New York City indie rock band Gift released their record label debut, Illuminator, on August 23, following the announcement of their first world tour. The 11-track LP sees the band blending electronic elements with widescreen pop production techniques to create their most fully-comprehensive body of work to date.
GIFT, formed in 2020, is made up of vocalist/guitarist TJ Frida, multi-instrumentalist Justin Hrabovsky, drummer Gabe Camarano and bassist Kallan Campbell. The four originally came together when Freda cherry-picked members of some of his favorite other bands, forming somewhat of an indie supergroup. With roots all over the world—Salt Lake City, San Francisco, Boston and Brazil, to be exact—it only makes sense that GIFT’s musical style would be diverse as well. The musicians have often leaned on their collective deep experiences and have set a bold new sound—a dizzying blend of early shoegaze, classic ‘90s alternative rock and even modern pop.
GIFT emerged somewhat fully formed on their 2022 debut album, Momentary Presence. The LP was a testament to the untapped creative potential lying deep within, and it wasn’t long before the band was pricking up the ears of adventurous listeners both at home and across the Atlantic Ocean. Ahead of their newest album, GIFT have shared the singles “Wish Me Away” and “Going In Circles,” which have drawn critical acclaim from the likes of, among many others, Pitchfork, Billboard, Paste, Uproxx, Consequence, Paper, Flood Magazine, Brooklyn Vegan, and Stereogum, which recently labeled GIFT as a band to watch.
Illuminator is the long-awaited payoff of GIFT’s ever-growing musical and human chemistry, blending a dynamic fusion of electronic and pop production techniques. One of the album’s singles, “Later,” perfectly exemplifies the new sound. “While writing Illuminator, I found myself clinging to intense emotions, reluctant to release them. ‘Later’ stands out as one of the darkest songs I’ve made,” Freda said. “Making it was cathartic, diving into darker themes. The song explores surrendering to the overwhelming sensation of life slipping away before my eyes.”
Freda was an integral part of the record, but Illuminator was a collaborative effort through and through. Gurewitz, a relative newcomer to making music herself, contributed a host of lyrics and vocal melodies, and Camarano’s drumming provided the crucial rhythmic underpinning to the album’s 11 tracks. Hrabovsky, who previously engineered at Asheville, N.C. studios Drop of Sun and Echo Mountain Recording, shared production duties with Freda for the first time as well.
Lyrically, the record covers many of those oh-so-common issues that everybody faces but nobody really knows how to deal with, like falling in love, heartbreak, watching events and moments go by like cars on the highway and grieving the loss of different phases of life. Somehow, GIFT is able to do this, while simultaneously packaging the songs inside sleek and danceable instrumentals. As a result, Illuminator is the perfect album to soundtrack your life to, since it has the perfect answer in song form to almost any situation life can throw at you.
Key Tracks: Light Runner, Later, Milestones
In support of Illuminator, GIFT will embark on an international tour, including a hometown album release party at New York City’s Bowery Ballroom on September 20. Visit here to purchase tickets. See below for a full written list of GIFT’s tour dates.
Gift Tour Dates
Sept 13 – Troy, NY – No Fun (w. Fantasy Of A Broken Heart)
Sept 14 – Boston, MA – Rockwell (w. Fantasy Of A Broken Heart)
Sept 15 – Portland, ME – Oxbow Brewing (w. Fantasy Of A Broken Heart)
Sept 17 – Burlington, VT – Higher Ground Showcase (w. Fantasy Of A Broken Heart)
Sept 20 – New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom (w. Catcher, Public Circuit) Record Release Show
Sept 21 – Philadelphia, PA – Milkboy(w. Catcher)
Sept 22 – Washington, DC – DC9 (w. Catcher)
Sept 25 – Chicago, IL – Schubas (w. Catcher)
Oct 10 – Brighton, UK – The Hope & Ruin
Oct 11 – London, UK – Moth Club
Oct 12 – Manchester, UK – YES (Basement)
Oct 14 – Birmingham, UK – Hare & Hounds
Oct 15 – Nottingham, UK – Rescue Rooms (w. BODEGA)
Oct 16 – Leeds, UK – Brudenell Social Club (w. BODEGA)
Oct 17 – Glasgow, UK – Room 2 (w. BODEGA)
Oct 18 – Newcastle upon Tyne, UK – The Cluny (w. BODEGA)
Oct 19 – Cardiff, UK – SWN FEST
Oct 21 – Cambridge, UK – Junction 2 (w. BODEGA)
Oct 22 – Sheffield, UK – Crookes Social Club (w. BODEGA)
Oct 23 – Bristol, UK – Lantern Hall (w. BODEGA)
Oct 24 – London, UK – Earth Hall (w. BODEGA)
Oct 26 – Amsterdam, NL – London Calling @ Paradiso (w. Chanel Beads, STRKFR, English Teacher)
Oct 27 – Appeldorn, NL – De Gigant
Nov 1 – Utrecht, NL – DB’s
Nov 4 – Paris, FR – SuperSonic
Nov 5 – Dijon, FR – Club La Vapeur
Nov 6 – Nantes, FR – La Lune Froide
Nov 7 – Lorient, FR – Les Indisciplinées (L’Hydrophone) (w. Corridor & Cucamaras)
Nov 8 – Saint, Lô, FR – Les RDV Soniques Festival (Ateliers Arts Plumes)
Manic Kat Records, an independent record label based out of Pomona, NY, celebrates its tenth anniversary this year.
