Posts by Jeremy Gordon

As the vibe tribe began to assemble, the faithful flocked to Seaside Park Thursday, seeking out good weather but reinforcing against the threat of rain. The 14th annual Gathering of the Vibes began with blue skies but ultimately couldn’t escape the storms that have plagued the summer.

[All Photos by Jeremy Gordon]

Luckily, however, there was enough sunshine to power the wonderful new GreenVibes stage with its partial solar energy requirements. Reckoning, a local band from Long Island lit up the afternoon with its set including hits from The Dead, the Allman Brothers as well as a take on Phish’s Birds of a Feather, putting everyone in the party mindset. Local Artist P.J Pacifico opened the main stage with a folk- tinged roots rock set including a very intimate Beatles cover.

The Donna Jean Godchaux Band (aka the former Zen Tricksters) continued on in the legacy of the Grateful Dead with the former singer giving us a taste of her famous vocals. With Donna’s voice mixing wondrously with Jeff Mattson’s guitar, you are almost transported to a time 30 years ago. Though the rain began to fall, the crowd spun along to new originals and favorite Dead tunes like Sugaree, Scarlet Begonias and Samson & Delilah.

READ ON for more from the 2009 edition of Gathering of the Vibes…

In their third year back at Indian Lookout Country Club outside of Albany, Bisco fans were treated to 3+ stages, 50+ bands and countless hours of music that raged until almost the very end (seems the plug was finally pulled around 7AM on Sunday morning). With over 7,000 fans in attendance Camp Bisco showed the multifaceted side of its host and an inside look at some of the influences, interests, and good friends of the Disco Biscuits.

[All photos by Jeremy Gordon]

If you were dedicated enough to wait in line all night long and set up early you might have caught a taste of Beautiful Small Machines, who played the tent stage early on Thursday to a light but enthusiastic crowd. After a quick break for Mother Nature’s own light show and thunderstorms, Kid Cudi brought everyone back out of hiding with a positive message and talk of his new iTunes videos with Kanye West.

Asher Roth hit the main stage next and became the talk of the day – apparently his frat boy style raps didn’t mesh with the scene as well as hoped though he did try to work the crowd a bit and threw in some Bisco references during his hit I Love College as well as inviting quite a few scantily clad girls up on stage to dance along. Back at the tent stage Chronicle of the Land Squid went on, despite rumors that a band member missed his flight. Luckily things worked out and despite the river running through the center of the tent, the dance party had begun.

READ ON for more of Carla’s thoughts and Jeremy’s images from Camp…

Words: Carla Danca
Images: Jeremy Gordon

It has been over 6 years since moe. played the water-logged field at Waterloo Village in Stanhope, NJ. With that venue now all but closed to concerts, bands had to find some new places to play outdoors in Dirty Jerz. Luckily, Create a Vibe has again stepped up, establishing a great new spot at beautiful Vasa Park in Budd Lake, NJ. For the second year in a row, day long events are being held in this Northern NJ park, a quick ride from the City, but far enough to leave all the congestion behind.

Fresh off of their 2nd annual July 4th weekend stint at the Stone Pony in Asbury Park, moe. had fun with their Sunday setlist. Jimmy Cliff’s The Harder They Come – which they haven’t played in over 2 years – was resurrected when Ryan Montbleau and Yahuba Garcia of the Ryan Montbleau Band sat in during the first set, followed by Wicked Awesome. The second set jammed with some great segues, and finished strong with Al rocking his tele-mando/double neck guitar for a Rebubula that really got the crowd dancing!

It was great to enjoy a sunny day out in the park with so many moe.rons and their kids, as this was definitely a family-friendly event. moe. was even kind enough to encore with two requests from creative kid-fans in the audience, though Rob declared it would never happen again “even if you’re my kid.” They repeated BJP and Spine from the previous two shows, what other band does that for even their littlest fans?

07/05/09 Vasa Park, Mt. Olive, NJ
Set I: Crab Eyes, All Roads Lead to Home, The Harder They Come1 2, Wicked Awesome> Wormwood> Okayalright, The Road> Tubing The River Styx> The Pit
Set II: Moth> Jazz Wank> Yodelittle> Moth, Rebubula> Cathedral> Rebubula
Encore: Blue Jeans Pizza, Spine Of A Dog, Wind it up
1 Last time played 01/13/07 (199 shows)
2 w/ Ryan Montbleau (vocals) & Yahuba Garcia (percussion)

[via PT moe.]

