On a warm October 4th evening in the West Village, Scott Chasolen and friends celebrated the release of his new album, Full Circle, by performing it in its entirety for an enthusiastic and appreciative audience at The Bitter End. Chasolen has been a veteran of the jam band space since forming ulu (now defunct) in the mid-1990s, and he tours and performs regularly with two phenomenal tribute bands, expertly recreating the music of Phish (Reprise) and Pink Floyd (The Machine). But you wouldn’t know any of this from listening to his original jazz-informed pop rock with a retro flair, where he blends classical training with a broad range of influences to create elevated and soulful music that’s never flashy or overwrought.
Austin-based Matt Smith, himself a native New Yorker and two-time cancer survivor, opened the night as Leo Kottke might have, featuring expert acoustic guitar work, nontraditional tunings, and original numbers punctuated by short, poignant stories. This set the tone perfectly as Chasolen took the stage, flanked by longtime friends and collaborators Chris DeAngelis (Reprise, The Machine) on bass and vocals, Ryan Ball (The Machine) on guitar and vocals, and Randy Schrager (Jesse Malin, Scissor Sisters) on drums. Chasolen brought a Moog and Mellotron that he played along with the house piano and Hammond B3. (Complete with Leslie speaker, natch.)
The band kicked off their set with the album’s opener, “Blind Spot,” an energetic pop tune with big synths that give way to Chasolen’s captivating melody and dulcet baritone, evoking contemporaries Jason Falkner, Jon Brion, and Fountains of Wayne. (Chasolen happened to grow up in Wayne, NJ, as did the late Adam Schlesinger.) Next came “Don’t Leave Me Now,” one of the album’s more melancholy tracks informed by the death of his friend and Machine bandmate, Joe Pascarell. Ryan Ball delivered a soaring guitar lead that perfectly captured the sentiment evident in Chasolen’s lyrics. “Tested” may be the most upbeat, joyful song ever written during or about the pandemic, and the band performed it with gusto, following it with “This Town,” Chasolen’s take on the small-town life that his mother lead in Saranac Lake, New York. From there, the band eased into an ambient, vibey intro that gave way to “Let Me In,” another song inspired by Chasolen’s experience with Pascarell.
Despite playing these tunes live for the first time, the band nailed all of the starts, stops, and changes, making it look easy after decades spent playing together in various lineups. The quartet let their jam band roots show during their next number, the Steely Dan-esque “Chasing Rainbows,” as they shifted into a longer, slightly nasty vamp that ended with a drum bonanza a la “Aja.” Chasolen offered no introduction to “Slow Climb,” a contemplative waltz that he said he’d let speak for itself; the message came through loud and clear as he sang “so hold on to what you got.)
As the band moved into the album’s final third, Chasolen stood up and turned to the Hammond organ for the jazzy, funky “My World” before playing the mid-tempo “One of These Days,” the kind of song Lowell George might have written. He then picked up the acoustic guitar for “Good Reason,” another contemporary mid-tempo rocker that got the audience off their feet. The band slid into the anthemic, inspirational “Back to Love,” and Chasolen played the album’s last track, “Always,” with chromatic left-hand lines that would make Randy Newman proud. The audience responded with a standing ovation, and with time enough for one more number, the group closed with “There She Goes Again,” a funky number and jam vehicle from Chasolen’s 2010 album Fracture. This provided another opportunity for each of the musicians to flex and stretch out into jams, passing the ball back and forth and allowing everyone to shine, including Chasolen, who picked up a cowbell and explored the space for a while.
With its storied history, iconic stage, and phenomenal management and staff – thank you Paul, Shauna, and Anne! – New York City’s oldest rock club was the perfect venue for this show, with photos of legendary performers smiling down on the band and audience alike. Chasolen and friends made time to connect with fans after the show, as the Fresh Kids of Bel-Air, treated the audience to a night of spot-on, high-energy takes on the best singalongs of the ‘90s and ‘00s.
Full Circle serves as an exemplar of songwriting, recording, and production, and Chasolen and his band put on a masterclass in translating recorded music into a live setting. Chasolen looks forward to more opportunities to present his original music to fans amid the Reprise and Machine shows scheduled into 2025.
Photos by © Heather Witkowski.
