MUSICMARAUDERS

The Bling Pig Ann Arbor, MI Words & Photos By Greg Molitor ( ReMIND Photography ) Toubab Krewe’s become one of my favorite acts since I started catching shows frequently. Consistency is a crucial element when you start to see a band multiple times, and over the past five or so years, the Asheville quintet had always been reliable towards not only meeting my prior expectations but raising the bar after each performance. Offering music that’s beyond unique within the jam community, they’ve been a breath of fresh air in what’s become an oversaturated, musty market. On November 16th, I made the trip from Lansing to The Blind Pig for one more dose of Toubab. This show, however, would be different than those previous. With the departure of drummer Teal Brown and consequent addition of Vic Stafford on the same, the band’s sound didn’t exude the organic magic that had appealed to me throughout their previous tenure. It’s amazing, for better and worse, how a one member swap can drastica...

Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom Denver, CO Words & Photos By J-man Audio By Ed Simon & Corey Sandoval ( Kind Recordings ) On the brink of the String Cheese Incident's "Roots Run Deep" tour, fans were given an opportunity to see a preview of what energy was to come! That night fans found themselves at Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom in Denver, CO for a sold out KHB show with Michael Kang. For a lucky few fans that saw the note on Kyle's website, they were treated to a free beer tasting from 8pm - 9pm prior to the show. After tasting his festival pale ale last spring, Hoopla, I wasn't going to miss out on a chance to sample some of his other selected beers. Outside of Cervantes we found a line of folks waiting to get in. We obtained our credentials and made our way through The Other Side (the small venue next door to the main room) into The Ballroom. Cervantes was buzzing. Roster McCabe was sound checking on the stage as Dave Tash prepared the soundboard. Car...

Words By Nicholas Stock ( phatphlogblog.blogspot.com ) Photos By Daniel Talbot & Nicholas Stock There are two kinds of side projects: one that is an ongoing passion for a member of the band, and another that is like a burning ember that flares up and is soon gone. Phish is the bright and shining center of the jam world, so it makes sense that its members would be involved in both of these types of groups. The first originally began as a simple flare up under the name Eight Foot Fluorescent Tubes with Trey putting together a group of local Vermont musicians for a show at Higher Ground on April 17, 1998. Trey Anastasio Band, as it was referred to early on because it had never been given a proper name, is a passionate outlet for the man who gave his name for their moniker. For a short time, it was also known as The Two for Five Band. Trey Anastasio Band or TAB has taken on a ton of different lineups beginning as a trio and ending as a ten piece band. They reformed in 2006, officially...

Bell’s Eccentric Café Kalamazoo, MI Words & Photos By Greg Molitor ( ReMIND Photography ) Michigan’s surely been blessed with bluegrass this November. A few days after Yonder Mountain String Band and The Infamous Stringdusters in Grand Rapids, November 13th found Railroad Earth bringing their mellow style of bluegrass a few miles south at Bell’s in Kalamazoo. The New Jersey sextet’s work was largely unfamiliar to me before the show, and I was interested to see what all the hubbub was about. My friends’ excitement intrigued me even more during the days leading up. We’d chat, and when the topic would arise, a simple joyous exclamation of ”RAILROAD!” from them would spark my interest further and build the already peaking anticipation for the mysterious show that would hopefully expand upon my understanding of why this band is so sought after. When I arrived to Bell’s with my good friends Keenan and Jackie, the venue was already near capacity. I tend to miss the bigger events there, bu...

Fox Theatre Boulder, CO Words & Photos By Brandon Picard Friday night the well oiled machine that is Cornmeal came rolling through Boulder, Colorado. The Fox Theatre was amped as the youthful crowd in Boulder turned out in roaring fashion. Having seen Cornmeal a few times in my home town of Detroit, they were on my radar since moving out to Colorado. My girlfriend and I took the short forty minute trek from Denver to Boulder ready for the night ahead. We arrived to The Acoustic Mining Company out of Denver swaying the early arriving guests to some mountain bluegrass melodies. Featuring each member of the band individually, The Acoustic Mining Company led their set in a showcasing fashion. Passing solos like a hot potato, each instrument had its say in the song. We really enjoyed the mellow sounds of TAMC (maybe that’s why they had the hour and a half opening set). The crowd at the fox quickly filled in with Cornmealers as TAMC played their last tune. Well done guys! Ready to slap s...