READ ON for more of Jeremy’s photos from moe. at Vasa Park…

Words: Carla Danca
Images: Jeremy Gordon

It’s summer time and most bands are hitting up outdoor sheds and festivals, but the Disco Biscuits have always done things a little different. Just a few weeks before the start of Camp Bisco VIII, the boys did a quick “dirty beach” run, up the coast of Delaware and into Atlantic City for a 2 night run at the House of Blues.While Bisco kidz always seem to be the butt of jokes in the scene, AC didn’t even flinch at the invasion of the raging flat brims.

Brothers Past kicked off both nights at the HOB, at least for those of us who were able to pull away from the casino floor. As someone who has really enjoyed BP before, I was a little disappointed with the room sound’s effect on the experience; the sound mix was really heavy on the bass and a bit muddy near the front of the stage.

The HOB has a large floor downstairs that is almost entirely covered by a seated area. Fortunately, night 2 is already posted on the LMA and the recording sounds great! It is a lot clearer than it sounded at the show, and you can actually hear the vocals. My highlights were the cover of Radiohead’s National Anthem and their own Simple Gift of Man to close the set. I think that these guys have so much potential, as they are definitely breaking out of the jam band and livetronic mold.

READ ON for more of Carla’s words and Jeremy’s photos…

Jeremy Gordon was on hand to shoot night three of Jones Beach…

Here are the aforementioned photos from Jeremy Gordon of the second day of Mountain Jam. Be sure to check out Jeremy and Carla’s Day 1 recap.

Words: Carla Danca
Photos: Jeremy Gordon (TO FOLLOW)

With the sun finally out in full force and only bright fluffy white clouds in the sky, Day 2 of Mountain Jam had the makings of a perfect day. I hurried over to the mountain to catch The Macpodz and their vibrant horns started the day out right. Brett Dennen kept it going with more smooth roots rock that was easy and familiar, perfect for those who might still be recovering. Something that struck me was that unlike most afternoon slots at festivals, there were a lot of people out on the hill; apparently Mt Jam organizers know how to pick them.

By afternoon it was beautifully cool and breezy, and I was excited for Gomez to take the stage. Seducing the crowd with their infectious song, Airstream Driver, I like them more with every listen. With the perfect mix of raspiness and grit, How We Operate shows the range this band has. From easy pop to hard hitting rock they blend all sorts of sounds and keep me wanting more.

The day rolled on with Jackie Greene who may be young but his talent shows. He included a nod to the Grateful Dead in New Speedway Boogie as well as a personal favorite of mine, Velvet Underground’s Waiting for My Man. The Hold Steady made sure to give fans a taste of their new album including their new single Memphis. READ ON for more…

Words: Carla Danca
Photos: Jeremy Gordon

The first day of Mountain Jam, held at beautiful Hunter Mountain in the northern Catskills of New York, had something for everyone.

I started the day with Marco Benevento Trio and a cover of MMJ’s Golden that was so beautiful even a butterfly was drawn to the stage. Next up was PBS (Porter Batiste and Stoltz) with a set so filled with funky grooves that it seemed to call down the rain, with some help from an on-stage rain dance of sorts by George. Railroad Earth and Tea Leaf Green had the crowds dancing and smiling despite the on again / off again showers. By the time Umphrey’s was up and the lights had begun to fade, things really started to move. Warren got in his first sit in of the day with a cover of The Rolling Stones’ Can’t You Hear Me Knocking, as Umphrey’s wrapped up its set.

But this is Gov’t Mule’s festival and it wouldn’t be their style to let anyone go home without a serious taste of what they bring – Warren tearing into that guitar so furiously that picks were flying off stage like dirty cigarette butts. With covers from Led Zeppelin, Ray Charles, The Grateful Dead and Neil Young, I’m not sure if there is anything that they can’t make their own. George Porter joined then on stage and the second set ended with Tea Leaf Green’s Josh Clark and Trevor Garrod joining in for a stunning Cortez the Killer, while the crowd helped out in a sing-a-long.