In honor of their tenth birthday, Manic Kat Records hosts their very own music festival featuring their signed artists. This festival takes place September 13th and 14th at Olive’s in Nyack.
Over the last decade, Manic Kat Records has cemented itself as an independent punk music label that focuses on the growth and prosperity of its artists. Manic Kat has represented some of the most prolific names in the punk music scene, such as Ryan Cabrera, Todd Morse (Offspring/H2O), and Showoff, along with new artists who are on their way to joining the list of punk icons.
Manic Kat’s ventures have taken them down multiple paths. In the last ten years, they have collaborated with other entertainment centers like American Colosseum Wrestling (ACW) to host wrestling events, and launched a mobile app, Punk Hub Live, in the midst of a global pandemic to keep fans in touch with artists after live performances had been shut down.
“This anniversary is a celebration of all the hard work, dedication, blood, sweat, and tears we have all put in to get us where we are today!” says CEO and founder Peter James. “I feel as though this milestone is even more special since we not only overcame the normal obstacles every business encounters, but were also able to survive a global pandemic and come out on the other side with continued growth and the passion to find and cultivate an amazing roster of artists.”
Much like their fifth anniversary, Manic Kat celebrates with another two-day festival. Hosting Magic Kat’s festival is McKenzie Mitchell, former ACW superstar, further cementing the incredibly strong relationship between the two organizations. On September 13 and 14, Magic Kat brings out an extensive lineup, all consisting of artists signed to their label. The full lineup of the punk powerhouses will be released soon. Both festival dates begin at 6 pm. Tickets start at $25 online, $30 at the door.
For more information and tickets to Manic Kat Records’ anniversary show, visit the label’s website.
Heading to the 2024 Great New York State Fair? There are plenty of attractions and rides, but don’t sleep on two stages of free live music each day!
The Great New York State Fair was founded in 1832 by a group of local farmers for agriculture and local fairs, The Great New York State Fair became a musical showcase in the 1950s and 1960s. A variety of artists perform at the fair, including popular and up-and-comers.
Performances can be found on the Chevy Court Stage and Suburban Park. Both stages are free with the price of admission.
Phish has kicked off their eleventh festival, Mondegreen, at The Woodlands in Dover, Delaware, welcoming 40,000 fans for a 4-day musical and visual odyssey. The modern day music festival landscape has evolved from Phish being the progenitor of the 90s festival resurgence, the one with the most success despite only a single band on the lineup, to a landscape where festivals are failing, canceling, being too big, or underattended, and generally going the away after two decades of success. Yet here we are with Phish keeping their success with fests going even as bigger and “better” ones continue to fall by the wayside.
In a concert bowl full of art installations with surprises around each corner and tucked into the woods surrounding the fans, Phish fans find themselves in a real life choose your own adventure book, where every turn and decision leads to even more action and escapades.
Likewise, Phish onstage rose to the occasion, opening the festival with a mondegreen of a song, ‘The Moma Dance’ (the moment ends), dropping a first set that was highlighted by a 19-minute “Wolfman’s Brother” and a 30-minute combined 1-2 punch of a closer with “A Wave of Hope” and “Sand.”
Set 2 opened with the true Phish debut (sans Billy Strings on vocals) of “What’s Going Through Your Mind” that clocked in at a surprising 25 minutes. Energetic versions of “Chalkdust Torture” and “Light” followed, with both jams eclipsed by a mid-set highlight in “Prince Caspian” that featured healthy teases of “Sneakin’ Sally Through the Alley” from Mike Gordon with Talking Heads’ “Crosseyed and Painless” later providing a continued burst of energy. A brief “Lonely Trip” was the only respite this set, as a 15-minute “Everything’s Right” closed the set.
A triple encore of the all too infrequent “Saw It Again” had added lyrics referencing the festival, with “Possum” and “Slave to the Traffic Light” closing night 1 on a high note.
Phish – Mondegreen Festival – The Woodlands – Dover, DE 8/15/24
Set 1: The Moma Dance, Back on the Train, Wolfman’s Brother, Funky Bitch, Roggae, NICU, A Wave of Hope, Sand
Set 2: What’s Going Through Your Mind -> Chalk Dust Torture -> Light > Prince Caspian, Crosseyed and Painless, Lonely Trip, Everything’s Right
Encore: Saw It Again > Possum, Slave to the Traffic Light
Night two of Phish’s Mondegreen Festival is now in the books with the band delivering two sets of nearly seamless originals and a brilliant “not-so-secret” third set of musical improvisation that ran the gamut from ambient to explosive psychedelia.
