Phil Lesh, the legendary bassist of The Grateful Dead, held his annual birthday run at the historical Capitol Theatre for five nights, two of them with “The Q,” made up of Warren Haynes, Jimmy Herring, Rob Barraco, and John Molo.
The night began with “The Wheel” chorus and “Night of 1000 Stars.” The first set included “New Speedway Boogie” and classic “China > Rider” that featured Haynes & Herring trading guitar solos. Having two incredibly prolific guitar players with their own prominent style trading the role of lead guitar was very entertaining.
The second set featured deeper cuts and Deadhead favorites like “Unbroken Chain” and “Dark Star.” The second set also included the funky “Shakedown Street” and ended with “Into The Mystic” – a Van Morrison cover. The band brought the show full circle by encoring with “The Wheel.”
Phil Lesh is a legend and blessing to The Grateful Dead scene – seeing him and The Q play on stage, now celebrating his 84th birthday is nothing short of inspiring. Not fade away!
Setlist: Night of 100 Stars, New Speedway Boogie, New Potato Caboose, Bird Song, China Cat Sunflower, I Know You Rider
Set 2: Dear Mr. Fantasy, Shakedown Street, Unbroken Chain, Dark Star, The Lo Spark of High Heeled Boys, Passenger, Into The Mystic
New Haven, Connecticut is mainly seen as the smaller market city that the prestigious Yale University calls home. Some might not know that steps from the university sit the legendary club known as Toad’s Place.
The rock club has housed legendary acts such as The Rolling Stones, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Billy Joel and Stevie Ray Vaughan. This time around, on Wednesday, March 5, Mammoth WVH returned to the legendary rock club. After releasing their sophomore record, Mammoth IIon Aug. 4, 2024, the band is currently on their “Mammoth II Tour” supporting their newest album.
Before Mammoth WVH graced the almost 50-year stage, guitarist Nita Strauss of the Alice Cooper band warmed up the crowd with her solo act. Joining Strauss on stage was Christopher Dean on bass, Johnny Young on guitar, Katt Scarlett on keyboards, Kasey Karlsen on lead vocals and her fiancee, Josh Villalta on the drums.
Strauss provided amazing guitar skills throughout the opening set that dazzled the sold-out crowd. Being the in-house guitarist for the National League Football team, The Los Angeles Rams since 2020, Strauss has gained national attention for her guitar prowess and did not disappoint.
During Strauss’ nine-song setlist, she wowed the crowd with her signature sound which can be heard on her newest record, The Call of the Void. At one point in the show, Strauss took a minute between songs to recognize the legendary Toad’s Place. “Even out in California, we know about the legendary Toad’s Place and Pepe’s pizza!” brought a thunderous roar from the audience which was beginning to swell larger. With the band headbanging in unison, some of the Toad’s attendees joined in as the band did more than enough to warm the rainy New Haven crowd for Mammoth WVH.
The opening riff of AC/DC’s “Night Prowler” off of 1979’s Highway to Hell blasted over the PA system like thunder strike and the house lights dimmed. The anticipation for the Mammoth WVH’s second trip to Toad’s was palpable. Even with the house lights dimmed and fans packed wall to wall like a can of sardines, the headbanging again picked up while fans held their drinks and the rock horns up. As Mammoth jumped right into “I’m Alright” off the MammothII, as mentioned earlier, the band played a 15-song setlist that lasted just over an hour and a half.
Joining the ranks of Mammoth WVH is, Wolfgang Van Halen (son of the late, Eddie Van Halen) on guitar and lead vocals, Jon Jourdan on guitar, Ronnie Ficarro on bass, and Garrett Whitlock on the drums. Frank Sidoris tours as a third guitarist with the band but this time around he was on the road with Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators.
The crowd, which was of all ages, had smiles across their face like kids on Christmas for the entire set. Mammoth WVH performed at Toad’s two years ago on the double bill “Young Guns Tour” with Dirty Honey. Like the first time, Mammoth’s performance did not disappoint.
In between songs, Van Halen was smiling and playing along with the crowd. While he did not speak for a long time in between songs (certainly not as long as Paul Stanley of KISS), when he did though, he was laughing with his band and talking to members of the audience along the barricade.
