MUSICMARAUDERS

The Aggie Theatre Fort Collins, CO Words, Photos & Video By Nicholas Stock ( phatphlogblog.blogspot.com ) Elephant Revival is a powerful quintet hailing from Nederland, Colorado. They first formed in 2006 and their lineup includes Bonnie Paine (vocals, washboard), Sage Cook (banjo, vocals, guitar, mandolin), Dango Rose (double-bass, mandolin, banjo, vocals), Daniel Rodriguez (acoustic guitar, electric banjo, vocals), and Bridget Law (fiddle, vocals). It’s obvious that Elephant Revival is made up of incredibly talented multi-instrumentalists that bring a new vibrancy to acoustic music. Combining elements of folk, Celtic, bluegrass, indie, jazz, reggae and much more, they have created an amazing musical tapestry on which to perform. Their ability to play so well together is made all the more beautiful with the vocals of Bonnie Paine and the ability of Bridget Law to go from delicate to rough and tumble on the fiddle with a stroke of her bow. It’s a powerful group that can go from th...

Words By J-man One of the fun things many Deadheads do is search the Archive for their "Birthday show". In doing so, I found this gem from this day in Grateful Dead history! The band sounds extremely tight on this one and really explores the depths of their jams and transitions, at one point in the second set diving into "Crytical>Drums>Other One>Cryptical>Deal" as well as "Not Fade Away>Going Down The Road>Not Fade Away". The transitions are smooth and seamless. This is one of the early Keith shows with the Godchaux filling in for Pigpen. His musical contribution would later turn into a full time slot with the band. This early show reflects Keith playing his heart out for the future considerations. Sit back, grab a coffee or a beer and check out this great show from Cleveland, OH 1971... Grateful Dead Live at Allan Theater on October 29, 1971. Truckin', Sugaree, El Paso, Loser, Playin' In The Band, Brown Eyed Women, Beat It On D...

MusicMarauders Live! (Episode: 001) by Justin Picard on Mixcloud

The Fillmore Detroit Detroit, MI Words & Photos By Greg Molitor ( ReMIND Photography ) Good ol’ Widespread Panic. As a Yankee youngster, I don’t pretend to know like I totally get it. Doesn’t matter. If you’ve seen Panic, you probably have a good idea of what you’re getting into the next time around. Sure, you might not know the flavor, but it’ll more than likely be a gritty chew, aged in tradition and smell a bit like the whiskey your old man taught you to drink. On October 14, my good friend Adam and I made the two hour hike towards the State Theater (Fillmore) in Detroit. Hoping for just one more honest night of rock and roll to keep our spirits afloat, we were served up some delightfully freewheelin’ Southern comfort in its finest form, Panic style. Upon arriving to the venue, we were met by a smaller crowd than anticipated. The floor eventually filled throughout the night, but a nearly empty balcony remaining for the duration. With ticket prices of $30 and $40, the turnout wa...

Steve Kimock & Friends WSG/ Organomics Quixote's True Blue Denver, CO Words By J-man Photos By Carly Marthis & J-man Denver is a mecca for live music. Clear evidence of the previous statement came in the form of a three night Steve Kimock & Friends run at Quixote's True Blue. Kimock was joined by Melvin Seals, Bobby Vega and Wally Ingram for the run with Motet offshoot, Organomics opening the Saturday and Sunday shows. We turned out for the Saturday evening show and in good company. Organomics (Joey Porter, Garrett Sayers, Dan Schwindt & Daren Hahn) began around 9:00 pm, earlier than the typical Quixote's start. The crowd was thin, but grew rapidly as Organomics played. After seeing them only twice, they have become one of my favorite local bands. That night was a pure reflection of their individual and collective capabilities. Joey screamed on the keys, transitioning between long drawn out notes and impressive displays of melody/solo work. Garrett did what ...

Words, Photos & Video By Nicholas Stock ( phatphlogblog.blogspot.com ) Continuing our series on bands you should know about, this week we are digging into the Springdale Quartet. When I first heard the name Springdale Quartet for some reason I thought they were a bluegrass band. Well, I couldn’t have been further from the truth. This four-member band out of Boulder Colorado is an eclectic mix of rock, funk, prog, and blues, with a uniquely classic sound. It would be easy to label them as a nostalgic rock and roll band, but a lot of what they do defies simple quantifying and pushes into fresh musical territory. Although they are anchored by the lockstep rhythm section of Greg Russell and Jordan Roos, it is Chase Terzian that gives them their signature sound with his Hammond B-3. Ben Waligoske shreds the guitar to really tie the room together, pushing the band up yet another notch. Springdale Quartet formed on Springdale Lane in 2007. They’ve been playing up and down the Front Rang...