photo by Derek Java
The show began almost promptly at 7 pm this evening with an old school opener in the harmony-laden “Bouncing Around The Room.” This was followed by a “Kill Devil Falls” that set the tone for the rest of the night with an exploratory, groove-intensive jam that technically left the song unfinished. Instead of rounding it back into form, Phish threw out their signature take on Frank Zappa’s “Peaches En Regalia,” the only cover song played all night. “Free” then built on the momentum with an ebullient, free flowing jam before a perfectly placed “Divided Sky” with the sun slowly beginning to set helped create a brilliant aural landscape. The “Tube” that followed elicited another thick jam that had some certifiable meat to it before “Mountains In The Mist” served as a suitable first set “breather” song. “Reba” brought with it all the feels and emotion with a super blissed out jam that further cemented the already immaculate first set vibes. Bypassing the traditional “whistling” ending, Phish instead rounded off the first set with a fun “Twist” > “Character Zero” closing musical salvo.
photo by Derek Java
The second set kicked off with another monstrous “My Friend, My Friend,” a song the band has really stretched out and added some extensive jams to as of late. The traditional “Myfe” ending was skipped over on this one as well with the music instead flowing right into “No Men In No Men’s Land,” a song that typically features some heavy exploratory improvisation on the band end and tonight’s performance was no exception. From here, it was a non-stop runaway train of high end musical improvisation as the band shuffled seamlessly through segues into “Ruby Waves” and “Pillow Jets.” Keyboardist Page McConnell then dove in the sample bin for “Your Pet Cat,” spicing up another intense jam with sounds of cats screeching and screaming, giving a real back alley brawl feel to this rarely played instrumental number. WIthout ever fully stopping, Phish then circled back with ease to revisit both “Ruby Waves” and “No Men” while throwing a hearty “Story Of the Ghost “ right in between them. A flawless “Fluffhead” then closed out the set in grandiose fashion, featuring some amazing drumming and light hearted singing from Jon Fishman.
photo by Derek Java
Prior to the encore, Trey Anastasio facetiously mentioned to “one guy in a white shirt” that there may be a secret set tonight and it may not be wise to head right back to the campground after the show. First, however, was an appearance from “Harry Hood” and its typical powerful, blissful jam before a thunderous and feedback-heavy “First Tube” with Anastasio going full guitar god mode ended things….for now. With many taking heed to Trey’s suggestion and sticking around, a sheer screen descended in front of the stage, turning it into a veritable movie screen. Phish then proceeded to pull a “reverse Sphere,” with the band playing behind the screen as it proceeded to show a series of brilliant images that seemed to grow more intense and vivid as the 50-minute set went on. It was a legitimate question to wonder if the music was dictating the images or the other way around. Either way, it made for one of the more legendary secret sets in the band’s rich festival history as Phish touched on everything from the ambient to thrash metal and seemingly everything in between, dazzling the audience and capping off a special second night at Mondegreen.
Phish – Mondegreen Festival – The Woodlands – Dover, DE 8/16/24
Set 1: Bouncing Around the Room, Kill Devil Falls > Peaches en Regalia, Free, Divided Sky, Tube, Mountains in the Mist, Reba, Twist > Character Zero
Set 2: My Friend, My Friend > No Men In No Man’s Land > Ruby Waves > Pillow Jets -> Your Pet Cat -> Ruby Waves > Ghost -> No Men In No Man’s Land > Fluffhead
Encore: Harry Hood > First Tube
Set 3: Woodlands Jam
photo by Filip Zalewski
The third day of Mondegreen was as hot as any of the previous two, with little in terms of shade or escape from the heat. Phish fans pushed through – we do train for this – and rallied to be inside and take in the art installations, food offerings and stand up comedy that took place in the hours before the music began.
Opening the afternoon with “Mike’s Song” gave Lemonwheel vibes, but the classic combo of “Mike’s > I Am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove” was the fuel and fans needed to get down. A lofty “Theme From the Bottom” followed, along with a Mondegreen of a song, “Blaze On” (Nice Shades/Night Shades) to follow. Perhaps compelled by a sign featuring Paulie Walnuts saying “Gaba Jibbool,” “Gotta Jibboo” ended up being a top jam of the set, stretching for more than 12 minutes. All that followed was setting the table for the second set – the funk rock of “46 Days,” the title track off Phish’s latest album, “Evolve,” Phish fest classic “Meatstick” and “David Bowie” to round it out.
photo by Filip Zalewski
By the time second set rolled around, fans were dialed in and preparing themselves mentally and physically for the unexpected news of Sunday’s show being held earlier in the day, with the field opening at 11am for a 1pm set. While the weather never was a factor on Sunday, the preparation by fans was not just on the day of the show, but also the night before.
An errant beat preceded the opening notes of “2001” which beckoned the crowd for a heavy night to come. And while “Oblivion” has been a road tested song since 2023, the lack of segue here stood out, and could have easily been “Tweezer” or “Life Saving Gun,” but the jam still delivered, working towards “Down with Disease,” which, like the “Tweezer” that did follow, clocked in at over 19 minutes each. “Scents and Subtle Sounds” appeared in full form (not the shortened Magnaball version) for more than 16 minutes, a mid-set-ridge that was an abject success on the collective dance floor. When “Boogie On Reggae Woman” began (one of the limited covers of the weekend by this point) the timing couldn’t have been more perfect, nor could it have been for the “Carini” that followed. With an exclamation point, Day 3 of Mondegreen featured the top set of the weekend, by a wide margin of conventional wisdom.
