Racket NYC is Manhattan’s hottest new music venue in the heart of Chelsea where Daniel Seavey fans camped out and were wrapped around the block in freezing cold temps for hours before the general admission show Saturday.
Daniel Seavey by Allison Marie
Headlining his first solo tour since his band Why Don’t We announced a hiatus last summer, Seavey introduced new songs from his upcoming EP and performed familiar favorites.
Daniel Seavey by Allison Marie
Seavey released his new single, “I Tried” the day before the show, yet the crowd sang back every single line during the final encore performance. Highlighting the lyrical part, “And I’m still in the band” which was screamed at the top of their longs. The line hits hard as most fans know Daniel from the boy band Why Don’t We, who hopes to make new music in the future. Introducing Daniel Seavey is putting the spotlight on his own skills. Seavey also was a contestant on season 14 of American Idol covering the song, “Hallellujah.”
Setlist:Can We Pretend, Nothing Is Ever True, Redbone, Bad Habit, Daddy Issues, 8 Letters, Goodbye, Bleed On Me, Leave Me Alone, Hallelujah, Fall Into You, Better, Fallin’, Runaway, I Tried.
Daniel Seavey by Allison Marie
To find out more about Daniel, check out his website, here.
Opening for Seavey, LA singer-songwriter, Devin Kennedy stunned the crowd with his soulful originals + covers. Performing his new single, “Love You Anymore” and covers like “If I Aint Got You” – the crowd was ready and in tune for Seavey.
Devin Kennedy by Allison Marie
To learn more about Devin Kennedy, visit his insta, here.
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
On Wednesday, January 11th, Robin Skinner held his first annual This Is Home benefit show at the new NYC venue Racket that opened just a few days prior. Better known by his stage name Cavetown, the 24-year-old indie-pop artist played alongside artists like Mxmtoon, Chloe Moriondo, Penelope Scott, Yot Club, Cafuné, Spookyghostboy, and Sydney Rose. With doors opening at 7, hundreds of excited fans lined up hours in advance for a night of jamming, dancing, raffles, and an overall fantastic show. All proceeds from the show went directly to the New Alternatives resource for LGBTQ+ homeless youth.
Cavetown
The UK-based singer began his music career at age 13 by uploading videos of his original music to YouTube and sharing songs on the streaming service Bandcamp. He previously played in March of 2022 at the Terminal 5 venue with Spookyghostboy on the guitar. Being a part of the community himself, Skinner plans to host this fundraiser show yearly in support of LGBTQ+ charities.
Spookyghostboy took the stage at 7:30, playing a fifteen minute set for his first live performance in over three years. Also known as Austin Thomas, the indie-pop artist began his career in 2012 with the release of his first EP called The Forest Summer.
Spookyghostboy
Sydney Rose, a singer-songwriter from Georgia who gained popularity after her covers of “Turning Page” and “Home” went viral on TikTok, entered at 7:55. Also playing a fifteen minute set filled with beautiful vocals during songs, “Idk What I Did” and two unreleased ones, the rising artist put on a phenomenal performance.
Sydney Rose
Yot Club, the lo-fi bedroom pop artist from Mississippi also known as Ryan Kaiser, played many songs like “YKWIM” and “Fly Out West” during his set. His unique and distinguishable sound which he created through his masterful songwriting, producing, mixing, and mastering could be heard throughout his fifteen minute set. He is set to tour in North America between February and March of 2023.
Yot Club
Penelope Scott, evoking comedic, chaotic, and straightforward lyrics with her edgy guitar did not fail to put on an incredible performance with her unique songwriting and vocals. She played unreleased songs as well as some from her popular self-produced album Public Void, which gained massive popularity in 2020.
Penelope Scott
Next on the list was Cafuné, a native New York duo consisting of singer-songwriter Sedona Schat and producer Noah Yoo. The two, creating indie-pop tracks like “Tek It” and “Talk,” met at NYU in 2014 and have been making music ever since. Their song “Tek It” went viral just last year and the band is now signed to Elektra Records. Schat and Yoo are starting their North American tour in February 2023 and are set to have a New York show on March 28th at the Bowery Ballroom.
