Hidden Track

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…

Former Vermont Youth Orchestra mentor Trey Anastasio makes his next appearance with a full orchestra on September 27 at the legendary Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. Trey will play electric guitar

New concert venues are popping up around the country like strippers that have slept with A-Rod. Some of these new venues will be great and some will, of course, suck.

So what makes a good venue? Obviously it’s hard to compare an 15,000 seat amphitheater to a 1,000-person club. But there are certain elements that are crucial to fan happiness no matter what the size of the venue.

Here is a quick list of suggestions to keep the average concert-goer happy:

1. Have the best sound possible

Seems kind of obvious…but Terminal 5 – I am looking at you. While some musicians are fun to look at and light shows are wonderful, we are there for the sound. So when it comes to setting up the venue, the sound should be the top priority. Whatever it takes, get the sound right. Don’t roof the floor section with a giant balcony that will muddy the sound. Don’t line the walls with substances that will cause echoes or reverb. Don’t just stack the speakers wherever there is room. If you don’t get the sound right, you’ve blown it before you’ve sold the first ticket. Also don’t blow our doors off. The show should be loud…but not so loud that my ears are stinging for 12 hours afterwards. Find that nice zone where it’s plenty loud but not painful to the ear. The 9:30 Club in Washington DC has this concept down perfectly.

READ ON to find out what else Luke looks for in a new venue…

Can you think of a better way to end a sun-and-fun filled weekend at the shore than with a great rock concert? If you’re spending Sunday heading north on the

Between the Home Run Derby, sticking around for all 15 innings of the All Star Game and my birthday yesterday I’ve had quite the week and I’m completely wrecked. I’ve

This evening, a number of A-List rock bands and celebrities will pay tribute to The Who as VH-1 airs Rock Honors 2008 at 9PM. Pearl Jam, The Flaming Lips, the

It’s time once again to check in with irreverent mind behind Uncensored Interview’s blog The Shark for another installment of Uncensored Thursdays… Raise your hand if you don’t have health

While we dearly missed the Allman Brothers’ annual 78-show run at the Beacon this March we’ve got another incredibly long residency to help dull the pain. Phil Lesh and Friends

Long Island’s Billy Joel brought a bunch of his friends to join him during the first of the two final concerts at New York City’s Shea Stadium tonight. Tony Bennett,

You couldn’t ask for a nicer day of weather than we had this past Friday. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky and the real feel temperature at 7PM was a delightful 70 degrees. It was under these perfect conditions that Tea Leaf Green and the Dark Star Orchestra took the stage at Governor’s Island for an evening of blissful music.

[Photos by Rich Lieberman]

While I’ve lived in Manhattan for over eight years, I’ve never had a chance to make it out to Governor’s Island. The island, which is only about 700 yards off the coast of Battery Park, served as an army base for nearly 200 years before spending 1966 to 1996 as a Coast Guard installation. In more recent years Governor’s Island functions as a national monument that is open to the public on a seasonal basis. This summer the folks that run the Highline Ballroom have been tapped to throw three concerts on the 172-acre island including last Friday’s TLG / DSO affair.

I was warned that Tea Leaf Green would be going on at 6PM sharp, so I left my office near Wall Street at 5PM in an attempt to catch their whole set. Unfortunately the schedule posted on the Governor’s Island website was wrong and I wound up missing the first ten minutes of TLG’s set, even though I was at the ferry terminal by 5:30. I quickly forgot about the hassle once I reached the magnificent island.

READ ON for more of Scotty’s TLG/DSO at Governor’s Island review…