At one point in the show, before the start of “Distance” off of 2021’s Mammoth WVH, the rest of the band, besides Van Halen exited the stage, for Van Halen to play an acoustic version of the song. With Oasis’ “Wonderwall” jokingly being played for a brief second at the start, the bone-chillingly beautiful rendition of the tune left lasting memories on the crowd. Typically during a Mammoth WVH performance, while the music is clear, at times with all the instruments you can’t fully grasp each individually. During “Distance,” you were able to fully grasp how great of a musician Van Halen is. His voice is amazing and his guitar skills are mind-blowing. It doesn’t take long to understand why he recorded every instrument track on the first two albums.
The energy of the entire band on stage kept the thrill alive in the audience which was entirely general admission. With Whitlock beating the daylights out of his drums, which kept each song moving forward, the rest of the band was in another gear. It’s easy to see how close of a tight-knit group they are. Each band member was able to feed off the other and bring out the best of the band.
With only two albums under the band’s belt, they were able to play multiple tracks from each of the first two albums. If you were hoping to hear some classic Van Halen, then this show isn’t the one for you. The band does not play anything Van Halen which is a great thing. Wolfgang is an excellent songwriter and overall great musician so it’s amazing to see what he has accomplished so far.
Mammoth WVH is one of the up-and-coming bands in rock music and the fan base is growing larger and larger every day. It’s only a matter of time until they sell out much bigger venues than Toad’s Place. There is very little to hate about this band. If you’re looking for a hungry band with excellent musicianship then this is the band for you.
With fans pilling out onto York Street, what was once a crowded venue turned into a crowded street. The cold and wet night did not keep fans away from standing outside the side door waiting to meet the band just minutes after they walked off the stage. With Toad’s Place dubbing themselves “The place that legends play,” fans exited the venue on Tuesday night knowing that they saw another rock legend in the making.
Nita Strauss Setlist: Summer Storm, Our Most Desperate Hour, Mariana Trench, Alegria, The Quest / Drum Solo, The Wolf You Feed, Through the Noise, Dead Inside, Victorious
Mammoth WVH Setlist: I’m Alright, Right?, Epiphany, Miles Above Me, Like a Pastime, Horribly Right, Optimist, Stone, Distance, Think It Over, Mammoth, You’re to Blame, Take a Bow, Another Celebration at the End of the World, Don’t Back Down
Buffalo band ‘Free Music Party’ hosted their first music festival, Coldwave, at the Town Ballroom on Saturday, March 2. The event featured local, Buffalo-native artists and musicians from surrounding areas.
Alex Live & Kevin Spears, Free Music Party
The one-day festival lineup featured a headlining performance from Free Music Party themselves. Additional performers included ProSocial, Johnny and the Man Kids, and Nefatli, among others.
As all festivals tend to get a bit of a slow start, Coldwave was no exception to this. That didn’t stop each act from giving it their all during their 30-minute sets and the headliner during their hour-long set.
Kevin Spears, a member of Free Music Party, said of the event, “Cold Wave is a first-year, Western New York-centered music festival hosted by Free Music Party, a Buffalo R&B and Hip Hop act. Under the guidance of Kaylen Price and Max Cambria, Free Music Party gathered some of the freshest and upcoming musical acts from the area, and even a few out-of-town musicians, under the roof of the historic Town Ballroom for a night of music, art, fashion, and community.
The festival aims to capture the raw, unique, and utter coolness of the artistic movement emerging from Buffalo and the surrounding areas. Free Music Party, dubbed “FMP” by friends and fans alike, being heavily involved in this emerging scene from the beginning. We knew we would be the perfect hosts to be at the forefront of this ‘cold wave’.”
Alex Live, Free Music Party
It was incredible to see all of these local acts under one roof. This festival truly gave these artists a platform they might not have had otherwise. It also did wonders to spotlight the Buffalo music scene and its influence in the city.
For more from Coldwave Music Festival, head to Free Music Party’s social platforms @freemusicparty.
Nor.th StarSekouStinloHanarloMiss CactusMailliRosaiNefatliJohnny and the Man KidsProSocialAlex Live & Kevin Spears, Free Music PartyEddy Blanco interacting with the crowdKevin Spears, Free Music PartyLuno J, Free Music PartyEddy Blanco, Free Music PartyLuno J and Apollo Dollo, Free Music PartyEddy Blanco, Free Music Party
Legendary west coast jazz saxophonist Kamasi Washington has announced a new album – Fearless Movement – along with a tour that kicks off on May 4 at the Beacon Theatre.
