Archive: 2009

Phish will return to the stage at the American Airlines Arena tonight for a special three-set New Year’s Eve show in Miami. I’ll be tweeting from the venue for @YEMblog. READ ON for the setlist once the show starts…

As we continue our year end house cleaning around these parts, I thought I’d chime in once again with a list of my own. As has become the half yearly tradition around these parts, in lieu of a traditional top ten list we opt to do something a little different with our Top 6 of both halves of the year.

While my Top 6 Of The First 6 seemed to have some pretty obvious choices, the second half of the year’s list is mostly dominated by debut records – so let’s get on with it…

6. Fanfarlo – Reservoir

I’ve had Fanfarlo’s debut album for so long, that I almost forgot that it officially got released this September. Loaded with orchestral folk-rock that has become all the rage in recent years, the album features everything from saws and clarinets to cellos and ukuleles to melodicas and thermins that all combine with lead singers Simon Balthazar’s booming vocals to produce a cacophony of melodic noise that doesn’t fall far from the Neutral Milk Hotel/Arcade Fire tree.

READ ON for the rest of my Top 6 Of The Last 6…

It all started on a cold winter night in Springfield, Massachusetts seventeen years ago, when Phish dusted off Timber Ho! and Ride Captain Ride to treat some of their die-hard fans to a special concert on the night before New Year’s. Ever since that time, December 30th has been the Phish national holiday – a night when you can expect bust outs and jams galore, a tradition that continued in a big way at the American Airlines Arena last night in Miami where Phish blew their proverbial load multiple times on December 30.

Usually an opener gives you some sort of sense of where things are going and the first Soul Shakedown Party of 3.0 told us to fasten our seat belts. It was the first of SEVEN bust outs the band would drop in the opening stanza, an unheard of figure. The venue was more crowded on night three so the roars the band would get as they broke something out would be extremely loud, something that seemed to push the band to greater heights. After the Soul Shakedown, Runaway Jim opener we got our second cover of the night courtesy of ZZ Top – an intense Jesus Just Left Chicago that gave Trey and Page large windows of opportunity to show off their skills. Trey in particular seemed to really enjoy toying with the tempo during his solo.

Mike Gordon has been going long with some of his 2009 cover selections including She Still Thinks I Care by George Jones in Hampton and When The Cactus Is In Bloom by Bill Monroe in Asheville. Tonight’s random Mike cover was the rollicking Dixie Cannonball by Hank Williams Sr. and it added to the madness we were witnessing. We were only four songs into the set and we’d seen three bust outs. READ ON for more…

We’re just a few short hours away from that big ball dropping in Times Square that will not only put an end to year, but also to the decade as well. We here at Hidden Track want to wish everyone a very Happy New Year and we’ll be back and better than ever in 2010! Have fun, be safe and cheers!!!

I have the distinct honor of bringing you our last link dump of the year and the decade, enjoy…

• List Time: Best Late Night Show Performances Of The ’00s
• Spinner gives us the acts that jumped the shark this decade
• Cover Alert: Sondre Lerche tackles Animal Collective
• Van Morrison is a father again at the young age of 64
• When You Awake features The Boss in their Goes Twang series
• The Playlist takes a look at the Best Soundtracks Of The Decade

Finally, last week on Christmas Eve folks walking on Dublin’s famed Grafton Street were treated to a surprise busking session by a rather impressive ensemble of Irish musicians as Bono, Glen Hassard (The Swell Season/The Frames), Damian Rice and Mundy treated the gathering crowd to an hour long set that included covers of Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door and Stand By Me. The impromptu performance raised money for Simon Community, an organization which serves Ireland’s homeless population. Check out some of the performances from that night after the jump…

Since I’m in Miami already, I might as well head down to the American Airlines Arena to see the third of Phish’s four shows in Miami. You call follow all the action live @YEMblog. Once the show starts, READ ON for the setlist…

If you’ve seen a bundle of Phish shows, it’s probable that you’ve been asked “why do you see this band so much?” repeatedly over the years. Everyone’s answer to that question is different, but most involve the aspect of surprise and the fact that neither the band or the audience knows what will happen. The second night of Phish’s New Year’s Run in Miami contained many unexpected moments, which is what we look for at each show.

The show started innocently enough with a straight forward first set that included the second Access Me ever and the first since June 26, 2004. Mike Gordon wrote the brilliant little ditty for Undermind that same year, but the song seemed to have disappeared after Mike and Trey performed a version of Access Me in Utica back in 2005 at a 70 Volt Parade show. Yet there it was in all its glory with Anastasio’s high harmony, Page McConnell’s plucky clav playing and Gordon’s heavily-syncopated bass line. Let’s hope we don’t have to wait five years for the next version. Another rarity performed in last night’s first set also came off of Undermind, The Connection. While we only get a taste of the tune on the album, the quartet stretched The Connection out ever so slightly at the basketball-only arena.

As fun as the rarities were, the highlight of the first set was a groovy Reba with a jam that had a quicker pace than usual which seemed to inspire Anastasio. Not only was the jam good but the band nailed the composed parts that lead up to the improv, a theme that would continue on this night that saw a highly confident version of Phish. The Divided Sky was another tune that was nailed from first note to last. All in all the first set was a nice appetizer for what would ultimately be a most delicious main course.