If you could made it to late night however, you were in for a something special. Girl Talk fronted an all out party on stage complete with dozens of girls dancing on stage while tossing toilet paper streamers and even an inflatable whale into the crowd. His thumping set was filled with all your guilty pleasure songs from the past 20 years—the ones you can’t resist singing along to when you’re alone in the car. Inside, Eric Krasno and Chapter 2 gave a different kind of dance party, with some straight up rock and roll including a cover of Hendrix’s Manic Depression.

READ ON for more of Carla’s thoughts and Jeremy’s photos from Hunter…

Words: Carla Danca
Images: Jeremy Gordon

Fresh off their showing at SXSW, Lucero rolled into the Music Hall of Williamsburg with their reputation preceding them. Now, some bands are good while sipping martinis, while others are good for drinking beers. At a Lucero concert, you show your appreciation by chucking your can of Pabst Blue Ribbon at the stage in joyous celebration, while the band pours you a shot straight from their quickly emptying bottle of Jameson.

Titus Andronicus led off the night, loud, hard and fast, appealing more towards fans of punk and rock than southern-twanged ballads. The band warmed up the sold-out crowd until they were eager to take anything that might be thrown at them. Finally, it was Lucero’s turn to take the stage, led by Ben Nichols with Roy Berry on drums, Brian Venable on guitar and John Stubblefield on bass, the Memphis-based band mixed their own version of American punk with country rock.

To round out their sound, Lucero was joined on this tour by Tom Bean on the pedal steel guitar and Rick Steff on accordion. Lucero fans become part of the show, at times screaming out the words before the band could even get to them as the music whipped the devoted denizens into an orgy of moshing, stage diving and crowd surfing. And this was only two songs in!

READ ON for more from Carla and Jeremy on Lucero…

Last Friday, Brooklyn fans welcomed Tea Leaf Green for their first-ever performance at the Music Hall of Williamsburg. Of course many of the faithful had been with the band from the last two nights at Mexicali Blues. They were grinning from ear to ear as they spoke of shows that brought the magic back, Reed Mathis singing, Josh Clark playing harmonica and the reintroduction of favorite songs that had fallen by the wayside during the band’s new transition. Filling the venue with their faces painted and bouncing balloons from the upper decks, it felt more like a re-birth than a rock show.

[All words by Carla Danca, photos by Jeremy Gordon]

The band has always had the strong musical personalities of Trevor Garrod and Josh Clark moving it forward, but it’s been Reed Mathis that has been the fan focus of late. Many understood that it would take time to integrate his magical gifts and diverse abilities to push the band to new heights, however this didn’t eliminate some of the frustration fans felt. During this run, it was apparent that the Reed they had been waiting for had arrived.

Looking more comfortable on stage (in his dapper hat) his body language showed off the new dynamic. Instead of standing on the side following, Reed was seizing the moment and showing off his immense skills. Leading the band into funky jams, taking Josh Clark’s challenges and throwing them back – with a smile – and joining in on harmonies with Trevor, the band has a rich new blend that sounds energetic and exciting again.

READ ON for more of Carla’s words and Jeremy’s photos from TLG…

Words: Carla Danca
Images: Jeremy Gordon

Fresh off the tropical and highly successful Holidaze in Jamica, The Disco Biscuits returned to a wintery New York City to close out the year and ready themselves for a full scale tour. Bassist Marc Brownstein may have acted coy during interviews about the five show, six night run in the center of Times Square during the busiest night of the year but fans certainly didn’t.

Neither the freezing cold winds nor the intense double ring of of cops and security surrounding the Nokia Theater scared off fans looking to party down or search out an extra. The band’s first attempt at playing a 5 night run at one venue, especially NYC during the holidays, couldn’t have gone better with at least 2 shows sold out well in advance and the others rumored to be at or near capacity.

READ ON for more of Carla’s review and Jeremy’s photos from the Nokia…

Words: Carla Danca
Photos: Jeremy Gordon

This past Saturday night in New York City, two of Philadelphia’s finest jamtronica bands, Lotus and Telepath, held court at the sold out Fillmore NYC at Irving Plaza. With dozens of young fans (16+ show) milling about looking for extras Telepath got the night off to a blazing start.

The three piece keyboard, bass, and drums mixed in music and beats from India and Africa, packing the floor early with the faithful eager to celebrate the holidays. The band ran through an upbeat 45 minute set, which included a Jingle Bell Rock tease and a callout to those dressed in Santa outfits and glow charms. A few in the crowd even noticed Mike Rempel of Lotus joining in and playing his unplugged guitar just off stage, no wonder as he and band mate Chuck Morris had sat in the night before in Pittsburgh.