Along with the tour announcement, Washington has released the first track from Fearless Movement, “Prologue,” alongside a mesmerizing video directed by longtime collaborator AG Rojas and choreographed by Samantha Blake Goodman.
Kamasi Washington is a multi-instrumentalist, composer and bandleader born and raised in Los Angeles, who has released three albums, all acclaimed – The Epic; Harmony of Difference, and Heaven and Earth. In 2020, Washington scored the Michelle Obama documentary Becoming, earning Emmy and GRAMMY nominations for his work.
Washington views Fearless Movement his dance album: “It’s not literal. Dance is movement and expression, and in a way it’s the same thing as music—expressing your spirit through your body. That’s what this album is pushing.”
With his previous albums dealing with cosmic ideas and existential concepts, Fearless Movement focuses on the everyday, an exploration of life on earth. This change in scope is due in large part to the birth of Washington’s first child a few years ago. A dance album as an embodied form of expression signals a shift in focus for Washington.
“Being a father means the horizon of your life all of a sudden shows up. My mortality became more apparent to me, but also my immortality—realizing that my daughter is going to live on and see things that I’m never going to see. I had to become comfortable with this, and that affected the music that I was making.”
Kamasi Washington, on Fearless Movement
The album also features Washington’s daughter, who wrote the melody to “Asha The First” during some of her first experimentations on the piano, as well as a host of collaborators. Among them, André 3000 appears on flute, George Clinton lends his voice, as do BJ The Chicago Kid, Inglewood rapper D-Smoke and Taj and Ras Austin of Coast Contra, the twin sons of West Coast legend Ras Kass. Washington has also enlisted lifelong friends and collaborators Thundercat, Terrace Martin, Patrice Quinn, Brandon Coleman, DJ Battlecat and more.
Fearless Movement also features “The Garden Path,” a song Washington performed for the first time ever, making his late-night television debut, on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.”
Washington has announced an extensive North American tour kicking off May 4 at Manhattan’s Beacon Theatre with dates in Chicago, Houston, San Francisco and the Hollywood Bowl Jazz Festival, which he will co-curate with Herbie Hancock for the second year in a row, on June 16.
Pre-order/Pre-save Fearless Movementhere. Tickets for Kamasi Washington at the Beacon Theatre, and all shows, are on sale March 8 at 10am, here.
The human body is made up of 206 bones and on Wednesday, February 28th, the voice of Paul Janeway touched every single one of them during a dynamic, soul-shaking performance at The Egg in Albany. Along with his 7-piece powerhouse jazz ensemble, St. Paul & the Broken Bones cooked up a near perfect mix of colorful showmanship, joyful jams, and fantastic fan interaction as the band not only celebrated their third time playing the beloved venue, but also the ten year anniversary of their breakthrough debut album, Half The City. It was their first time back in the area since wowing the crowd last year at the annual Saratoga Jazz Festival.
Paul Janeway of St. Paul & the Broken Bones performing in Albany on 2/28/24.
A wet and windy Wednesday night outside The Egg, things started cooking inside with an impressive opening set from Bowling Green, Kentucky’s Sugadaisy. Combining a modern grunge vibe with a healthy dose of psychedelic pop, the venue’s excellent acoustics made them sound huge right off the rip. Sparked by a Daniel Johnston Hi, How Are You T-shirt worn by one of the guitarists, there were moments you simply couldn’t help but think of Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain. Unsure what to make of Sugadaisy at first, by the time they finished their short, but energetic set, it’s fair to say they’d won the Albany crowd over and earned a slew of new fans. Following a brief set change, it was finally time for St. Paul & the Broken Bones to take over.
Sugadaisy opened the show for St. Paul & the Broken Bones on 2/28/24.
Rising to prominence with over a decade of near constant touring, the Birmingham, Alabama-based rock n’ soul band boasts more than a million monthly listeners on Spotify, have released 5 studio albums and shared stages with a veritable who’s-who of music royalty that includes the likes of Sir Elton John and The Rolling Stones. Known for the signature falsetto voice of their flamboyant frontman Paul Janeway (aka St. Paul), The Broken Bones also consist of bassist Jesse Phillips, guitarist Browan Lollar, drummer Kevin Leon, keyboard player Al Gamble, trumpeter Allen Branstetter, trombonist Chad Fisher and Amari Ansari on saxophone.Â
St. Paul & the Broken Bones performing at The Egg on 2/28/24.