A trio in the encore began with “Backwards Down the Number Line” and then an always huge “You Enjoy Myself” that closed with “Tweezer Reprise,” putting a bow on Saturday and leaving fans wondering what was in store for Sunday’s weather-rescheduled set(s).
Phish – Mondegreen Festival – The Woodlands – Dover, DE 8/17/24
Set 1: Mike’s Song > I Am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove, Theme From the Bottom > Blaze On, Gotta Jibboo, 46 Days, Evolve, Meatstick > David Bowie
Set 2: Also Sprach Zarathustra > Oblivion, Down with Disease[1] > Tweezer > Scents and Subtle Sounds > Boogie On Reggae Woman, Carini
Encore: Backwards Down the Number Line, You Enjoy Myself, Tweezer Reprise
[1] Unfinished.
This was the third show of the Mondegreen festival. Mike teased Passing Through in David Bowie. DWD was unfinished. Trey teased La Grange and Eleanor Rigby in DWD and Eleanor Rigby in Tweezer.
photo by Filip Zalewski
Phish closed out the final night, or rather day, of Mondegreen with some more explosive jamming that took place a little earlier due to a change in schedule. An announcement was released on Saturday night that music would be starting at 1:00 pm instead of the usual 6:30 pm due to inclement weather that was expected in the local area. Although it never really opened up or downpoured on Sunday, Phish clearly erred on the side of caution instead of letting festival attendees, vendors and workers potentially get stuck in a storm that had the potential for strong winds and lightning.
Both the band and crowd made the most of the situation, and the near two-hour single set started off in joyous fashion with “Party Time” and the sun still shining bright. “Axilla” followed and kept the energy levels high, even after plodding through a “Part 2” ending, before “Maze” kicked things back into high gear with its typical ferocious solos from Page McConnell on organ and Trey Anastasio on guitar. A mid-set “AC/DC Bag” didn’t quite reach the heights of the one featured at Bethel Woods last weekend, but still featured some significant improvisation on its back end. “Sigma Oasis,” another new number from the band’s recent Evolve album followed very much in suit before segueing into the classic Phish tune “Rift.”
photo by Filip Zalewski
“Stash” found the Mondegreen crowd still very much engaged and elicited another probing and expansive jam and the “Ya Mar” that followed served as a perfect daytime set selection. As some cloud coverage slowly began to make an appearance, Phish closed out the jumbo-sized set with one last progression of songs that flowed seamlessly into one another, starting with a “Bathtub GIn” that, like its brethren from this summer tour, produced yet another deep and exploratory jam. At its conclusion, Anastasio started frantically vamping for the intro to the still-rare cover of Jimi Hendrix’s “Isabella.” The set could have ended here and few would take issue with that, but instead Phish launched into “Simple” before a rousing cover of TV On The Radio’s “Golden Age” properly closed out the set, as the band definitely seems to be in the midst of one of these.
One last high octane jam that had the whole festival grounds moving took place in “Fuego,” another proper song in both placement and name due to the quality and intensity of music displayed all week long. A brief DJ set afterwards gave those sticking around one last chance to dance and enjoy the venue grounds before skies darkened even further and announcement was made for everyone to return to their campsites, a dour ending to an otherwise memorable and festive Mondegreen.
Phish – Mondegreen Festival – The Woodlands – Dover, DE 8/18/24
Set: Party Time, Axilla->Maze, Steam. Martian Monster, AC/DC Bag, Sigma Oasis->Rift, Stash, Ya Mar, Timber (Jerry the Mule), Bathtub GIn > Izabella > Simple > Golden Age
Opening day of the Great NYS Fair was full of nostaglia. Earlier in the day Chubby Checker took the stage and all the headliners from the I Love the 90’s tour paid homage to him as they each left the stage, Young Hump of Digital Underground said “I’m gonna have to call my grandparents”.
The lineup for the evening was Digital Underground, Color Me Badd & Tone Loc. The weather cleared just before start time and made for a wonderful evening of music.
Opening up the night was Digital Underground with their hit “Same Song” as they moved back and forth across the stage. As their set continued the remembered Shock-G and dedicated “Doowutchyalike” to him. They continued their set with “Kiss you Back” and then performed Tupac’s “I Get Around” and ending the night the “Humpty Dance” with Young Hump out doing his dance. It was a great set from Digital Underground that got the audience up on their feet to start out the evening.
Next up was Color Me Badd with the sole original member lead vocalist Mark Calderon. They started their set off with their hit “All 4 One” and got the audience singing with them. They continued on with “I Adore Mi Amor” and covered Michael Jackson’s “Rock With You”. As they continued on with their walk through their 90’s hit “I Wanna Sex You Up”. At times it was hard to hear Mark Calderon’s vocals during their 20 minute set. The audince enjoyed the performance and could be heard singing along toeir favorite old school jams.
Tone Loc came out with DJ M. Walk to perform his hit “Funky Cold Medina”, Tone in a throwback blue sweat suit with his gravelly voice that just brought the crowd to their feet. They continued on with a cover of Snoop Dogg’s “Gin and Juice” with Tone Loc doing a little crip walk. He continued on with a call and response of “Hey, What’s Up”. Giving the audience a little time he asked what decade the audience members were born, and the biggest responses were the 60’s & 70’s. He then called a group of ladies to come up on the stage as he closed out with “Wild Thing”. The ladies on stage danced and laughed as if they were back in the 90’s.