Finally it was Lotus’s turn to take the stage. After road testing their newest material in Boston, St Louis, Denver, San Francisco, New Orleans and more than a dozen other cities and over 40+ shows, the band showed what a difference a few months can make. Kicking off with the ever-evolving fan favorite Bellweather, Lotus interspersed new tunes with old and turned the main floor into a tightly packed sweatbox of delirious fans. The second set highlights included Age of Inexperience, Shimmer & Out, and of course the encore, Hammerstrike, which ended with Jesse Miller grabbing his keyboard and thrusting it upward in delight. READ ON for more Lotus goodness…

Last night at the Roseland Ballroom in New York City, Trey Anastasio and Classic TAB kicked off the Northern Exposure tour. We live blogged about the show, but this morning we’ve got a tremendous group of photos Jeremy Gordon took of Big Red and his merry band of brothers.

Trey Anastasio and Classic TAB
October 16, 2008
Roseland Ballroom
New York, NY

I: [8:27PM] Sand, Cayman Review, Let Me Lie, Gotta Jibboo, Dragonfly, First Tube [9:27PM]

II: [9:54PM] Alaska, Last Tube, Sweet Dreams Melinda, Valentine, Drifting, Brian and Robert*, Chalkdust Torture*, The Way I Feel, Spin [11:13PM]

E: [11:17PM] Heavy Things, Burlap Sack and Pumps [11:34PM]

* Solo acoustic

READ ON for more of Jeremy’s amazing photos from last night’s show…

Our favorite dynamic duo, Carla Danca (words) and Jeremy Gordon (images) headed to Moogfest on Monday night and filed this report…

This past Monday night in New York City, high above the Hammerstein Ballroom, an intimate celebration for took place. Now, while many of us are not aware of the back story or the influence of MOOG, if you check out the credits of many of your favorite artists you’ll probably find a MOOG synthesizer listed right by the top. It was a night filled with music to remember the late founder Bob Moog and his inventions which have furthered the sound of music and fueled the imaginations of countless musicians.

The night started with The Machine, a Pink Floyd tribute band giving us an intro of some of the sounds that can come out of this amazing instrument. Producing the signature dark, stormy and at times moodiness associated with many Floyd songs they got the night rolling with a great rendition of Shine on You Crazy Diamond.

When Prison Shank (Aron Magner, Joe Russo, Jamie Shields and Ryan Stasik) took the stage however, a whole new sound, mood and demeanor took over the stage including a surprise full set sit in by Jake Cinninger. While technically this was Prison Shank’s first night on stage together you could tell by the easy nods and signals being shot across the stage that these guys are far from strangers.

READ ON for more of Jeremy’s photos and Carla’s thoughts from Moogfest…

On labor day weekend Jeremy Gordon and Carla Danca headed to the ninth annual moe.down and filed this report on the festival…

Is there a way to better sum up a beautiful weekend in upstate NY than Abigail Washburn’s proclamation to those gathered on the slope Saturday evening? “What a wonderful festival, where a band throws a party, invites all their friends, family, favorite musicians and the best fans to share the weekend.” Even after a summer of soaring gas prices and packed with festivals, the moe.rons didn’t hesitate to make the trek up to moe.down 9 at Snow Ridge Mountain in Turin, NY. The annual thank you party drew a wide assortment of sounds that brought fans young and old out to the main stage and beer tent set among the chair lifts and rolling slopes of the Tug Hill region of the Adirondacks that makes up moe.’s backyard.

One difference between moe.down and most other festival this summer was apparent at the side stage; this was truly a show for the fans by the fans. In the beer tent, hand-picked new generation acts were given multiple sets to allow them to truly show off more than just a quick taste of their skills. U-Melt started the festival off on Friday evening with three sets including a tribute to Michael Jackson on his 50th birthday that included Billie Jean, Wanna be Starting Something and ended with the entire tent entranced into their own version of the Thriller video.

READ ON for more thoughts and photos from moe.down 9…

We sent Jeremy Gordon and Carla Danca into the world of Camp Bisco. Luckily, they came back unscathed and filed this report from Mariaville…

The reviews for Camp Bisco 7 are in and what a fantastic success. From Brownstein’s proclamation of “Best Camp Bisco Ever” to ILCC’s owner Frank Potter acknowledging the fabulous vibe of the event. The three day festival’s 2nd year at the Mariaville, NY site went smoothly for all…well maybe not for all.