Cafuné
Chloe Moriondo entered shortly after as the second-to-last opening act. A close friend of Cavetown’s and featuring on many songs of his like “Snail” from his Sleepyhead album and “grey space” from his recent worm food release, Moriondo excitedly jumped and sang along to songs like “Plastic Purse” and “I Eat Boys.” Rocking her cyberpunk outfit, pink hair, and iconic eyelashes, the indie-rock singer amazed ecstatic fans with her powerful vocals. Beginning her music career as a teenager by posting song covers to her YouTube channel, she quickly got the attention of Skinner and has opened for him during past tours.
Chloe Moriondo
Mxmtoon played the last opening set at 10, performing songs like “prom dress” and “seasonal depression” from her the masquerade album—which Skinner helped produce. She also sang “mona lisa” from her recent album release, rising. The bedroom-pop artist from northern California played a captivating and electrifying set with her signature instrument—the ukulele—and encouraged the audience to sing along with her.
Mxmtoon
The intimate Racket venue, with a capacity of 650 and looking fresh and newly furbished, hosted a wonderful show. Being much smaller and more intimate than his last NYC concert, the chill and refreshing vibe was evident as Robin interacted with his young and delighted fans. The fully-acoustic set of each artist and the gift-giving of fans added to this happy mood. Mxmtoon accepted many fan gifts like hand-sketched art and an egg-shaped stuffed animal which she named upon arriving. A bouquet of flowers surprised Sydney Rose as she exited the stage, and Robin received a variety of pictures, flags, and letters. Spookyghostboy came out to announce the raffle winners, which included prizes like vinyl pressings and one signed custom Cavetown Fender guitar. Skinner showed the crowd his new “blue chrome ombre” nails and asked whether the New York water gave them “crazy good hair.”
Cavetown Setlist: Lemon Boy, 1994, Idea of Her, fall in love with a girl, Juliet, frog, wasabi, a kind thing to do, worm food, This Is Home
As 2022 was wrapping up its final week, Patti Smith returned to Brooklyn Steel for two nights on December 29 and 30 to celebrate her birthday (which coincided with the second evening). Brooklyn Steel was flooded with fans for the shows, seemingly sold out on the evening we attended and sold out on Dec. 30. The venue’s size and layout made it an excellent atmosphere for an intimate performance.
In her true spirit, Smith’s show was an amalgamation of poetry, beauty, and fierceness wrapped in a blanket of rock and roll. The show featured her high energy songs such as “Free Money,” “People Have the Power,” and her mainstay take on Them’s “Gloria.” Earlier that day, the world had lost iconic British fashion designer and cultural influencer Vivienne Westwood. Many musicians had taken to social media to pay tribute to her, and Smith dedicated her song about sadness and loss “Redondo Beach” to Westwood after saying a few words.
A motif of the evening was time, given the impending change of year and two more important milestones – the birthdays of both Smith and her long-time collaborator and guitarist Lenny Kaye. While taking a brief break mid-set, the band covered “Time Won’t Let Me,” “If I Could Turn Back Time,” and “Time Is On My Side” while a cover of The Chambers Brothers’ “Time Has Come Today” came later in the show. With Kaye’s birthday a few days prior, Smith rallied the audience for a round of “Happy Birthday” for his day (Smith had her birthday moment with the sold-out crowd the next evening, with cake!).
Along with Patti Smith, her band includes Lenny Kaye and her son Jackson Smith on guitar, Tony Shanahan on bass/keys, and Jay Dee Daugherty on drums. Smith’s tradition of performing shows for her birthday (and by nice coincidence, celebrating the upcoming New Year) is one not to miss.
Patti Smith – Brooklyn Steel – December 29, 2022
Setlist: Dancing Barefoot, Redondo Beach, Free Money, Ghost Dance, Because the Night, My Blakean Year, Nine, Pissing in a River, Time Won’t Let Me (>) If I Could Turn Back Time, Time Is on My Side, One Too Many Mornings, Peaceable Kingdom / People Have the Power, Summer Cannibals, Ain’t It Strange, Time Has Come Today, People Have the Power
SUNY Oneonta student Mirabella Phinney has released a brand new EP titled Through Stained Glass, which came out on Nov. 5 2022.