I love the 90s was a great night of nostalgic music at the NYS Fair that took you back in time. It almost was like we were back in the 90’s again.
Digital Underground Setlist: Same Song, Doowhatchya Like, Kiss You Back, I Get Around (TuPac), The Humpty Dance
Color Me Badd Setlist: All for Love, I Adore Mi Amor, Rock With You (Michael Jackson), I Wanna Sex You Up
Tone Loc Setlist: Funky Cold Medina, Gin & Juice (Snoop Dogg), Hey, What’s Up, Wild Thing
Rising country music star Warren Zeiders performed on the Suburban Park Stage at the New York State Fair in Syracuse on Thursday, August 22. The Hershey, Pennsylvania native was celebrating the release of his second full length album, Relapse (released on August 23).
Anticipation built as the minutes clicked down to Zeiders’ arrival. The barricaded area around the stage was filled to capacity well in advance of showtime, and a sprawling crowd stretched back into the fields which separated the Suburban Park stage from the hustle and bustle of the fair’s midway.
At promptly 8pm, Zeiders burst on to stage and wasted no time getting the party started. Zeiders opened with the unreleased track “Take it to the Grave” which showcased his gritty vocals and high energy stage presence. Zeiders worked each side of the stage, often pausing to wave and greet the fans up front. Early in the set, Zeiders pushed his new material, performing several tracks off the Relapse album.
At just 24 years old, Warren Zeiders is proving to be a master in his craft. New tracks like “Intoxicated” and “Betrayal” proved to hold just strong as the rest of his growing catalog. Those in attendance were already familiar with the lyrics to the new tracks and sang along to every word. However, the biggest sing along this evening was when Zeiders performed “Pretty Little Poison”, a track which spent several weeks at the top of Billboard’s Country Music Airplay chart earlier this year. The crowed belted back the song’s anthemic chorus and waved lighters and cellphone lights in the air, illuminating the area and giving perspective to the sea of fans that had gathered.
After a sixty minute set and a brief break, Zeiders and his band returned to the stage for an encore, which saw the band cover the Alice in Chains classic, “Man in the Box”. The song may sound like a surprising choice to hear at a country concert, but it fit in well with Zeiders’ sound.
The New York State Fair continues through September 2. See a list of upcoming concerts here.
Benny The Butcher looks to make his mark on the summer, returning with Buffalo Butch Vol. 1 just two weeks after releasing Summertime Butch. The new 3-track EP features close collaborator 38 Spesh, along with guest spots from Fabolous and Drake on the songs “Hard Way Freestyle” and “Buffalo Freestyle” respectively.
Artwork for Benny The Butcher 3-song E, Buffalo Butch Vol. 1
Benny Back Again
It’s been just over six months since the Grammy and Emmy nominated Buffalo native released his Def Jam Recordings debut, Everybody Can’t Go. During which he tried his hand at a more commercial sound along with a mainstream album that included several singles and guest spots on popular hip hop adjacent podcasts. While songs like the West Coast influenced “Back Again,” and the uptempo “How To Rap” showed some variance to Benny’s musical approach, his core fans continue to yearn for the gritty street rhymes that Benny and his tone-setting delivery have become synonymous with.
Artwork for Benny The Butcher 10-song EP, Summertime Butch
As a result he returned with Summertime Butch featuring appearances from Black Soprano Family signees Rick Hyde, ElCamino, and Fuego Base. With an additionally cameo from hip hop legend Ed Lover on “Summer 24,” while Harry Fraud and StreetRunner handled the album’s production. Now juts two weeks later he returns with a 3-pack of tracks to close the Summer out strong. As these last two EP’s have seen Benny return to his grimy best. Back are the slow, cinematic beats with street tales galore. Moreover, each song on Buffalo Butch Vol. 1 sees Benny bring the best out of his collaborators, which includes Drake first feature with a rapper of Benny’s pedigree since his much publicized beef with Kendrick Lamar. However, as of right now the Drake feature has been removed from streaming since the project’s release on Thursday night.
In 1978, Christina Crawford published Mommie Dearest, a stunning memoir/exposé about the hardship endured growing up with her cruel and unbalanced mother – screen legend Joan Crawford.
While there is no brandishing of coat hangers a la Crawford in Earth to Moon (Deyst/William Morrow), Moon Zappa’s new memoir presents the disturbing realities of growing up as the eldest child of rock legend Frank Zappa and his neglected, bossy, and controlling wife, Gail.
First off, let’s talk about Frank Zappa. Undoubtedly, he is one of my favorite all-time musicians – as a composer, guitarist, and socio-political commentator. I adored his early works with the original Mothers of Invention, albums like We’re On In It for the Money and Burnt Weeny Sandwich, and also his early- to mid-‘70s output like Hot Rats, Overnight Sensation and Roxy & Elsewhere. And while he lost me for a while in the ‘80s, he was back at the top of my list with his final works, The Yellow Shark and Civilization Part III.