READ ON for more from Scotty on night two of Miami…

Hailing from Southern California, The Runaways quickly rose to fame in the mid-70s playing a brash mix of hard rock and punk.This all-female band was only around for a few short years, but helped to launch the careers of Joan Jett and Lita Ford. Let’s check out the trailer for the upcoming movie based on […]

I’m on the scene at the American Airlines Arena for the second of four Phish shows in Miami. I’ll be tweeting live from the show for @YEMblog. Last night’s show looks fairly standard on paper, but I did hear the Light jam which was stellar. READ ON for tonight’s setlist once the show starts…

Here’s a clip of Eric Clapton’s band – featuring Derek Trucks – performing Presence of the Lord with Steve Winwood at the 2007 Crossroads Festival… Eric Clapton w/ Steve Winwood – Presence of the Lord

[Originally Published: May 19, 2009]

This three-chord ditty, loosely based on Hernán Cortés, is originally off the 1970 Neil Young & Crazy Horse album Zuma. The simplicity and shear length of the tune makes it a prime candidate for cover renditions, and more of then than not… guest appearances. Often times those sit-ins include Neil Young himself as Neil has played Cortez with two of this week’s contestants.

Fun fact: the original take had an extra verse at the end that was lost due to a problem in the studio. When Neil was informed of the glitch he simply responded, “I never liked that verse anyway.” Checking in on last week, moe. and Umphrey’s McGee are still battling it out in the Can’t You Hear Me Knocking Cover Wars, so head on over there and help settle the score.

The Contestants:

Built To Spill: Single. Double. No, Triple Guitars! This twenty-minute romp was recorded during the 1999 Keep It Like A Secret Tour. We’ve got a lot of distinct voices this week, but perhaps none more unique than Built To Spill’s Doug Martsch. Source: Live

READ ON to hear and vote on the rest of this week’s contestants…

As we plunge deeper in the winter months, there’s nothing like getting out and seeing some funk music to get your ass shaking to keep that seasonal depression at a minimum. For those of you on the West Coast you’re in luck as two great New Orleans-based acts Dumpstaphunk and the Rebirth Brass Band will […]

25 Singer-Songwriter Albums That Shaped the Decade chosen exclusively by Stranger's Almanac editor – Jason Gonulsen

Phish kicked off their New Year’s Run of four shows at the American Airlines Arena down in Miami last night. READ ON for last night’s setlist…

For the third annual John Coltrane edition of Stormy Mondays, we turn our attention to the very end of saxophonist Eric Dolphy’s tenure with the band. From November of 1961 in Stuttgart, Germany, we have a pretty Every Time We Say Goodbye, and then a long, fluid My Favorite Things. [Photo by Herb Spitzer] To […]

On Friday, we brought you the rather sad news of the passing of singer-songwriter Vic Chesnutt who died at the all too young age of 45. Chesnutt’s name is familiar to jamband fans as he had a longstanding relationship with fellow Athens-based act Widespread Panic over the years, releasing two fantastic albums with the Southern […]

I’ve lived in Portland for about 30 years now. In that time I have come to believe that the average Portland resident is just a bit different than most other people in the world. There’s a certain something that diverts their brain waves slightly off the course most would consider normal. This is, for the most part, a good thing. At other times, the differences backfire, with curious, befuddled results.

I’m referring to last week’s Northwest run of concerts by the Cascadia Yulegrass Project, in particular, their Portland stop on December 20th. Let me explain. The ticket clearly said “Doors open at 6pm, Show begins at 7pm”. I was in line, out in the rain on NE Russell St. at 6:15.

In line with me were 25 or 30 people, almost all of them expressing derision at standing in the rain while waiting for the venue to open the doors. The foursome in front of me had come from dinner out and was lucky to find an umbrella in the trunk of their car. The girl behind me chatted on the phone to her friend on the way, “Find a parking spot, but don’t rush. I’m still standing in the rain”. There were several families with young children in line also. The kids were antsy and complaining about the rain, splashing the occasional puddle dry in their frustration.

No explanation was given for the lateness as the doors opened a little past seven. The venue was set up in a bit of a different configuration. There were several couches set up directly in front of the stage, separated from the rest of the crowd by a row of low, black curtains. Then there were about a dozen rows of folding chairs behind them. The couches were for VIP ticket holders. They also had their own cash bar, to the right of the stage. From my vantage point at the front row of seats, I could spot dozens of concert goers being turned away at the low curtain, redirected to the general admission bar, upstairs in the balcony.

READ ON for more of A.J.’s thoughts on Cascade Yulegrass…

Born Henry Saint Clair Fredericks, Taj Mahal has been putting out albums full of his brand of blues music for over 40 years. Here’s Taj with a scorching version of Ain’t That A Lot Of Love from his appearance in the Rolling Stone’s 1968 concert flick Rock and Roll Circus… [youtube]XaYxj2nVSvc[/youtube] Taj Mahal – Ain’t […]

If you aren’t quite up for ringing in 2010 watching Jennifer Lopez perform on Dick Clark’s New Years Rockin Eve (ABC 10PM), which is hosted by Ryan Seacrest, check out VH1 Classic at Midnight for Rush in Rio. Shot at Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro during the final concert on the Vapor Trails Tour, […]

Former Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page says he has an album’s worth of new material that he plans to release and tour behind in 2010. After failing to get singer Robert Plant to rejoin Zeppelin after the band’s 2007 reunion show at London’s O2 arena, the legendary axeman now intends to go it alone. "We’re […]

Emilie’s shows are quite the spectacle:  a sexually charged mix of Victorian and Gothic, Burlesque and Vaudeville, Metal and Electronica, backed by all-female backup singers “The Bloody Crumpets.”  Autumn also runs her own clothing, accessory and perfume lines via the company that she co-owns with “Lee Queen of Tarts,” Lee Ann Helmer, WillowTech House.  The absolutely riveting Emilie was awesome enough to spare Glide a few moments backstage at her recent Williamsburg, Brooklyn Music Hall performance.  The show did not disappoint.