The EP is beautifully written, with smooth and rich vocals. It has the perfect music needed to guide you through your day, through sad moments, or at any time. The record was mixed and mastered by Gabe Angelo, and it features Chris Alvarado on bass during the song “Ignorance is a Gem.” It guides the listener through the feelings of love and relationships, to finally the moments when you can look in their eyes and know all is going to be okay. Each song is a new journey, and Phinney invites you in.
The first song “Ignorance is a Gem” is a slow, nice song with soft guitar strums in the background. Phinney has a beautiful folk voice, that makes me want to sway to the music. I could see myself putting this song on in the background when I am sad, or just studying and doing something as it is so soft and slow. I like the bridge where Phinney’s vocals have some type of effect on them as she sings “Ignore what I said I’m not/I’m nothing what I dreamed of.”
The next song “Think of You Fondly” follows similar slow guitar strums, but has some electric strums in the background, amping the sound more. I interpreted this song as a breakup song, seeing the person you once adored existing in life without you, and how hard it is. I recently went through this, so I resonate with this song a lot more. The lyrics “And I can’t help but think of you fondly/When I finally fake my way to feeling healthy/The wrong time and place never hurt so bad” made me tear up because Phinney put my exact feelings into words, and it is so surreal to hear that, especially in music.
Following the track is the short yet sweet song “Culpability.” Her vocals are higher pitched in this song, and I find that beautiful. I love the way it is written, especially the lyrics “Stay another minute/So that we’re alone/In this car ride that I looked forward to all day” because it describes that feeling of euphoria you get liking someone new again, and how you always want to be around them. The next song “Sleep” has to be my favorite on the EP because it is different from all the other ones so far. It has this haunting rain effect added, which makes me feel like I need to listen to it during a thunderstorm or something. It is a love song, and Phinney takes the time to compare her lover to sleep, something everyone needs and craves.
The final song on the EP is “Apple Pie,” and it gives me a warm feeling throughout, just like the temperature of a fresh apple pie would. It is a lot more upbeat than the rest of the songs on the EP, and it is a good finale song because it brings all these longing feelings of love together to finally the feeling of being in a relationship. The lyrics “Let’s talk about dreams over tea and apple pie/Let’s talk about love and how it finally came by remember that time/Yes, we’ve changed a lot and well never go back to how it was,” make me feel happy inside and long for this feeling.
Overall, Mirabella Phinney’s voice shines super bright on Through Stained Glass. She talks about love and its feelings, the ups and downs of it, and the magical feelings. I enjoyed listening to it and I think it would be great music to put on when you’re sad or happy, and I can’t wait to have it on repeat and see her at a future show! You can find Mirabella Phinney on social media and stream her music here.
Originally published in The Royal Journal on They Might Be Royalty.
No one in the world of jazz begat more violent debate and unsubstantiated myths than Albert Ayler. Now the works and life of this fearless musician are being re-told and reassessed in Holy Ghost: The Life & Death of Free Jazz Pioneer Albert Ayler (Jawbone Press), a compact yet comprehensive and impeccably researched biography from Richard Koloda.
A lawyer by trade and jazz musicologist by passion, Koloda spent over two decades researching Holy Ghost. It follows Ayler from his native Cleveland to France, where he received his greatest acclaim, to his mysterious death by drowning in the East River in November 1970.
Ayler synthesized children’s songs, the French national anthem “La Marseillaise,” American march music, funeral dirges and gospel tunes into uniquely powerful, sprawling and squalling free jazz improvisations. His overblown tenor honking and high-register squealing made some critics consider him a charlatan or simply insane. Others considered him a genius. One such man was John Coltrane who tirelessly championed Ayler to other musicians, critics and record label heads. Indeed, ‘Trane thought enough of Ayler to request he play at his funeral, alongside that other titan of free jazz, Ornette Coleman.