Bob Marley Performing Arts Center Montego Bay, Jamaica Words By J-man On November 26th, 1982 The Grateful Dead brought their unique blend of rock, psychedelia and soul to Montego Bay, Jamaica for The Jamaica World Music Festival. The show took on a very soulful vibe from the start and progressed through some deep and impressive moments. Though it's rumored that the crowd was small, only around five hundred folks by the time the Dead took the stage, the show was energetic and provided an intimate experience for the true die-hard fans! Grateful Dead Live at Bob Marley Performing Arts Center on November 26, 1982. Sugaree, Minglewood Blues, Loser, Women Are Smarter, Althea, Let It Grow Samson & Delilah, Scarlet Begonias-> Fire On The Mountain-> Drums-> Throwing Stones-> Not Fade Away-> Black Peter-> Good Lovin' When listening through, I'd say listen all of the way through. If your looking for highlights, look no further than the "Sugaree" for s...

Golden Hall, Community Concourse San Diego, CA Words By J-man As I sit at my laptop in Denver, Colorado, the poor unfortunate turkey that we will inevitably consume sits in the oven. While I drink my coffee and listen to the Grateful Dead, the day takes on the vibe of a Saturday. That being said, here is a pick from "Today in Grateful Dead History": Thanksgiving 1979 Grateful Dead Live at Golden Hall, Community Concourse on November 24, 1979. China Cat Sunflower-> I Know You Rider, Mama Tried-> Mexicali Blues, Peggy-O, Cassidy, Easy To Love You-> Althea, Passenger Alabama Getaway-> Greatest Story Ever Told, Ship of Fools, Terrapin Station-> Playin' In The Band-> Drums-> Lost Sailor-> Saint Of Circumstance-> Wharf Rat-> Sugar Magnolia, E: One More Saturday Night

The Blind Pig Ann Arbor, MI Words & Photos By Joe Le ( Joe Le FOTO ) Keller Williams recently played to a full house at the Blind Pig in Ann Arbor, MI, with the same wild energy he has become known for over the last 15 years. Performing as a one man band, Keller displayed a diverse catalog of covers, trance jams, and bluegrass rhythms. There was a unique crowd that night, with a few young kids crowding the front, guitar enthusiasts, hippies, hipsters and old fans. Only someone as talented and contrasted as Keller could draw such a crowd. As the lights dimmed, Williams entered from the rear of the venue, shoeless, and playing a jam that turned into Nirvana’s “Lithium”. After some Keller classics, including “Breathe” and “Best Feeling”, both are songs that were recorded with The String Cheese Incident. He closed the first set with “Black Peter” into “Til the Morning Comes”. As I stepped outside at the beginning of set break, the alley next to the Blind Pig roared with people singing...

Hodi’s Half Note Fort Collins, CO Words, Photos & Video By Nicholas Stock ( phatphlogblog.blogspot.com ) It was just a great decision to head out to Hodi’s on this particular Friday night in Fort Collins. The weather was nice and Amy and I rode our bikes down to Old Town for some Kyle-infused goodness. We had been waiting for well over a month for this show. It was the official kickoff of Kyle’s Hop On Tour 2011, which is a series of events throughout String Cheese Incident’s upcoming run and culminating with Kyle’s Brew Fest in Chicago. At Hodi’s, Kyle brought his collaboration with Odell’s Brewery titled “Thrilla in Vanilla”, a smoky but sweet vanilla porter. I found it to be quite clean and refreshing. When we finally got inside, Roster McCabe was finishing up their opening set. They were like thrash jam juxtaposed against the harmonious vocals of Alex Steele. Roster McCabe hails from the frozen tundra of Minnesota. They are a diverse mix of reggae, funk and rock. Performing ...