Kicking off their headlining set in style, each member of The Broken Bones came out one-by-one to the darkened stage, seamlessly picking up their instruments to join in on the opening “Marvin Jam” before the always dapper-looking Janeway sauntered out of the shadows to a massive applause. Instantly turning up the funk with “Flow With It (You Got Me Feeling Like), St. Paul & the Broken Bones wasted no time getting right to their biggest chart topping hit, “Call Me,” which the crowd immediately recognized and sang along to. All warmed up and feeling good, Janeway would take a brief moment to acknowledge the audience and make note that their debut album, Half the City, had been released ten years ago this week. Thanking the crowd for helping give them a career, the band would then play the album’s title track followed by an emphatic, soul-wrenching rendition of “I’m Torn Up,” the album’s opening song.
“I can’t let it down, this hope I feel
Oh this city has made me cry but I still can’t leave her
The streets paved with pain of all my past loves
Please don’t let it die cause I have had enough”
Lyrics from “Half the City”
From something old to something new, St. Paul & the Broken Bones would change things up a bit with a pair of songs, “Wolf in Rabbit Clothes” and “Sea Star” from their most recent album, 2023’s Angels in Science Fiction. Growing up on a steady diet of gospel and soul music like The Stylistics, Sam Cooke and old school Marvin Gaye, it’s easy to see where St. Paul & the Broken Bones draw their influences from, but it’s not often you hear a white man that sings falsetto with the power and control of Janeway. What really sets him apart, however, is the way he’s able to command the entire stage. Working both sides while simultaneously showcasing some fancy footwork (and fancy shoes), Janeway’s presence was mesmerizing.
St. Paul & the Broken Bones performing in Albany on 2/28/24.
Singing falsetto from the depths of his soul, so hard in fact, that at times it had him dropping to his knees reaching for the notes, like he did on “Grass is Greener.” After receiving a huge ovation for his efforts, Janeway quietly disappeared back into the shadows. Far from a one-man-show, The Broken Bones took over from there with an extended “Roach Clip” jam that saw each member taking turns soloing in the spotlight and the energetic Amari Ansari running from one side of the room to the other wailing away on his saxophone to the delight of the ultra-attentive Albany crowd.
The powerful horn section was heavily featured once again during “LivWithoutU,” before the dirty, slowed-down groove of “Minotaur” put the audience in a near euphoric trance. Building the energy back up with a pair of tunes from 2018’s Young Sick Camellia, “GotItBad” > “Apollo” would bring the main portion of the show to a close and leave fans hollering for more.
Baby
Is there a right when all is wrong?
Is there a partner when we’re left all alone?
Oh, but I wanna feel something real
Lyrics from “Sanctify”
St. Paul & the Broken Bones performing in Albany on 2/28/24.
Returning to the stage now wearing a sparkling sequin cape, Janeway would take his theatrics to the next level. First falling to floor and rolling around like a guitar-less Marty McFly as he crooned the lyrics to “Like a Mighty River,” the crowd who had largely remained seated to this point, finally got up on their feet when Janeway suddenly jumped off the stage to join them.
St. Paul & the Broken Bones performing in Albany on 2/28/24.
As fans quickly grabbed their phones to snap obligatory selfies, the connection between the artist and the audience here felt completely authentic. Singing “Sanctify” while climbing all the way up to the soundboard area of The Egg’s backrow, the man who once thought he wanted to be a preacher found his Albany congregation in the palm of his hand. High-fiving as many of them as he could on the way down, the entire room seemed to be smiling ear to ear. Back on stage for the disco-vibed “Last Dance,” the energy in the Egg had reached its boiling point. Already three songs into the encore, fans were given one last treat and one final song from Half The City as “Broken Bones and Pocket Change” would bring the stellar performance to a close. After a well-deserved standing ovation, even the seasoned ushers were left commenting on just how good of a show this was.
St. Paul & the Broken Bones performing in Albany on 2/28/24.
After playing in Buffalo the next night, St. Paul & the Broken Bones officially wrapped up their year-long Angels In Science Fiction tour in Charlottesville, VA on March 3rd. After taking a couple weeks off, the band will return to their stomping grounds of Birmingham, Alabama for a hometown throwdown on March 23 before setting off on a lengthy European tour later this summer.