It was his aspiring songwriter dad who set Albert on the musical path, forcing him to practice hours a day and attend the Cleveland Academy of Music beginning at age 10. By the early ‘50s, he was gaining experience playing with artists like blues harmonica wizard Little Walter. His time in the Army would bring him to France in the latter ‘50s, where he saw Coltrane and Miles at the Paris Olympia and developed an unexpected love for French military music, including the national anthem “La Marseilles” which he quoted in his classic “Spirits Rejoice,” while playing in the 76th U.S. Army Band in Orleans.
His breakthrough, and perhaps his best times overall, would come in Europe, firstly in Scandinavia. Here he would meet and come to play with likeminded explorers like pianist Cecil Taylor and trumpeter Don Cherry and cut his first albums including My Name in Albert Ayler which contained his freewheeling interpretation of the classic “Summertime.”
By 1963, he was in New York City serving up music that was “playing pyramids and geometric shapes” while attired in a green leather suit, Cossack hat and slippers. His meeting with ESP-Disk head Bernard Stollman would lead to his best documented year of recording in 1964, one capped by “Spiritual Unity,” the classic trio disc with drummer Sunny Murray and bassist Gary Peacock, and the skronk-heavy film soundtrack, “New York Eye and Ear Control.” Even with growing press attention, New York City clubs were hesitant about booking this “New Thing” and Albert would head back to Scandinavia to record albums like The Hilversum Sessions and Ghosts.
In 1965, he returned to New York to lead a fierce quintet now featuring his younger brother Donald on trumpet. Albums like “Bells” and “Spirits Rejoice” continued to divide critics. Albert was labeled “further out than Coltrane” by Time Magazine and “a bizarre artifact, not art” by Downbeat. With Coltrane’s championing, he moved from the tiny ESP-Disk to the larger ABC Impulse! label. He went on to wax even more fierce and outré discs like “Live in Greenwich Village,” one that captured performances at The Village Gate and Village Vanguard. This album contains one of my favorite Ayler pieces, “Angels,” a duet featuring a kind of silent movie-styled accompaniment by pianist/harpsichordist Cal Cobbs to Albert’s balladeering tenor.
The last chapter of Ayler’s recorded life was perplexing, when he was moved to create a sort of accessible rock/R&B with vocals featuring “hippy dippy” lyrics by his new girlfriend Mary Parks. Love Cry and New Grass were albums that made no one happy, least of all Ayler, who blamed the commercial move on his producer at Impulse!, Bob Thiele. Albert would have one final victory when he took a turn back to his freer self in a July 1970 performance at the Maeght Foundation in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, France, something captured on a duo of fantastic 1971 albums.
With his return to New York City in fall 1970, his depression deepened as did his tenuous grasp on reality. There was increased talk about UFOs and spiritual visions, something that had been in the mix since his childhood. He would disappear on November 5 and be found 20 days later floating in the East River. Some said it was a hit for messing with a mobster’s woman or a drug deal gone wrong. One stubborn myth said he was found chained to a juke box. But Koloda works to put these long-held fallacies to rest. He concludes that the depressed 34-year-old jazz man most likely jumped from a ferry near the Statue of Liberty. This was in part due to the guilt of firing his brother from his band and the ceaseless financial pressures and criticism caused by a high-profile/low-profit life on the tip of the free jazz spear.
In his 20 years of research, Koloda has become the world’s foremost authority on all things Albert Ayler. He was a contributor to the critically-acclaimed documentary, My Name Is Albert Ayler, and a consultant on Revenant Records’ ten-CD retrospective of Ayler, Holy Ghost: Rare and Unissued Recordings (1962–70), which has been called “the Sistine Chapel of box sets.” His book includes quotes from his and others interviews with many of Albert’s closest collaborators, most notably from the writer’s long friendship with Albert’s brother Donald. There’s also a carefully balanced array of quotes from critics that demonstrate the reaction to Ayler throughout all the chapters of his short but action-packed recording and performing career. the book concludes with a pained portrait of the post-musical years of Donald Ayler, with his frequent hospitalizations for mental problems and fits and starts at reviving his career.
I had a decent knowledge of Ayler before reading Koloda’s Holy Ghost. But like any great touchstone musician biog, it set me off on a few weeks of very deep listening to the many well-trod and obscure corners of Ayler’s discography. In this way, Koloda has done a great service to both Ayler and every music lover with the curiosity to open up a pathway into this uniquely deep and spiritual canon of jazz.