Words By J-man Colorado's favorite funk band, The Motet takes on the material of The Grateful Dead for a four night run in three different cities. The run opens Friday October 28th at the Aggie Theater in Fort Collins. Night two will be happening Saturday October 29th at The Ogden Theater. Night three was an added bonus for Denver fans, with a show being scheduled for Sunday October 30th at The Bluebird Theater. The run closes out with a show on Halloween, Monday October 31st at the Boulder theater. Expect top notch funk covers of one of the scene's most coveted band's, The Grateful Dead. The Motet will be putting a funk spin on the music and adding the feel of some of our favorites from James Brown to Michael Jackson to spice of The Dead's tunes! Friday October 28th, Aggie Theatre- Fort Collins, CO Saturday October 29th, Ogden Theater- Denver, CO Sunday October 30th, Bluebird Theater- Denver, CO Monday October 31st, Boulder Theater- Boulder, CO www.themotet.net

Words By J-man When it comes to Grateful Dead era's, 1991 was a game changer. One year after Bruce Hornsby stepped up on keys, we have this gem reflecting his direct influence on the band. His heavy playing is all over this show from MSG in NYC pushing the band to new heights and challenging the boys to bring their "A" game. "Feel Like A Stranger", "Bertha", "New Minglewood Blues" kick off a fantastic first set. "The Music Never Stops" and "Don't Ease Me In" close the first set with beautiful perfection. The second set opens with a killer "Mississippi Half-Step". Additional highlights of the second set include "Uncle John's Band", a twenty five minute "Drums>Space" that resolves into a "Going Down The Road" to ease your soul. The whole band sounds incredibly tight. The vocals are a step above a lot of the 90s material and with the addition of Bruce Hornsby, the music is pl...

Michigan Theater Ann Arbor, MI Words & Photos By Greg Molitor ( ReMIND Photography ) The best bands change with the times. Truth is no fan of live music wants to hear the same song played the same way over and over again, especially us jammers. We need it fresh and expect nothing less. Enter Primus, the talented Bay Area trio that’s recently returned from a two year break from performing. Madman bassist Les Claypool pulled the plug in 2009 because he believed the project had run its course for the time being, and luckily for fans, the band has reinvigorated its sound in 2011, completely avoiding that common stale pitfall that spells doom for many acts who seek longevity. On Tuesday, October 11th, I made the short journey towards Ann Arbor to see if the guys still had it. And yes, they’re back in a big way, thankfully, still spooking us after all these years. My crew and I ventured to the Michigan Theater around 8:50 PM and were greeted with a shocker of a situation. The folks at ...

Words & Photos By Shea Haddad ( facebook.com/EyesMindPhotography ) The Mitten’s own UV Hippo kicked off their fall tour with a two-night run in the front room at The Intersection in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It had been quite a few months since I had been to a Hippo show, and being that it was only the third show I’d seen since guitarist Sam Guidry left the band, I was interested to see them play. Just like any other Michigan Hippo show, the whole Grand Rapids crew, along with some Fort Wayne fans, got together to have a good time. The Section was full of friends and family catching up, partying, and doing some good ole’ fashioned crushing. Once the music started, the front room turned into a full-blown dance party. The first set consisted of mostly songs off of their newest album, Square Pegs Round Holes. The jams were clean, on point, and explosive. Everybody seemed to be enjoying themselves, especially the band members! One thing that I’ve always appreciated about Hippo shows is ...

Quixote's True Blue Denver, CO Words & Photos By J-man Both myself and Carly had seen Freekbass with Headtronics (Steve Molitz, DJ Logic, Freekbass). We dig what Freekbass does, so we turned out to Quixote's in Denver to see his newest project, Freekbot. Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds opened the evening to a modest crowd. However, those in attendance would dance their asses off to make up for the limited attendance. Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds brought a lot of energy through their fast-paced blues/funk/soul jams. The quick harmonica paired with the horn section and some raging vocals from their tiny vocalist was memorizing. They played late and I was impressed. Around 11:30 PM, they exited the stage. The crowd ventured into the courtyard for some fresh air and to experience some mellow jamtronica from a band with zero draw. The music and instrumentation was tight, but their sound lack any original characteristics. Around 12:15 AM, Freekbot hit the stage followin...

The Magic Bag Ferndale, MI Words and Photos by Greg Molitor ( ReMIND Photography ) I arrived to the Magic Stick with my buddy Adam a few minutes before the start of the show. I’d never seen the venue as packed as it was this night, and at first glance, I thought I’d taken a wrong turn towards a chess match reunion rather than a rock show. Adrian Belew (King Crimson, Talking Heads, Frank Zappa) and his power trio took the stage to an almost motionless crowd. In fact, the crowd was hardly responsive throughout the entire night. Maybe they were veterans that knew what they were getting into? Who knows? One thing for certain... Adrian Belew is an masterful guitarist, quite possibly the most expressive I’ve ever seen at his instrument. Channeling some seriously sick tones right off the bat, he and his power trio played mostly his solo tunes during the first set, the majority from his latest album titled E. Belew was flanked by bassist Julie Slick and drummer Tobias Ralph, both youngsters...

Words, Photos & Video By Nicholas Stock ( phatphlogblog.blogspot.com ) Jumping back into our series about emerging jam bands that deserve our attention, I would like to write a little about The Congress. The Congress is a rock-infused act from Denver, Colorado, who have truly impressed me the couple of times I’ve caught them live. They incorporate elements of rock, blues, Southern styling, and jam to create a rich musical experience that is truly unique in our scene. Having only started touring in May of 2010, they have already created quite a name for themselves nationally through a full performance schedule and stellar musicianship. This past summer alone, they played at High Sierra, Wakarusa, Jazz Aspen Snowmass, Groovefest, Targhee Fest, and The Pearl St. Jam Festival. The fact that they’ve had such extensive inclusion in this wide array of prestigious and well-known fests is a testament to how big of a splash they’ve made in the world of jam. The Congress put out their self-t...