St. Paul & the Broken Bones | February 28,2024 | The Egg | Albany, NY
Setlist: Opening Marvin Jam, Flow With It (You Got Me Feeling Like), Call Me, Half the City, I’m Torn Up, Wolf in Rabbits Clothes > Sea Star, Grass Is Greener, Roach Clip, Livwithoutu, Minotaur, GotItBad > Apollo.
Encore: Like a Mighty River, Sanctify, The Last Dance, Broken Bones & Pocket Change.
Funky west coast powerhouse Circles Around the Sun (CATS) are bringing their magic to the East Coast and more, along with Mikaela Davis and Southern Star. The group stopped in at the legendary Stone Pony in Asbury Park on February 29, quickly becoming the best thing to have happened on a this leap day.
The night started off with Mikaela Davis and Southern Star which was incredibly ambient, funky, and unique. The harp mixed in with intricate guitar and ultimately a saxophone provided a very unique sound. Their set included a nod to the good ol’ Grateful Dead with a “Here Comes Sunshine” cover.
Seeing CATS with Mikaela Davis sitting in at Peach Festival in July 2023, I knew we were in for a quite a treat. There’s something mesmerizing and attention demanding about the harp. It may be how difficult it looks to play, or how rarely a typical person may encounter one, especially in a live rock band setting.
Circles Around The Sun played a classic set with old and new song starting off with “Away Team.” Their set included “Money’s No Option” and ended with “Babyman.” Then Mikaela joined them on stage for three songs ending with “Language“, which is the title track of their newest record.
Circles Around the Sun is known well in the jam band community particularly for the tragedy in losing their founding member, the great Neal Casal. CATS is a band who prove to be unique, funky, and ground breaking in the absence of Casal, with guitarist John Lee Shanon fitting in well, unafraid to experiment, getting weird with guitar solos, truly showing off his unique musicianship. The space funk grooves of this band paired with the epic sounding harp playing of Mikaela Davis is truly a force to behold.
Circles Around the Sun – Stone Pony, Asbury Park, NJ – Thursday, February 29, 2024 – Leap Day
Setlist: Away Team, Landline Memories, Immovable Object, Moneyâs No Option, Halicarnassus, Babyman Encore: After Sunrise*, Gloaming Way*, Language* * with Mikaela Davis
Ilya Popenko, lead singer of NYC-based Mad Meg has released a solo track and music video for his new single “The Horse is Not Mine.”
Ilya Popenko is a multi-disciplinary artist, filmmaker, photographer and songwriter, born in the former Soviet Union. In 2011, he formed Mad Meg, a psychedelic progressive rock band plays in an eclectic style they themselves identify as “Punk-Chanson-Noir”. The band has toured extensively in Russia and the former Soviet Bloc, including tours that covered close to 30 cities throughout the vast, frozen expanse of Eastern Europe, and in the course of which they shared the stage with such luminaries as Nogu Svelo!, Brooklyn-based rock band Rasputina, and Emir Kusturica.
While Mad Meg is on hiatus, Ilya has continued to work on his solo songs. In his new music video for “The Horse is Not Mine,” Ilya performs the song dressed in horse costumes amidst surrealist animation that interacts with live action footage. The lyrics of the chorus may seem like nonsense, but when describing the song, the artist shares that the lyrics are a verbatim translation of the Russian saying, “I’m not me, and the horse is not mine,” which is used to say, “I have nothing to do with that.” Ilya likes to incorporate direct translations of Russian proverbs in his songs, as lost in translation and taken out of context, they lose their original meaning and become an abstract and beautiful combination of words. The music video is directed by Nikolai Metin and incorporates animation by Katya Mezentseva.
Ilya Popenko’s new single “Horse is Not Mine” is available to stream everywhere and to learn more about the artist and the band fans can visit here.
Ricky Montgomery‘s electrifying performance at Terminal 5 in Manhattan on February 24th was a testament to his magnetic stage presence and undeniable talent. Returning to New York after his stint accompanying Cavetown on the “Bittersweet Daze” Tour, Ricky shared intimate moments with his adoring fans, weaving together a setlist of old favorites and new tracks from his latest album, Rick.
As the crowd erupted in anticipation, Ricky took the stage with a burst of energy, kicking off the night with his signature anthem “Line Without a Hook.” The surprise appearance of mxmtoon for the alternate version of the song elevated the performance to new heights, with both artists radiating infectious energy as they interacted with fans at the barricade.