Two regional powerhouses, Rochester’s Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad and Buffalo’s Aqueous, descended on Water Street Music Hall, historically the area’s most prominent venue, which has come back in a big way this past year after being absent from the scene for some time. In two nights, Panda on the 30th and Aqueous on the 31st, they helped Water Street and the music fans of the area celebrate 2022 and welcome in 2023. It was the first time Rochester had live music as a New Year’s Eve option in three years. Panda returned to the venue for the umpteenth time, many of those for their year end shows, while Aqueous was there for the first time, and their first time bringing in the new year in Rochester. Though they’ve long found themselves a second home in the Flour City, having played many a special show here, including Halloween and an all-improv set.
After long stretches of no music at all, and too many continued COVID-19 cancellations to count, stretching to the present day, surprises have grown a bit tired. Surprises have mostly consisted of cancellations, so it is enough joy to just have show without a hitch, period. Each of these shows was billed as an “and Friends” affair. Who would be the friends? The opening acts would leave little guesswork as to who these bands would invite to join them on stage. Most everything proceeded as was expected, but there was nothing lost, maybe even something gained, without that element of surprise in the mix.
photo by Washington Torin
On the 30th, GPGDS opened up both sides of the Water Street venue, both the Club and Hall, maxing out it’s potential. The audience could move freely between both, utilizing both bars, and the ample space in the balconies, while two stages left minimal time with no live music to enjoy. The evening got going with party funk outfit The Sideways on the main stage. Hm, wonder if we’ll see that tight three-piece horn section a little later? Immediately following on the Club stage was The Frank White Experience, a full eight-member band paying tribute to the Notorious B.I.G. to incredible effect. There was a hip-hop party going on and the “raparazzi” were in full force capturing it from all angles. Hey, their lead man, Grant, he’s played with Panda before, guessing we’ll see him with them again tonight? Then even after Panda’s main stage set, Roots Collider took over on the Club side to keep the party going into the early hours of the 31st, not letting the joint cool down too much before Aqueous’ New Year’s Eve throwdown.
photo by Washington Torin
On the main stage, Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad did not disappoint. The dub was grooving, and the legal weed was permeating the air. The band strung together a set of oldies, newer tunes, and as-yet released ones, with an announcement of a new album coming April 7. The songs flowed together, stitched by pitch-perfect instrumental breaks or blasted into each other with abrupt but chill needle jumps.
photo by Eli Stein
As was foretold by the obvious booking and later, staging, those horns from The Sideways did make it back on stage. Horns and reggae are like peanut butter and jelly. A glorious combination, and on this night, for these songs, they hit just right. A “Cool It” > “Stop Fighting” combo with the horns may have been the highlight of the night. A deep bass pocket, punched up organ, swirling echoed effects, those infectious reggae rhythms and then tasty horn blasts cutting through it all. Pretty much perfect, and a perfect vibe to either forget and/or enjoy the year that was quickly coming to a close.
As the horns departed, the good vibes continued as Grant entered and the band kicked into “Mr. Cop.” He added some quality rapping while throwing joints out into the crowd, as the band sang “We been all day workin’, Just a little herb that we smokin’, They calling up the cops, Cause it smell like ganja.” There was no stopping the party at Water Street on stage or off on this night, nor the next.
Hours later another friendly party would get started. New day, same place, similar vibe. For their New Year’s Eve show, Aqueous invited local jazz-forward trio The Pickle Mafia to kick off the night. Drummer Marco Cirigliano’s kit remained on stage for The Funky Dawgz set and even after theirs as well. Hm, wonder if he’ll be playing with Aqueous some? The Funky Dawgz, a brass band out of Connecticut, revved up the crowd with their upbeat and familiar set, mixing in Gnarls Barkley and Snoop Dogg in with similarly fun originals. You had to wonder though, think we’ll see some of those horns again?