Like Picasso and other uber-productive artists, Frank was completely and utterly self-absorbed. As beloved and admired as he was by his children, he saw very little of them – spending nine months a year on the road. And when he was home, he rose every day at 5 pm and headed to his recording studio in the basement. Also, like Picasso, he was the ultimate horndog. Zappa carried on countless affairs while on the road and even under his own roof (one groupie reportedly lived under the piano in his home studio). The latter made his wife, Gail, a very unhappy woman who often took her frustrations out on her children. And it was her firstborn, Moon, who was the main sounding board for her woes and the chief recipient of her ire.
Like her father, Moon is a supremely talented individual—a writer of several books, an actress, an entrepreneur, a spiritualist, and a bit of a comedian too. The genesis of this book goes back to her fifth Christmas, when she received the first of her hardback-bound journals from her parents. This is something that would become an annual tradition and launch her lifetime practice of chronicling life events and her feelings.
“I partly wrote this memoir as a reclamation, to tell my version of what happened in my childhood and early life as a gift to myself, as a map that charts how and when I ended up as an adult,” she writes in the introduction to her book. “Growing up doesn’t end when you become an adult…Make peace with what hurts and head toward joy… Write your future with the ink of today.”
Moon’s sketches of childhood begin with her memorable name, Moon Unit. I had never heard that the “unit” stood for Frank’s belief that her birth made the family a true entity. When she is still way too young to hear it, her mother shares that “pushing you out of my vagina gave me the best orgasm of my life.” The Zappa household is bedlam. There are various band members, the Zappa-sponsored groupie/girl group, The GTOs, visiting rock royalty like Mick Jagger and Eric Clapton, scenester oddballs, and truly mentally unbalanced freaks like Wildman Fischer crashing through at all hours. She hates that her parents didn’t wear underwear. Above all, Moon craves “stability and structure.” She is frightened of the basement room where his dad keeps the suitcases he uses for touring. She believes there are aliens living down there (UFOs were one of Gail’s woo-woo obsessions). Moon would seek protection from the imaginary aliens from an unlikely source – two invisible camels. At four, she tries to run away to Hollywood and the famous Schwab’s Drugstore where Lana Turner was discovered, intent on becoming an actress.
When Moon gets mad that her birthday is being celebrated after her younger brother’s one September, her mother puts her in a cold shower. Gail tape records her screams and plays them back to a horrified Moon. She decides then and there that she doesn’t want to be anything like her mother. When Frank is away on tour, she will head to the soundproof vocal booth in his home studio to “scream away” her stress.
While Frank’s absence looms large in her life and this book, some cherished moments are chronicled. In one, they visit the zoo to see a cheetah Frank and Gail have adopted. Frank gets her a commemorative coin with “Moon Unit Is Beautiful” imprinted on it. When she is nine, they share a private moment where Frank shows her his favorite records: Erik Satie, the Goldberg Variation and Johnny Guitar Watson. He then gifts her his huge collection of 45s.
Gail shares with Moon her obsessions, one of which is the witchcraft her mother employs against Frank’s many groupies. At 11, Moon casts a spell of her own on a school bully. Moon hangs up her pointy hat and broom when her classmate is injured falling off the monkey bars.
In an attempt to bond with her dad, Moon slips a letter under his studio door to reintroduce herself to him. This will lead to their collaborative effort, the hit song “Valley Girl.” Moon’s impression of a So-Cal Valley speak is modeled on a girl she meets at a bar mitzvah. It will be Frank’s biggest commercial success and Moon will be thrust into the promotional spotlight though horrified by her teenage acne. Ever the needler, Gail will tell her that Frank wouldn’t give her writing credit or money until she insisted he do so. “Earth to Moon” is the phrase Gail will deploy to disparagingly gain her attention.
The success of “Valley Girl” will lead Moon to an acting career, her first on-screen kiss with Erik Estrada on the TV series CHiPs, and her first date with actor Emilio Estevez. To have time for her career, she will be put into a school with other young entertainers, including Janet Jackson and Jason and Justine Bateman, the latter who becomes a lifelong friend. This will be followed by roles in films like Fast Times at Ridgemont High and stints as a VJ on MTV, with her brother Dweezil, and later VH-1. Moon and Dweezil will also star in their own short-lived TV series, Normal Life.
One of the most moving parts of the book deals with Frank’s battle with terminal prostate cancer. Gail thinks it’s ironic that he got the kind of cancer that would impact his ability to have sex with women… other women. Another revelation is that Frank will ask Gail for a divorce several times during their marriage, and during his final illness, to be with a German woman named Gerde. Moon will overhear (and be horrified by) her mother speaking with a New Zealand groupie who wants the dying Frank’s “seed” to have a child. We hear about his compulsion to continue to work and the Friday “Margarita Nights” where Frank is entertained by the likes of The Chieftains, Ravi Shankar, Tibetan monks, Tuvan Throat singers and The Simpsons creator Matt Groening. We also hear how Gail makes Moon sell her home to pay for Frank’s treatment… as the genius musician had no health insurance.
With Frank’s death, the family unravels, largely due to Gail’s machinations. She lies, saying he died without a will and in debt. She will sell his music catalog twice and go on a real estate spending spree before also ending up financially strapped. With Gail’s death from lung cancer, after Moon helps nurse her in her final days, she will set up the uneven distribution of power and assets between her children, which will lead to their current legal battles and estrangement. It’s “the final perfect chess move,” one that sews the family chaos that persists to this day.
