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Showing posts from June, 2012

Cameo & Bootsy Collins 6.24.12

Chene Park Detroit, MI Words By Ben Solis Photos By Greg Molitor ( ReMIND Photography ) When ’80s funk masterminds Cameo come to Detroit, patrons know that they’ll get more than just a set of great music. They’ll get a venerable party-starting powder keg of a performance, complete with eccentric costumes to seal the deal. Add Bootsy Collins to the mix, the man who made funk music more than just a sound but a cultural phenomenon, and you’ll have one hell of a show on your hands. Slated as the Motor City’s “Funkapalooza,” Collins and Larry Blackmon’s brainchild brought back the spirit of heavy, freaky funk to Chene Park last Sunday, taking the couple thousand fans that had the good sense to attend on a fantastic voyage of galactic groove. Undeniably, this is was the best engagement that the small amphitheater had scheduled for this summer. Cameo is hailed as being one of the most innovative and popular groups of the late 1980s, with their early material from the ’70s still as crucially

Wilco & The Punch Brothers 6.22.12

Red Rocks Amphitheatre Morrison, CO Words & Photos By Nicholas Stock If you asked me what my first show at Red Rocks would be this summer I probably would not have guessed Wilco. A dear friend of Amy’s and mine, Marco, called us a week before to let us know that he was headed up and had a couple extras. It turns out that he is an old friend with Glenn Kotche the drummer from Wilco. Glen has been performing one of Marco’s late wife Diane Izzo’s songs solo and Wilco has even sound checked it with the full band. Diane was an amazing songwriter who was taken from us at the staggeringly young age of 43. Marco has taken it upon himself to produce a tribute album featuring Diane’s songs and some stellar musicians including Glen and My Mooring Jacket’s Jim James. I look forward to hearing the album when it comes out in the near future. We hung out in the Upper North Lot for a bit before heading inside. MusicMarauders made arrangements for me to snag a photo pass. Shooting in the pit at Red

Stanley Clarke & George Duke 6.20.12

Chene Park Detroit, MI Words by Ben Solis Photos By Greg Molitor ( ReMIND Photography ) While stopping in Detroit's Chene Park in support of their "Bring It On" tour, jazz legends Stanley Clarke and George Duke did in fact exactly the opposite. Set along the backdrop of the Detroit riverfront, the two men known for their furious chops and fusion heavy compositions kept it surprisingly low-key last Wednesday, playing only a handful of spacey tracks and reserving themselves to smooth R&B. It was shocking, to say the least, for many concert goers expecting a cosmic ride of powerful rock mixed with the type of soul and concentrated meta-fusion that Duke and Clarke have been patronizing for decades. At first we were easily fooled. The opening of their set hit hard with blasting synths and jammy fervor. People were electrified by the first two songs and craved more, especially from Duke, who acted as band leader for the evening. Yes, Duke showed his mastery of composition a

Phish: Portsmouth 6.20.12

nTelos Wireless Pavilion Portsmouth, VA Words By Benjamin Wilkerson Photos By Justin Scott Phish takes the stage for night two in Virginia as blank and full of potential as a sheet of paper that would hold their set list for the night – if they made one. In true free-form philosophy that matches their musical stylings, their trick is ‘to surrender to the flow’. Though often made, the only substantive comparisons between this band and the Grateful Dead would be the rabid following, and as Phil Lesh remarks regarding their similar spontaneity, they ‘play the crowd’, or that is to say there is some symbiotic connection made between audience and musicians. Classic rock icon Santana once said to a young Phish in 1992 that when watching their show he ‘was picturing the audience as this sea of flowers, the music was the water, and you guys were the hose.’ That pretty well sums it all up. Set 1: Sparkle, Ha Ha Ha, AC/DC Bag > Divided Sky, Dog Log, Undermind > Mike's Song > I Am

Peter Rowan & The Mosier Brothers 6.16.12

The Handle-Bar Greenville, SC Words & Photos By Scott Shrader ( Facebook.com/JScottShraderPhotography ) The momement Peter Rowan walked out onto The Handle-Bar's stage and began softly strumming "A Doc Watson Morning", I knew that this show was going to be special from the first note until the last. Joining Peter on this tour were The Mosier Brothers, along with a backing band that consisted of a drummer, bassits, and fiddler. The group called the 4 night run "Roots Branches Tour" and was hitting four different east coast cities. The Handle-Bar just happened to be the last stop on their run. With it being the last show, I knew we were in for a treat. Rowan finished up his tribute to the late great Doc Watson and invited the rest of the band out on stage. Peter introduced the band and began to get down to business. They started off with "Blue Moon of Kentucky" and really got the crowd moving. From the looks of it The Mosier Brothers seemed to be ho

Say Cheese: Summer Tour 2012

Words By J-man You asked for it and you got it! This week The String Cheese Incident will kick off their Summer 2012 Tour in Rothbury, MI at Electric Forest with three "incidents!" As has been the case in years past, SCI's involvement in this magical fest is huge and is sure to include some incredible antics. Following EFF, the boys will head home to Colorado for three nights at Red Rocks before heading west to Park City, UT then south to Flagstaff, AZ! Closing the tour is three nights in California, from Los Angeles up north to Berkeley, ending at Horning's Hideout in Oregon for four nights with the family! June 28th - July 1st: Electric Forest- Rothbury, MI * July 5th - 7th: Red Rocks Amphitheatre- Morrison, CO * July 10th: Deer Valley Amphitheater- Park City, UT July 12th: Pepsi Amphitheater- Flagstaff, AZ July 13th: Greek Theatre- Los Angeles, CA July 14th - 15th: Greek Theatre- Berkeley, CA July 19th - 22nd: Horning's Hideout- North Plains, OR * * = S

