Posts by Jeffrey Greenblatt

[youtube]1-uv61hSiAY[/youtube] The Elected – Not Going Home

After shelling out money for all those shed shows this summer, money is probably tight for hitting your local record shop for some new tunes. Well luckily the folks over at Sub Pop have got you covered as the seminal indie label are offering up their free Cyber Sex Digital Sampler. The 14 track download […]

If you’re name happens be Ad-Rock, MCA or Mike D – 2009 is shaping up to be quite the year. The trio otherwise known as the Beastie Boys have already reissued two of their classic albums – Paul’s Boutique and Check Your Head – with Ill Communication to receive similar treatment later this summer. The […]

Led Zeppelin – Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp

This weekend marks the moment we’ve been waiting for since we said goodbye to summer last year, as we officially say hello to Summer ’09 (or the Summer Of Jam as we’re calling it around these parts). With a nice long weekend ahead, we know you’re probably just counting down the minutes till you can […]

After 33 seasons of football, 2009 will be the last year that the Giants and Jets will call Giants Stadium home before moving into new digs across the lot for the 2010 season. In a move that seems fitting, New Jersey’s native son Bruce Springsteen will play the stadium’s final concerts. Bruce & The E […]

Ben Harper & Relentless7 – Shimmer & Shine

Over the last few years Levon Helm has become somewhat of a fixture on the live music scene that we’ve almost taken for granted his recent health troubles that came close to taking his distinctive voice away. The former drummer for The Band is in the midst of a career renaissance of sorts that has […]

Back in the fall, we hinted that the venerable roots and Americana magazine, now webzine, No Depression would be hosting their own music festival this summer in Seattle, WA. Well, after months of waiting the folks at No Depression have finally revealed the details of their first ever festie that will take place at Marymoor […]

Medeski, Martin & Wood – Amber Gris

The unofficial hiatus of The Strokes has proved to be quite productive for the members of the one-time saviors of downtown rock. While lead singer Julian Casablancas has been relatively quiet during the break contributing vocals on a handful of collaborations, the rest of his band mates used the off time to head into the […]

When The Dead announced their recent reunion tour, the band embraced a number of emerging technologies to keep the fans informed of tour news and setlist updates. Their latest integration comes in the way of a recently launched iPhone application that “includes streaming audio from all the shows, video and photo blogs from rehearsals, backstage […]

Not sure how we missed this one, but earlier this week David Byrne announced the release of a new live four song EP culled from performances from his current world tour called – Everything That Happens Will Happen On This Tour – David Byrne On Tour: Songs of David Byrne and Brian Eno – with […]

Eric Clapton & Steve Winwood – After Midnight (Live At MSG)

While Luther Dickinson has been spending his off time from the NMAS as a member of the Black Crowes, his band mates brother Cody and Chris Chew have a side-project of their own – the Southern blues and boogie-rock band Hill Country Revue, that also features Ed “Hot” Cleveland (drums), Daniel Coburn (vocals/harp) and Kirk […]

After playing two special one-off shows in Nashville and NYC, it seemed only a matter of time before Jack White’s latest band The Dead Weather would announce their first full-blown tour. The band – which is made up of White on drums, along with bassist Jack Lawrence (The Greenhornes / Raconteurs), singer Alison Mosshart (The […]

The National – Far Around The Bend

When you name your band White Rabbits you’re bound to inadvertently confuse some into thinking you’re a not so cleverly named Jefferson Airplane tribute band and not an up and coming indie-rock band that is on the verge of breaking out. This Brooklyn-based six-piece, that uniquely utilizes the services of two drummers, though is in […]

We don’t often make it out to the plethora of museums and galleries that are at our disposal here in New York City, but I think that a trip over to the Morrison Hotel Gallery is now in order as they will be hosting a six-week exhibition of My Morning Jacket photos called Still Moving, […]

We received an unexpected taste of summer last week here in New York City – with temperatures soaring into the high 80s it created a bit of a perfect storm as The Dead rolled into the Northeast for a string of shows in and around the New York City area. After scheduled dates in Long Island, Manhattan and Hartford the band pulled into East Rutherford, NJ for the first of a two night run at one of their old stomping grounds: the venue formerly known as the Brendan Byrne Arena – now the corporate named Izod Center.

The Dead – Dear Mr. Fantasy (Live – 04/28/2009)

Despite my misstep of commuting out to New Jersey, my bus finally pulled into the lot as the denizens of Deadheads populated Shakedown basking in the warm weather and hawking the usual sundries we’ve become accustomed to finding. While some of things may have changed over the last few years – micro-brews, are now called craft beer and bootleg tapes have been replaced by a guy selling vintage vinyl records – it seemed as no one had missed a beat. With the jam-scene in a bit of hibernation over the last few years, I wondered what all these people have been doing since we last saw the likes of Phish and The Dead play large scale arena shows? It sure felt good to be roaming the isles of vendors enjoying one of the best pre-show rituals around, serving as a good kick-start to what we’re calling around these parts The Summer Of Jam.

For a band that was once known for their 1960s hippie ideology, The Dead have fully embraced 21st century technology announcing via their Twitter account and official band text alerts that their old friend, sax-whiz Branford Marsalis would be joining them over the course of their two night stand. While it may have took the element of surprise away from an unexpected sit-in, those going into these shows knew the boys would be peppering their sets with some of the band’s more jazz-infused numbers from their catalog.

READ ON for more on Jeff’s experience seeing The Dead…