July 16, 2008

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…

Last week, we reported on the funky limited edition Pollock and LEBO prints that HeadCount commissioned. Well, they upped the ante once again by launching their brand-spanking-new “Pledge to Vote”

Whether it’s performing in a moo moo, making a grand entrance in a giant joint, or covering Snoop Dogg tunes, jam bands have never shied away from getting their dork on. Well, the newest generation of jammers have added a new element of dorking out to the repertoire – the video game cover. For this edition of Bust Outs, we’re taking a trip down memory lane as we present a handful of playful renderings from our favorite video game theme songs of yesteryear.

Ulu – Super Mario Brothers Theme

The list obviously starts with Ulu and their Internet mega-hit rendition of the Super Mario Brothers theme. Back in Napster’s prime, this remarkably true-to-form homage to both levels 1-1 and 1-2 conquered the world and made Ulu a household name – well, depending on whose households you frequent I suppose. The segment where Mario hops off the flagpole and descends down the green tube represents the musical highlight. When that gnarling bass line kicks it, you know it’s time to look out for those irritable Spinys. Ulu was the first band I know of to cover a video game track and for my money, nobody has yet to do it better. There’s no doubt in my mind that the Ulu boys know to jump into that warp zone all the way to level nine when this song comes to close. READ ON for more…

After an incredibly long hiatus, Australia’s AC/DC plans to return to the road later this year to support their first new album, tentatively titled Black Ice. The new release, AC/DC’s