Everyone Orchestra, Dave Watts & Friends and Huckle 6.16.12

Quixote's True Blue Denver, CO Words, Photos & Video By Nicholas Stock Audio By Corey Sandoval ( Kind Recordings ) Everyone Orchestra is always a special treat! Being the fan of jam and collaborations that I am, this band does everything that I hold dear in my favorite genre. EO is always jam-packed with some of the very best musicians in the scene all under the confident direction of Matt Butler who acts as the conductor. This lineup included Al Schnier, Jamie Masefield, Steve Kimock, Jen Hartswick, Marco Benevento, John Morgan Kimock, Reed Mathis, and Jans Ingber. Saturday was the second of a three night run. Friday saw a big turnout and Sunday featured an afternoon set on the patio. Due to the High Park Fire The Motet’s show at Mishawaka was canceled, so Dave Watts and Friends supported Everyone Orchestra. However first was the surprise of the evening; Huckle performed on the main stage. Huckle is an acoustic rock outfit from Sebastopol, California. They had a down home feel

Phish: Portsmouth 6.19.12

nTelos Wireless Pavilion Portsmouth, VA Words By Benjamin Wilkerson Photos By Nick Xenakis Phish descends down the eastern seaboard corridor from the Atlantic shores of New Jersey to the windswept rivers of Portsmouth in southeast Virginia for its first ever two-night run in the city. This mid-eastern state holds a special place in the bands heart as lovers of Hampton’s mothership-shaped Coliseum and as grateful musicians to the sail-shaped canopy that covers the pavilion in Portsmouth doubling as a brilliant light canvas. Since many fans spent the previous day clamoring down the NJ Turnpike or through the Eastern Shore, the humming tailgate party outside hears constant mentions of “Cars, Trucks, Buses” as a song the ‘heads’ want for tonight’s show. Set 1: Sample in a Jar, Party Time[1], Simple > Axilla, Tube, Kill Devil Falls, Water in the Sky > Horn, Babylon Baby, Bathtub Gin > Stealing Time From the Faulty Plan, I Didn't Know[2] > Run Like an Antelope[3] Set 2: B

Today in Grateful Dead History: Alpine Valley 1988

Alpine Valley Music Theatre East Troy, WI Words By J-man I'll be honest, the 80's was not my favorite era for the Grateful Dead, or music in general for that matter. How ever, it's important to recognize the importance of that time period in regards to the band's progression. The synth-heavy material crossed with raspy vocals as the Dead's sweet sound took a side-step for raw gritty jam/rock. There is nothing all that impressive about the setlist for today's pick other than it exemplifies the material of that era. The sound is excellent, the instrumentation adventurous and by all accounts that vibe that night was very loose. Enjoy this pick from "Today in Grateful Dead history," Alpine Valley 1988! Grateful Dead Live at Alpine Valley Music Theatre on June 23, 1988. Set One: Iko Iko, Minglewood Blues, It Must Have Been The Roses, Me & My Uncle-> Mexicali Blues, Stagger Lee, When I Paint My Masterpiece, Bird Song, Promised Land Set Two: Hey Pock

Phish: Atlantic City 6.17.12

Bader Field Atlantic City, NJ Words By Benjamin Wilkerson Photos By Jim Piermarini Jr. Father’s Day shows for Phish have a running tradition, so for the fourth year in a row, the children of all the band members appear on stage in a tin wash-bin for the duration of the first song “Brother”. The kids of Trey Anastasio, Mike Gordon, Page McConnell, and Jon Fishman are introduced one by one, with the newest addition to the McConnell clan coming in at 8 months old, prompting Page to play “Charge!” on the organ like you would hear at a sporting event. Set 1: Brother, Runaway Jim, Dogs Stole Things, Boogie On Reggae Woman > NICU, Foam > Wilson > Timber (Jerry), Fluffhead[1], Walls of the Cave > Character Zero Set 2: Drowned > Also Sprach Zarathustra > Reba[2], Roses Are Free > Chalk Dust Torture > Prince Caspian[3] -> Silent in the Morning, Bug > A Day in the Life > Down with Disease[4] Encore: Gotta Jibboo > Quinn the Eskimo [1] Contained brief endin

Phish: Atlantic City 6.16.12

Bader Field Atlantic City, NJ Words by Benjamin Wilkerson Photos By Jim Piermarini Jr. Congregating fans amass outside the gates in the lots of Bader Field under the pleasant New Jersey sun and around food trucks, picnic tables, and parked cars. With many planning attendance for all three nights, they are no doubt waiting in anticipation of what should be another colorful and exuberant evening with Phish. Set 1: Mike's Song > I Am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove[1], Gumbo, Halley's Comet > My Friend, My Friend, Wolfman's Brother, The Horse[2], Lawn Boy, Possum[3] > Punch You In the Eye > Ocelot, Suzy Greenberg Set 2: Crosseyed and Painless > Slave to the Traffic Light > Light[4] -> Manteca -> Light[5] > Theme From the Bottom > Golgi Apparatus > Sand[4] > Backwards Down the Number Line > Run Like an Antelope Encore: Good Times Bad Times [1] Nellie Kane tease. [2] Aborted. [3] Lawn Boy and Stash teases. [4] Crosseyed quotes. [5] M