Posts by Eric Liebetrau

Despite the need for some much needed acoustic improvements, the members of Lotus were mostly able to overcome the sonic limitations of the venue, delivering yet another satisfying two sets of danceable electro-indie tunes.

The sweet closing tracks are punctuated by the crowning final minute of “Held My Head,” a gorgeous blending of instrumentation. Throughout the album, precise musicianship, appealing song-craft and intertwining waves of melancholy and joy create a balanced collection of ten songs, an excellent early-morning album to accompany the rising sun.

The Windjammer strikes again. Notorious for its muddy acoustics, the beachside venue somehow managed to muffle the sonically powerful Perpetual Groove.

Just two months past their 12th anniversary, Soulive continues to evolve within the trio configuration it seems that each couple years brings a new feel and invigorated sound.

During the past decade or so, JJ Grey and Mofro have ventured to Charleston 2-3 times each year. By now, fans know what to expect: sweaty, down-home, funky rock and roll, punctuated by the in-the-pocket meter of drummer Anthony Cole, a wall of horns and the formidable pipes of band leader JJ—and the band’s packed show at the Music Farm provided more of the same.

Sam Bush is best-known for his prodigious skills on the mandolin and the fiddle, but it would be a mistake to label him simply a bluegrass musician. Throughout his years with the New Grass Revival, the Nash Ramblers and Strength in Numbers, he’s explored a wide swath of traditional American music, and his cross-genre blending has continued with the many iterations of his solo band over the years.

Raised on the raspy hill-country blues of Mississippi, Cedric Burnside and Lightnin’ Malcolm have played with many of the greats, and it shows.

Founded in 1995 in Ithaca, a hippie-friendly, live-music–obsessed outpost in upstate New York, John Brown’s Body has always enjoyed the following of dedicated fans. After moving their operation to Boston and cycling through numerous line-up changes, the band has settled in and cultivated a substantial national audience.

The band’s combustible mixture of Malian tradition, highlife style, chunky grooves and amped-up rock kept the dance floor hot, and the frequent interjections on kora and soku grounded the proceedings in the earthy, raw sounds of West Africa.

JJ Grey has often described his music with Mofro as front porch soul. With no juke joints in Charleston, the Windjammer seemed as good a venue as any for the boozy, sweaty, soulful music of Grey and his band. For about two hours, Mofro churned through a representative selection of their catalogue, hitting on highlights from each of their four albums, in addition to a couple choice covers.

This night’s trio, assembled on the occasion of the CD release party for Marco's new cover rich album Me Not Me, consisted of Marco on keys, Andrew Barr on drums and Marc Friedman on bass. Andrew’s brother Brad opened the show solo, demonstrating his wide range on both the acoustic and electric guitar while covering most of his recent acoustic release, The Fall Apartment:

It was already packed tight when I arrived at Southpaw in the heart of Park Slope, standard for an Antibalas show in their home borough. The venue proved to be a good fit for the afro-beat collective, despite the small stage—wedging 12 band members, including keys, full percussion and six horns, into that cramped area was an impressive feat.

Since the release of the great Amen Corner in June, Railroad Earth has been touring consistently, and the fall schedule proves no less ambitious. Though their 9/6 show at Irving Plaza—despite the lame marquee and barely renovated interior, I’ll never call it “The Fillmore”—didn’t jump out of the gate, the strong second set was a potent reminder of the band’s wholly satisfying live sound.

Created following the dissolution of Phish in 2004, Strange Design sets a purpose similar to that of Grateful Dead re-creationists Dark Star Orchestra. The members—guitarist Matthew Chase, bassist Ben Markowitz, drummer Adam Chase and keyboardist Aaron Levy—don’t just play Phish tunes; they inhabit them. Also like DSO, they play entire shows exactly as they were played originally, fine-tuning each detail to ensure faithful reproduction.

“2 percent jazz and 98 percent funky stuff.” That’s the preferred musical formula Maceo Parker proclaimed on his 1992 album Life on Planet Groove, and it certainly sums up his performance at the Brooklyn Masonic Temple, as well as that of the opening band, Lettuce.

On tunes like “Other Side” and “Water Vein,” featuring vocals from keyboardist Phil Ferlino, the bright, mostly major-key improvisation explored interesting territory without falling off the rails.

Though they never caught fire, P-Groove showed that even on what seemed to be an “off” night, they still provide one of the best small-theater rock shows out there

With their new album, Lil’ Tae Rides Again, Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey journeys further into the sonic ether. Known for their adventurous jazz odysseys (excuse the pun), the hyperkinetic trio—this time around without longtime drummer Jason Smart, who amicably left the band last year—tap electronic producer Tae Meyulks for this spacious minimalist effort.

Five years after his well-received debut, Later That Day…, Lyrics Born (real name Tom Shimura) returns with his Anti- debut, Everywhere at Once, another party-ready collection of danceable rhythms and smooth lyrical delivery.

After a few years spent pursuing other projects, the members of Lettuce finally regrouped for a two-night stand at Sullivan Hall in support of RAGE!, which will be released April 22. (Note to all funk fans: Buy this album; it’s outstanding.)