Throughout the evening, Ricky’s charm and wit shone through, as he shared anecdotes about his time living in New York and reminisced about his early days as a musician. Songs like “Last Night” and “Ethan’s Song” took on new meaning as Ricky poured his heart out on stage, drawing fans closer with each heartfelt lyric.
The atmosphere crackled with excitement during the debut of “Unknown Phantom,” with Ricky playfully urging the crowd to “go crazy” at the behest of his label. Moments of pure euphoria ensued as fans echoed Ricky’s every word, shouting declarations of love and support into the air.
During the encore, Ricky’s energy remained undiminished as he returned to the stage with opener Noah Floersch for a rousing rendition of “This December,” igniting the crowd with an electrifying finale. From the soul-stirring melodies of “My Heart Is Buried in Venice” to the anthemic chorus of “Don’t Say That,” Ricky Montgomery’s performance was a masterclass in emotion and authenticity, leaving an indelible impression on all who were lucky enough to witness it.
Setlist: Line Without a Hook (featuring mxmtoon), In Your Pocket, Cabo, One Way Mirror, Talk to You, Black Fins, I Don’t Love You Anymore, Type A, Last Night, Truth or Dare, Unknown Phantom (Unreleased), Snow, Ethan’s Song, My Heart Is Buried in Venice (Acoustic), Boy Toy, It’s Ok to Cry, Don’t Say That, Out Like a Light
Encore: Sometimes I Need to Be Alone, This December, Mr Loverman
On February 27, Jason Isbell rolled into Rochester to play an intimate show at Kodak Center. Named after the photo giant that was founded there many moons ago, the Kodak Center offers a beautiful stage that Isbell and his band, 400 Unit, partied on for the crowd of roughly 1900 fans.
Opening the show for Isbell, was Palehound, fronted by El Kempner. They took the stage for roughly an hour and hit some amazing sounds, very reminiscent of Hole, Mazzy Star, or Eve’s Plumb. Kempner, along with Zoe Brecher (drums), Larz Brogan (bass) and Beth (guitar) filled the theatre with subtle lyrics as fans shuffled to their seats.
Playing through original songs such as “Fadin,” “Bullshit,” and “Good Sex,’ Kempner recalled her last visit to Rochester as they played Bug Jar. Talking about how they are fiscally responsible when they travel, she tells of a friend who set them up with accommodations for their visit. A friend of a friend of a friend scenario. Upon arriving at apartment, they were set up with, the band found an empty apartment with 10 air mattresses. Perfect for those who might want to sleep on the floor but aren’t quite committed yet.
Shortly before 9, Jason Isbell and 400 Unit hit the stage to a very welcoming crowd. Starting off with “Save the World”, a song that the sends a very poignant message about the world we live in. While not a very uplifting song, Isbell brought some energy and positive vibes throughout the nearly 2 hour show.
The 400 Unit consists of Sadler Vaden (guitar, vocals), Anna Butterss (bass), Derry deBorja (Keys, accordion, vocals), Chad Gamble (drums, vocals), and Will Johnson (drums, guitar, vocals, gong)
Using his own personal experiences, Isbell has had pretty good success with songwriting, as he has won six of the seven Grammys he has been nominated for. Most recently, the 2023 Weathervanes album won the band a grammy for Best American Roots Song (“Cast Iron Skillet”) and album.
Reflecting on events in the news has also been an inspiration for music. “24 Frames” was one of the more mellow songs played in Rochester. While there is catchy beat to the song, the lyrics are what make you stop and think. Think about life and how it can change in the blink of an eye.
And this is how you make yourself call your mother And this is how you make yourself closer to your brother Remember him back when he was small enough to help you sing
24 Frames – Jason Isbell
The song was written back in 2015 after Jason had heard of a young girl being killed by stray bullet while playing in own yard. These are things you don’t think of, but artists like Jason Isbell will write a song about.
https://youtu.be/_lV-BSYnWPU?si=f8wIZKz_j8sUUQ4P
Adding commentary between songs, Isbell talks about how he has enjoyed his visit to Rochester, saying that he had some stuffed mussels and a patty melt for lunch. It’s odd combination, but to each their own. He went on to talk about the music stores he checked out and found a nice old amplifier.