Aqueous themselves were unsurprisingly ready to jump head first into lengthy improvisations. An hour-long first set featured only four songs. Each one built and existed within it’s own universe. “Second Sight” and “Kitty Chaser (Explosions)” built up layer by layer, the musicians patiently developing soundscapes, finally realizing their final destinations which they then explored even further, funky for the former, spacey for the latter. The two saxophones from the Dawgz and Cirigliano came out for the first set closer, a cover of LCD Soundsystem’s “Daft Punk is Playing at My House,” which brought more of the funk, on a tighter scale, that had the floor positively bouncing.
photo by Eli Stein
The slinky funk continued with the start of the second set a few ticks before midnight, the last few minutes of the year. With some heavy “2001” teases, a la Phish via Eumir Deodato via Richard Strauss, the groovy jam wound its way to the traditional “Auld Lang Syne.” With little to no bombast Aqueous did what Aqueous does best, just kept playing. A monster “Don’t Do It” followed, featuring some of guitarist Mike Gantzer’s best playing of the night.
Craig Brodhead served incredibly filling in for David Loss who is on paternity leave. Brodhead sang lead on a cover of the Grateful Dead’s “West LA Fadeaway” that quickly left West LA for aural landscapes as yet undiscovered. Deep into the jam they were joined by a saxophone which re-centered the jam completely. Before long he was stepping off and Cirigliano was back behind the second kit. This double-drummer version of the band was really something, locked in and firing on dual engines. Eventually they found their way back to “West LA Fadeaway” and the dream of a two-drummer Aqueous was over.
But the dreams of a music-filled 2023 were just getting underway. Dates are already on the books for Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad and an album on the way. Road warriors Aqueous are sure to continue their rock and roll journey throughout the year, and Water Street Music Hall’s calendar is filling in nicely.
Aqueous – Water Street Music Hall 12/31/22
Set 1: Second Sight, Kitty Chaser > Weight of the Word, Daft Punk is Playing At My House¹²
Set 2: Also Sprach Zarathustra jam³ > Auld Lang Syne, Don’t Do It, West LA Fadeaway ⁴⁵, Strange Times > Mandela Effect, Everybody Wants To Rule the World⁶
Encore: One Headlight ⁷
1 LCD Soundsystem 2 Rob on vox, Marco Cirigliano on drums, Tommy Weeks and Colin Walters on sax 3 Countdown 4 Grateful Dead 5 Craig on vox 6 Tears For Fears 7 The Wallflowers
Check out more photos of Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad from Water Street Music Hall here and photos of Aqueous here.
With one last night of their first Madison Square Garden run since 2019 remaining, Phish left not a single note on the table as they brought fans on a journey through the gags that have rung in the new year, dating back to 1992.
Sticking with a recurring theme of time and time manipulation, Phish would make this night among their most memorable at Madison Square Garden, and not only as they enter into their 40th year, but as they tie Sir Elton John for the second most shows ever played at The Garden, with 72. A post-show tribute of “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” was a fitting nod to The Rocket Man, who performed his last ever show at MSG in February, and his final North American show in November.
Fans who had already been through three nights of Phish this run, and many having been at the April shows – which were rescheduled from December 2021 – were eager and anticipating something special, given that 2023 will bring in the 40th year of Phish and more celebrations to come. But how would they kick the night off, and more importantly, ring in the new year? Patience is a virtue and those who waited were rewarded, and then some.
Kicking off the show was a highly-anticipated “Tweezer,” which set the tone for the night as playing their greatest jam vehicle in the opening slot never fails. A shift into “Halley’s Comet” netted a smooth segue into “Set Your Soul Free” which gave way to “Rift,” all energy-filled songs to start the show, following the trend of the past few nights and no let-up from any of the band, or the audience for that matter. “Cavern” gave way to the second “Tweezer” of the night, followed by the ballad “Shade” and a proper “Mike’s Groove” to close.