Highland Tap Denver, CO Words & Photos By J-man Video By Ryan Garrett ( youtube.com/waddypeytona ) Audio By Ed Simon ( edsi on Archive.org ) Wednesdays at The Highland Tap & Burger in Denver's Lower Highland (LoHi) district have become somewhat of weekly gathering of Motet fans, music fans in general and good friends. Walking through the door brings several smiles from many familiar faces from our wonderful scene. It's interesting the level of coverage that recent Wednesdays at The Highland Tap have drawn. In the front corner of the room videographer Ryan Garrett made minor adjustments to his fixed position camera. Also present was Colorado taper Ed Simon to capture audio of the evening's affairs. With the addition of my written and photo contributions, the event would be fully covered and would be made available to music fans all over the world in handful of mediums... for free. Garrett Sayers Live at Highland Tap & Burger on November 16, 2011. The previous ...

The Aggie Theatre Fort Collins, Co w/ The Magic Beans Words, Photos & Video By Nicholas Stock ( phatphlogblog.blogspot.com ) Cornmeal decided to make yet another pilgrimage to the great state of Colorado before 2011 wound its way down the drain of life. They were doing a two night run hitting The Aggie and The Fox before gearing up for their December run on the East Coast. I got a chance to sit down with Cornmeal’s Wavy Dave and Chris Gangi before the show. It was a great conversation about everything from their new release of Live In Chicago Volume 2 and their upcoming studio album to Summer Camp and New Year’s runs. It was an enlightening talk and we will be featuring some our conversation in video form as well as on our MusicMarauders Live podcast next month. The Magic Beans, a group that currently calls Boulder their home, are an eclectic mix of all things jam. I listened to some of their tracks online before the show and I was struck by their prowess with acoustic songs. At...

Words & Videos By Nicholas Stock ( phatphlogblog.blogspot.com ) Photo By Greg Molitor ( ReMIND Photography ) This has been a year of redemption for Leftover Salmon, truly landing on the same page in a big way. With the addition of Andy Thorn on banjo and the recent inclusion of Wally Ingram on the kit, LoS has found new life and reinvigoration within their sound. I’ve caught them twice this year including a night at The Mish on their River Run, and they have continued to build musically since. I was extremely excited to hear them announce two nights with Head for the Hills at Denver’s Ogden Theatre to celebrate Thanksgiving. Here are the dates: Friday, November 25 ~ Doors at 8:00 PM Saturday, November 26 ~ Doors at 8:00 PM Leftover Salmon is also hosting a food drive with Conscious Alliance. Bringing in ten cans of food or more will get you a commemorative event poster. This is sure to be a solid two-night run in Denver from the one and only Poly Ethnic Cajun Slamgrass band. Ti...

Words By J-man Boston loves the Dead. Listen to the first couple of notes on the second set opener, "Saint Stephan" and listen to the response from the crowd. This is the stuff of dreams. Thirteen minutes later after a blissful set opener, the band transitions right into "Eyes of The World" into a classic jam, into "Let it Grow>Drums>Let it Grow" before taking a breather. What a fantastic second set with impeccable transitions and jams. I recognize that it's only the second set, but damn it's good. Grateful Dead Live at Boston Music Hall on June 9, 1976. Set One (Not Included): Cold Rain & Snow, Cassidy, Scarlet Begonias, The Music Never Stopped, Crazy Fingers, Big River, They Love Each Other, Looks Like Rain, Ship of Fools, Promised Land Set Two: Saint Stephen-> Eyes Of The World-> Let It Grow-> Drums-> Let It Grow, Brown Eyed Women, Lazy Lightning-> Supplication, High Time, Samson & Delilah, It Must Have Been The R...