September 2009

We’ve been screaming for a reunion of The Faces ever since we started this blog, but you can’t reunite that band without Rod Stewart which is exactly what the other

For the second year in a row, Philadelphia’s Lotus kicked off their tour at one of city’s most intimate venues, the Mercury Lounge. Embarking on a 35+ date run, the band remarked on their love for New York City’s music fans, but had no love for the tenuous parking situation in the Big Apple.

[All Photos by Jeremy Gordon]

For many in the sold out house it was their first chance to catch the band with Mike Greenfield on drums – who is filling in while regular drummer Steve Clemens is out on paternity leave – and the results were impressive. Mixing in old classics and new material from their next album, fans and band members alike, danced, joked (Let Chuck Sing!) and sweated until the early hours. Highlights from Saturday night included hot versions of Suitcases, Tip of the Tongue, Wax and an excellent Hammerstrike to finish the evening off.

Next up for Lotus is a two-night stand beginning on October 02 at Aces Lounge in Austin, TX; before the Philadelphia quintet moves on to the west coast with friends Break Science. For those unable to make it to New York City this weekend, Lotus will be returning on November 28th at Terminal 5 with special guests RJD2 and the Junior Boys

READ ON for the setlists and more of Jeremy’s photos…

Back in late 1969 and early 1970, the Miles Davis Quintet boasted a line-up that included Chick Corea on keys, Jack DeJohnette on drums, Dave Holland on bass and the

Two members of the Grateful Dead, Bob Weir and Phil Lesh, launched their latest band, Furthur, with three shows at the Fox Theatre in Oakland, CA this past weekend that featured nearly every classic Dead song ever written.

Furthur – Casey Jones

Joining Phil and Bobby as part of Furthur were drummer extraordinaire “Sir” Joe Russo, guitarist John Kadlecik of quintessential Dead cover band the Dark Star Orchestra as well as Jay Lane and Jeff Chimenti of RatDog.

You’d think Kadlecik – a guy who “plays” Jerry every night with his own band would sing all of Garcia’s parts, but Weir sang lead on a number of Jerry songs. Yet, the crowd would go nuts whenever Kadlecik stepped to the mic.

Let’s take a look at the setlists…

Friday, September 18

Set One: Jam> The Other One> The Wheel, Jack Straw> Music Never Stopped> Bird Song> Born Cross-Eyed> Let It Grow

Set Two: Lost Sailor> St. Of Circumstance, Althea, Scarlet Begonias> Fire On The Mountain, St. Stephen> The Eleven> Foxy Lady Jam> Terrapin Station> Not Fade Away

Encore: Donor Rap/Intros, Touch of Grey

READ ON for audio, video and more from Furthur…

I wasn’t sure Jimi Hendrix’s iconic songs could withstand any more bent-note guitar storms, feedback or art damage; as you probably know, the dude became, oh, a bit of a name for not exactly playing solos that sounded like everyone else. But then I hadn’t before heard them through the prism of Richard Lloyd, who has quite the back story with Hendrix & this year released an intriguing album, The Jamie Neverts Story, in tribute to the late Velvert Turner, a Hendrix protege & one of Lloyd’s dear friends. (There’s good reading to be done on the subject, and Lloyd, in this Times article.)

The album itself is fun, but winds up a tad slight: sure, hearing Lloyd deconstruct classic Hendrix like Purple Haze, Spanish Castle Magic and Castles Made of Sand is a lark, but there’s not enough Lloyd in any of it – he rarely cuts loose beyond straight covers, bending the edges slightly at times but never making any of the songs his own.

Lloyd’s Thursday night set at (Le) Poisson Rouge, however, saw him bringing many of the Hendrix material to bear the way you’d hope a guitar sorcerer like Lloyd would: still played straight, yes, but with a lot more of Lloyd’s personality and lengthy guitar heroics that sounded more like the mind-squishing art-rock of Lloyd’s career, and helped, of course, by his mixing of other chestnuts from that decades-long catalog (yes, including Television) into the mix. READ ON for more from Chad on Jounce & Richard Lloyd…

Biography will air profiles of two musicians that couldn’t have less in common on Thursday with looks at both Cat Stevens and Weird Al Yankovic. Stevens, now known as Yusuf