But Moon will also come to admire her mother’s strength, and to have a bit of sympathy for her suffering at the hands of Frank’s artistic self-absorption and roving eye. “She never deserted her post as our leader in battle. Even if she helped perpetuate the war.”
With the parents passing, Moon’s life is still a battle and an object lesson in achieving self-realization and peace. In the book, she describes her marriage and divorce and a truly horrifying chapter on the life-threatening illness of her then three-year-old daughter, Matilda. She will move to Taos, study and teach meditation and yoga online, start a successful tea company, and continue her very fine writing. She comes to the realization that her mother’s actions are what set her free to be herself.
Near the close of the book, she writes of her parents: “Together, the two of you taught me the hard lesson that you can die before you die and live beyond your death. As a duo, you created the map and destroyed the key.”
Moon Zappa will in Woodstock at the Golden Notebook Bookstore on October 13 at 1 pm. For details, visit goldennotebook.com/events.
Dead & Co’s residency at the Sphere in Vegas may be over for now, but the music of the Grateful Dead most certainly hasn’t faded away from concert stages across the country as myriad tribute, cover, and legacy acts continue to perform in the final weeks of summer.
Dark Star Orchestra may well be the best Dead-music band that is currently touring, and the 1,500-plus dancing heads at Schenectady’s Frog Alley on Thursday, August 22 seemed to be in agreement that DSO are venerable interpreters of the genre.
DSO’s faithful and sequential recreations of notable Grateful Dead setlists and their dedication to performing with period-authentic instruments and equipment set them far apart from typical tribute acts. This is as close as you’re going to get to a late-70s Dead set, short of a time machine.
Thursday’s DSO show featured The Grateful Dead’s 5-5-78 setlist, originally performed in Thompson Arena at Dartmouth College. The two sets were relatively typical of the era, as the Dead balanced Chuck Berry rock with pastoral psychedelia, Americana, jazz-rock, balladry, and an occasional disco groove in the rhythm section.
DSO also played a 1978 show at the Adirondack Independence Music Festival last year up in Lake George. I was hip to the fact that Thursday’s show was going to mine late-70s territory as soon as Jeff Mattson (who plays the Jerry Garcia role in DSO) strapped on his Travis Bean guitar – the same model Jerry played in 1976 and 1977 (he was playing Wolf by ‘78). Mattson was in fine form all night, faithfully modeling his tone and soloing techniques on Garcia’s.
The show opened with “Promised Land”, which featured the outstanding vocals of Rob Eaton, who just embodies the bandleader and rhythm guitar rocker Bob Weir became in the later 70s and throughout the 80s for the Dead. It’s also delightful to hear that vintage Ibanez rhythm guitar tone. I love Ace, but I’m not crazy about the wild trebly, metallic guitar tone he uses in Dead & Co.
“Dire Wolf” may have been the biggest singalong number of the night and “Cassidy” was the first where the band’s slinky contrapuntal interplay was on full display. DSO, much like the original Dead is a true ensemble, and the collective improvisation of Mattson, Eaton, and keyboardist Rob Barraco stood out on this Weir/Barlow classic.
Other highlights of the first set included “Candyman” from American Beauty, and a top-notch “They Love Each Other” that featured solos by both Mattson and Barraco. And while this reviewer might prefer “Brown-Eyed Women” to “Lazy Lightnin’/Supplication” it was this latter medley that ended the first set with one of the best jams of the entire night.
The second set kicked off with a duo of good-time rockers (“Bertha” and “Good Lovin’”) and then the first of two second-set Jerry ballads, a faithful rendition of “Ship of Fools”.
It was the Estimated > Eyes, though, that was the hightlight of the entire show. Eaton nailed the Weir vocals on “Estimated Prophet” while Mattson dialed up the Mu-Tron to great effect. “Eyes of the World” remains one of the superlative Dead vehicles in terms of the song’s jam possibilities and also in the way that the elegantly jazz-leaning chord progression matches the beauty of the lyrics. Mattson seems to be at his best when he really leans into the jazzy elements of Garcia’s playing. Bassist Skip Vangelas (who was excellent, clear, and loud all night in his Phil-role) was also featured in “Eyes” and took a melodic solo.
I’ll admit that these days I’m all-in on the Dead & Co “Drums/Space” in large part because of Mickey Hart’s beam and use of electronics. For me, it’s never a bathroom break opportunity. DSO drummers Dino English and Rob Koritz reminded me that a more analog version of drums isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Koritz’s use of steel drum and a crew of roadies on various percussion instruments coupled nicely with English’s kit playing. Mattson and Barraco then took the stage for a very short “Space” that left me wanting more. While John Meyer certainly might have more “chops” than Mattson, I’ll take the ole Zen Trickster Mattson over Meyer on “Space” any day of the week. Mattson wore a rad purple John Coltrane t-shirt at the show, and his otherworldly “Close-Encounters”-tease into “space-jazz-rock” certainly paid homage to Coltrane’s later free era. Give me 10 more minutes of that next time, Jeff!
