ Cerulo (guitar). Nate and Michael filled the void left by Chuck and allowed the band to keep playing shows. On Thursday at the Paramount, Nate Wilson was still playing keys for the entire show and the band sounded as if they never missed a step. moe. cruised through their 10-song opening set in about an hour, with chants and cheers for Chuck between every song break.
Chuck was stoic throughout the show, seemingly trying not to bring the focus on his return, but rather celebrate his virility and founding place in the band without fanfare. Fans were well aware of the gravity of the show they were a part of, squeezing out a few smirks and waves from Chuck between song to audible delight.
moe.’s short winter tour is focused in the Northeast and rolls through February with two legs. This first stretch wraps up at The Wellmont Theater in Montclair, NJ on Saturday, January 21st. The band has two shows in Maine in mid-February before closing the tour with two shows in Albany beginning on “moe. Day” February 24th. Tickets for the Albany shows at Palace Theater HERE.
moe. at The Paramount – Huntington, Long Island – January 19th 2023
Set 1: Stranger Than Fiction, The Road, Z0Z, Not Coming Down, Wormwood, Can’t Find My Way Home (Blind Faith cover), Okayalright, Tailspin, Moth
Set 2: Timmy Tucker, Puebla, Sensory Deprivation Bank, Captain America, She’s A Woman, Recreational Chemistry