Coming out for a much-deserved encore, Isbell took center stage for an acoustic version of “Cover Me Up”. This bone chilling song was the opening track to his 2013, Southeastern album and originally written for his now ex wife, Amanda Shires, and his confessing his love for her. In a 2013 NPR interview, he said “…it was hard one to get through, even after not breaking down the first time…”
So girl, leave your boots by the bed, we ain’t leavin’ this room ‘Til someone needs medical help or the magnolias bloom It’s cold in this house and I ain’t goin’ out to chop wood So cover me up and know you’re enough to use me for good
Following the acoustic rendition, the band joined Isbell on stage and finished the encore with “Miles” and “This Ain’t It”. A perfect set to end an amazing evening of Americana Roots.
Setlist: Save the World, King of Oklahoma, Strawberry Woman, Last of My Kind, Super 8, Something More Than Free, Overseas, Speed Trap Town, Alabama Pines, Stockholm, When We Were Close, White Beretta, Honeysuckle Blue, Cast Iron Skillet, 24 Frames, If We Were Vampires, Cover Me Up, Miles, This Ain’t It
In the dimly lit, historic Birdland theater, a magical atmosphere enveloped the audience as the “Year of Alice” event unfolded. Hosted by the John and Alice Coltrane Home, the evening was a celebration of the legendary jazz couple, John and Alice Coltrane, whose impact on the world of music continues to resonate. Held in the same venue where John and Alice first crossed paths, the event promised a journey through the Coltrane legacy and a glimpse into the upcoming events, concert series, exhibits, and special projects planned for the year 2024-2025.
Ravi and Michelle Coltrane
The evening began with Michelle Coltrane, Alice’s daughter and John’s stepdaughter, setting the tone by warmly welcoming everyone. She spoke passionately about her mother’s enduring influence on the world of music, laying the foundation for an evening that would be a tribute to the Coltrane’s artistic brilliance.
Michelle Coltrane
The founder and President of the Coltrane Home, Steve Fulgoni, took the stage to make an exciting announcement â the restoration of the Coltrane home in Dix Hills had commenced, with plans to open its doors to the public within two years. This revelation sparked anticipation among the audience, eager to witness the preservation of the historic space where the Coltranes once lived and created.
Grammy-nominated harpist Brandee Younger, leader of the Alice Coltrane Ensemble and board member of the John and Alice Coltrane Home, shared insights into the world of harps, the instrument Alice mastered. Joined by Ravi Coltrane, the duo mesmerized the audience with two enchanting renditions of Alice’s compositions, a heartfelt tribute to her exceptional skill and talent.
Ravi Coltrane and Brandee Younger
Ravi Coltrane took a moment to share his thoughts about his iconic parents, providing a personal touch to the evening. The family’s warmth and love for music were clearly felt in Ravi’s words, creating a special connection between the audience and the Coltrane legacy.
Ravi Coltrane
President of Impulse records, Jamie Krents, stepped forward to share exciting news about the upcoming release of “Alice Coltrane at Carnegie Hall” on March 22nd. The revelation was met with enthusiastic applause, affirming the continued appreciation for Alice’s vast musical contributions.
The evening also featured Matthew Garrison from Shapeshifter Plus, a Brooklyn-based non-profit he co-founded with Ravi Coltrane and Fortuna Sung. Their mission, to promote innovative artistic expression, resonated with the audience as they announced their involvement in curating Alice’s music.
Brandon Bibbi, Senior Preservation Architect for the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund, took the stage to discuss their role in saving the family home from demolition. Their dedication to preserving cultural heritage underscored the significance of the Coltrane legacy in the broader context of American history.
Christopher Collins, President and Artistic Director of the Detroit Jazz Festival, unveiled plans for a special event on Labor Day weekend 2024. Curated by Ravi Coltrane, the festival promised an ambitious musical experience, featuring both Ravi’s musical associates and local string players.
Christopher Collins
Erin Christovale, curator of the Alice Coltrane exhibit, provided a thrilling finale by announcing the showcase of Alice’s archive at the Hammer Museum. For the first time, the public would have access to photographs, posters, handwritten letters, paintings, sculptures, and more, offering a comprehensive view of Alice’s multifaceted artistry.
As Michelle Coltrane wrapped up the evening with heartfelt gratitude, the audience left Birdland with a profound appreciation for the Coltrane legacy and an eagerness to witness the “Year of Alice” unfold. The event was not just a celebration; it was a promise of a year filled with musical treasures and a continued exploration of the extraordinary contributions of John and Alice Coltrane to the world of jazz.