Heading into Set 2, the band would begin to hint at a theme they revisit reguarly, time. Each song in the second set would have some nod towards time, even if hidden in the lyrics. The opening “Say It To Me S.A.N.T.OS.” (you will always remember where you are) and never dull second set appearance of “Also Sprach Zarathustra” (aka “2001”) gave fans the start they hoped for, with the “Kill Devil Falls” (who knew a day would turn into a week) following. A throwback to 2018’s New Year’s gag in “Mercury” (your day is longer than your year) would follow, as well as “Light” (memories fall behind; future is less and less there; past vanished in the air), “Waste” (wasting my time with you) and “Drift While You’re Sleeping” (I’ve seen the day go by; one brief moment; the days are few) providing even more direct hints as the set progressed, but mid-set, when you’re tuned into the music, the lyrical connections are up for setbreak discussion. And if a final hint was needed, “Backwards Down The Number Line” gave the clearest indication the band was getting nostalgic, as one does on New Year’s Eve.
Phish sprinkled some musical bread crumbs during the second intermission that helped shed a little light on the traditional New Year’s Eve gag. Attentive fans picked up on music from Parliament Funkadelic (“Tear the Roof Off the Sucka”) and The Breeders (“Cannonball”) being played lightly on the PA, along with aptly titled songs like “Umbrella” (Rihanna), “Steam” (Peter Gabriel), “Mockingbird” (Carly Simon) and “Send In The Clowns” (Grace Jones). It all hinted at a retrospective look back at the band’s career and that’s exactly how the manic yet celebratory third set played out.
In true Phish fashion, the final set started out with a barbershop quartet proclaiming that the stroke of midnight would mark the band’s 40th year together. As a birthday “wish” of sorts, Trey makes one for a time machine, so as to do it all again. In response, a cube-like object then descended from the rigging above the stage, showcasing both audio and video from all of the band’s storied New Year’s Eve showsa and gags such as Halloween shows Wingsuit and Sci-Fi Soldiers. Dancers from all different eras then began to emerge, including a Wombat, sadly not costumed by Abe Vigoda this time, who winds up “breaking” the machine and setting off a wave of more ghosts from Phish New Year’s past.
With the fitting set-opening “Ghost” now in full swing, a full fledged choir emerged from backstage and the band steered into “Bohemian Rhapsody” in a nod to their 12/31/96 show in Boston, MA. The song was also visited by an entire marching band as well as it made its way into “Jungle Boogie,” which had not been played since 12/31/03 in Miami, FL. A “Wilson” castaway merged the 2002 “Tom Hanks” appearance with Trey Anastasio being stuck on a platform in 2019, and was unveiled from atop the stage as the music shifted into the namesake song before a final New Year’s countdown and a confetti-filled “Auld Lang Syne.” The constant set of revolving characters also saw ones like Father Time from 12/31/99, the “Meatstick” dancers from 12/31/10 and the “Petrichor” dancers and umbrellas from 12/31/16 make apperances.
2023 was greeted by “Carini” and a host of “naked dude” dancers reveling in the new year’s energy, even forming a chorus line during “New York, New York,” before eventually, as expected, shifting back to “Tweezer” one last time. An explosive “Crosseyed and Painless” > “Piper” section may have been the pure musical highlight of the set, before “A Life Beyond The Dream” and the always raucous “First Tube” closed out the final set of the run.
In their 14th overall New Year’s Eve performance at Madison Square Garden (and 22nd over the last 40 years), Phish celebrated what has made these shows so unique – the music, the antics, the special guests and the unexpected gags that continue to influence and be emulated throughout the jam band world. The only question left from this New Year’s Eve show is, how are they going to top this? We’ll get an answer to that question later this year.
Phish Madison Square Garden – New York, NY 12/31/22 – setlist via Phish.net
Set 1: Tweezer, Halley’s Comet -> Set Your Soul Free > Rift, Cavern > Tweezer > Shade, Mike’s Song > I Am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove
Set 2: Say It To Me S.A.N.T.OS. > Also Sprach Zarathustra > Kill Devil Falls, Mercury > Light > Waste, Drift While You’re Sleeping, Backwards Down The Number Line
Set 3: Ghost > Bohemian Rhapsody > Ghost -> Jungle Boogie > Wilson > Auld Lang Syne > Carini > Theme From New York, New York > Tweezer > Prince Caspian > Crosseyed and Painless > Piper, A Life Beyond The Dream, First Tube