Whether fans were enjoying bands like The Bridge, local favorites Jimkata or DJs MSTRKRFT and Ralph Lawson, many left the weekend shaking their heads, eager to hear more. The festival hosted a wide variety of sounds with the progressive sounds of U-Melt, trance DJ Prometheus, next generation jamband RAQ and indie- fence straddlers !!! (Chk Chk Chk). READ ON for more from Jeremy and Carla…

Fans of the Dead were treated to something special this past week in NYC. The week started off with a Dark Star Orchestra show on Friday followed by a moving Phil and Friends show at Jones Beach on Sunday and finishing off with an upbeat Mickey Hart Band at Irving Plaza on Tuesday, there was something for everyone.

This year’s incarnation of the Mickey Hart Band adds SCI’s Kyle Hollingsworth to the keys, good friends Steve Kimock on guitar and George Porter on the bass, Jen Durkin on vocals, and Walfredo Reyes Jr., Sikiru Adepoju, and of course Mickey Hart on drums and percussion. Playing old favorites and new Robert Hunter songs, the band tore through the material, moving from the disco of Shakedown Street to African inspired beats and chants to the old school soul of Motown. Grateful Dead classics such as Eyes of the World, Sugaree, Scarlet Begonias>Fire on the Mountain took center stage and Good Lovin’ had the floor jumping to end the first set.

READ ON for more from Tuesday night’s Mickey Hart Band show…

Is there anything better than dirty Southern Blues? You know, the kind where you turn the radio down so your mother won’t hear the lyrics and knock on your bedroom door…

“We fucked on the table, We fucked on the floor, We rolled down the stairs and we fucked a little more”

While you’re trying to think up the answer to that one, just remember that from where this bands hails, the Deep South is an hour flight north.

Well, JJ Grey and Mofro came out hard at the Williamsburg Music Hall on May 30 with the title track from their latest album, Country Ghetto. With the horns blazing behind him, JJ Grey took center stage first on the harmonica and then later on the electric piano, as the crowd sang along to his stories of hard living and good eating in the lands of swampy Jacksonville, Florida. READ ON for more of Jeremy’s words and photos from JJ Grey and Mofro’s show at the Williamsburg Music Hall…

“If you don’t have a ticket, you ain’t getting in tonight,” proclaimed the burly bouncer at the door of the sold out Bowery Ballroom last Saturday night.

Starting the evening off was the white-faced-but-naked-to-the-waist, duo of the Awesome New Republic. With their indie cover versions of Thriller and Eye of the Tiger, they held the crowd’s attention as they waited for the New Deal to appear. Finally with the lights going low Darren Shearer appeared on the stage and announced, “Thanks everyone for coming out tonight, you always make this place feel like home” and you knew something was about to go down.

For the first time since December ’06, Darren, Jamie Shields, and Dan Kurtz put aside their other projects and returned to the Bowery stage with their original livetronica sound. With quick hand gestures, subtle eye movements, and an uncanny ability to improv, The New Deal weaved the jams through a handful of songs and teases during their two sets. The crowd responded with yells of encouragement, fist pumping, and grinding to the beat, while shaking the dance floor and bar below.

READ ON for more of Jeremy’s review and photos from the Bowery Ballroom…

When last we saw RAQ they were putting the finishing touches on an epic weekend run at the Blender Theater for the Green Applefest, yet less than a month later the band returned to lower Manhattan for a more personal event.

On September 11, 2001 Scott Hazelcorn went to his office at Cantor Fitzgerald, and like many people that fateful day never returned home. Scott had a lifelong dream to work with children, and from that dark day forward his friends and family joined together to help realize that dream by forming the Scott Hazelcorn Children’s Foundation to benefit Camp Haze. Camp Haze is an opportunity for the youngsters who lost loved ones, either on that day or from another tragedy, to come together for a week long all expenses paid camping adventure.

This year, much to the delight of Scott’s younger brother Eric, the members of RAQ both current and past performed dressed in their finest threads at the Ten Ton Ball. The proceeds from this amazing evening of music went towards the Scott Hazelcorn Children’s Foundation. READ ON for more on the Ten Ton Ball…