“Not Fade Away” was a great reminder that bands like DSO are carrying the torch so that new generations will hear this very vital and living music, and “Stella Blue” featured some of Mattson’s finest vocals of the evening on one of the Dead’s most sensitive ballads. The set closed with a rockin’ “Around and Around” which put Eaton back in the role of showman extraordinaire.
The encores were particularly fun covers. Warren Zevon’s “Werewolves of London” had what remained of the weeknight crowd howling at the moon. The Dead set was complete, but DSO had a few more minutes until curfew, so the band went off-script and launched into The Jefferson Airplane’s “White Rabbit” finally giving backing vocalist Lisa Mackey a chance to take the lead. Mackey is in many ways the heart and soul of DSO. Her dancing, energy, and excellent harmony vocals are always a pleasure to watch, so it was particularly uplifting to hear her crush the Grace Slick part. Let Lisa sing!
Summer may be coming to a close, but that just means that it’s time to start planning for fall and winter indoor shows. Dark Star Orchestra has many shows planned around the state this fall and just announced that they are returning to the legendary Capitol Theatre in Port Chester for a New Year’s run on December 30 and December 31. They’re sure to keep the Dead alive in 2025 too.
A word or two about the Frog Alley venue, since this is still a relatively new Capital Region venue. The place has great beer (I tried a Kolsch that paired nicely with a cool summer night), they have a wealth of food truck options, and the raised stage means most vantage points are good ones. There’s also a VIP option which gives you deluxe bathroom access, tent access, and balcony options, which looked particularly nice if you got there early to grab seating. The sound was also stellar (and I give some of the credit to DSO’s own board operator because the mix was superb). My only gripe at all is that GA concertgoers had to wait in relatively long lines for the porta potties and hopefully more can be added to future events of this capacity. Parking wasn’t bad if you got there early enough and I was on the road and out of town in a jiffy. Definitely looking forward to getting back to Frog Alley for Band of Horses/City + Colour on Friday, September 13.
Finally, I have to give an honorable mention to the dude in front of me who had the best shirt of the night. His maroon and white “Stealie’s Shops” shirt in Stewart’s Shop typography has to be about the best Capital Region-specific Shakedown shirts I’ve ever seen. I want one!
Dark Star Orchestra | August 22, 2024 | Frog Alley Summer Stage | Schenectady, NY
Set I: Promised Land, Dire Wolf, Cassidy, Candyman, El Paso, They Love Each Other, Passenger, Brown Eyed Women, Lazy Lightnin’, Supplication.
Set II: Bertha, Good Lovin’, Ship of Fools, Estimated Prophet, Eyes of the World, Drums > Space, Not Fade Away, Stella Blue, Around and Around.
Encore: Werewolves of London, White Rabbit *
* Not part of the original Grateful Dead show on 5-5-78.
Martin Bisi, the producer, instrumentalist, and songwriter behind legendary albums by Sonic Youth, Brian Eno, the Dresden Dolls, the Swans, Helmet, Lydia Lunch, and Herbie Hancock’s genre-busting “Rockit,” will be coming to Woodstock on September 12 for his only Hudson Valley appearance.
The event will occur at The Mothership, a unique performance space/art gallery at 6 Sgt. Richard Quinn Drive.
Bisi will perform selections from his 40-year career and his newest album, Your Ultimate Urban Fantasy, with an ensemble including Dan Kaufman (of Barbez, John And Dan), Dan Gitlin, Vern Woodhead, and Heather Elle (of Weeping Icon, Flossing, formerly Bodega). He has recorded over a dozen solo projects since the early ‘80s.
In 1981, Bisi started BC Studio with producers Bill Laswell and Brian Eno. From this humble factory building, he recorded much of the No Wave, avant-garde, and hip-hop of the early 1980s, including Lydia Lunch, Live Skull, Fred Frith, and Afrika Bambaataa. In 1982, Bisi recorded the instruments for Whitney Houston’s first song as a lead singer, “Memories.” off of Material’s One Down LP. Soon after recording Herbie Hancock‘s “Rockit“, Bisi dissolved his partnership with Laswell but continued working from BC Studio until the present time, with a specialty in loud, dense, often noisy sound, with a focus on local NYC music such as White Hills (band), Clone and Weeping Icon.
In 2014, Sara Leavitt and Ryan Douglass’s documentary Sound & Chaos: The Story Of BC Studio examined Bisi’s adventurous career. The film follows his path through the recording space, the changing music scene, and the gentrifying of his Brooklyn neighborhood, which continues to threaten his studio’s existence. The documentary can be seen free on TubiTV.
Bisi and company will be supported at the concert by Spaghetti Eastern Music, a critically-acclaimed ensemble led by the sonic-minded guitarist and NYSMusic.com contributor Sal Cataldi, now featuring bassist Jeff Keithline and percussionist Mark Peritz. Spaghetti Eastern’s latest release is Drone Girl: The Soundtrack Sessions, an EP featuring the improvised score for a short film by Charles Dennis created with Keithline and Peritz.
Doors ppen at 5:30 pm for a suggested donation of $15–20.
Martin Bisi and company will move on from Woodstock to two more shows in New York State, September 13 at Neem Fest in Homer, and September 15 at 75 Stutson Street in Roche
