We interupt our disgustingly over-the-top Phish Summer Tour coverage to plug a show featuring our friends The Hue and Wyllys along with Spare Parts and Land of Atlantis at Chicago’s
It’s been a little over a year since Cody Dickinson and Chris Chew of the North Mississippi All Stars decided to stretch their musical wings out by forming a new band with a new direction. The result is a high energy, rock and roll blues act called Hill Country Revue. While Chew remains his rock bottom steady self on bass guitar, Dickinson climbs out from behind the drum kit to play lead guitar (along with electric washboard, piano, some drums and vocals as well). They are joined by Daniel Robert Coburn on vocals and harmonica, Kirk Smithhart on guitar, slide guitar and vocals, Edward “Hot” Cleveland on drums and Garry Burnside on electric guitar, bass and vocals.
It’s been a few short weeks since Hill Country Revue’s debut album, Make A Move, hit the streets and the buzz has been stellar – with the album charting on the Billboard Blues chart. While the general feel of the album is gritty rock and roll that is very heavily steeped in the blues, there is a difference that defies such generalizations. You can give it any name you like, gospel, soul, swamp boogie, whatever, it won’t change the fact that Make A Move will make you “shake your ass” as Coburn sings in the self titled second cut on the new disc.
Cody Dickinson checked in from the road recently to catch us up on what’s been going on with the band and their summer tour plans.
A.J. Crandall: I noticed you are playing a lot of festivals this summer. Are you looking forward to any of them in particular?
Cody Dickinson: Oh, yeah. The line up for All Good looks so cool. We’re really excited about that one.
AJ: I’ve really been looking forward to this weekend to Bonnaroo, that’s my big trip of the year.
CD: I’m going to be there, playing guitar with Jerry Hannan . Unfortunately Hill country is not on the bill, maybe next year. But I am playing on Saturday afternoon; you should definitely check it out.
READ ON for more of AJ’s interview with Cody Dickinson…
As you read this I should hopefully be in the process of purchasing dry ice and other last minute essentials preparing for my annual 45 minute trek south to one of the largest, best run music festivals in the country.
I must admit that’s been both a neat and weird experience seeing Bonnaroo grow and develop as it has over the past seven years. My first ‘Roo experience was with my two college roommates, neither of which were fans of the ‘jamband’ scene. Nevertheless, I convinced them to go because they might not get to experience anything like it ever again. In preparation of exposing them to the festival scene, I made them a 3-volume mix CD set aptly titled: “Don’t Pigeonhole Us – We’re More Than Just Jambands!” And yes, I take my CD mixes seriously. I couldn’t tell you what exactly those tracks were now, but the point was I made them because I wanted to share what I knew would be a wonderful experience with others.
I could sit here and tell you about these different experiences: how the Flaming Lips 2003 late night changed my life for the better, when Levon Helm brought me to tears or how I finally learned to like Widespread Panic. But this would all be pointless if I didn’t mention the one thing that’s most important about going to Bonnaroo – being with your friends. That is what it’s supposed to be about. The epic peaks and valleys of the music that you experience serve as the soundtrack to your weekend. Having the time of your life, getting away from everything that’s wrong with the world and sharing that experience is what is important and I think sometimes we can lose sight of that. READ ON for more on Bonnaroo 2009…
Former Blind Faith members Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood kicked off their U.S. tour last night at the Izod Center in East Rutherford. Those hoping the pair would switch up
Leave it to the folks at Bonnaroo to break a big a story about their lineup mere hours before the festival is set to kick off. After a curious rumor
Phish performing the last of three shows at the Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh, NY on June 5th, 2009.
The first Phish tour since the band reunited rolls into Rocky Top this evening when the quartet plays a huge arena in Knoxville. The boys are off to Manchester after this one for Bonnaroo 2009. Check @YEMblog and @Glidemag for the latest.
Phish
June 10, 2009
Thompson-Boling Arena
Knoxville, TNSet 1: Runaway Jim, Punch You In The Eye, Ocelot, Foam, Train Song, Undermind, Mike’s Song > I Am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove, The Squirming Coil, Character Zero
Set 2: Back On The Train, Waves, A Song I Heard The Ocean Sing > David Bowie, Army of One, Reba, Hello My Baby, Julius, Cavern, Harry Hood
Encore: Frankenstein
Glide/Hidden Track reporter Wade Wilby reports the first set was a bit sloppy but the energy was electric thanks to a rockin’ crowd. Undermind in particular was a treat and Wade noted the slower syncopated pace of the live version.
READ ON for song stats from Phish @ the Thompson-Boling…
Wade “Wyllys” Wilby will be reporting from Knoxville live for @YEMblog. Follow @GlideMag for stats of every song as soon as they start.
While Jersey City Councilman and wicked pissah Steve Lipski made a run for the title of Hidden Track’s Favorite Politician, that honor lies with Asheville City Council member “Hot” Carl Mumpower. Mumpower loves going to jamband concerts. Sure, he’s usually only attending RatDog or Panic shows at the Asheville Civic Center to observe illegal drug usage and bitch about it, but it seems Hot Carl actually liked what he saw at last night’s Phish concert.
[Asheville Music Fans Wear Hot Carl Masks to the Civic Center]
David Forbes of local Asheville paper Mountain Xpress spoke with Mumpower who had high praise for the band, their fans and the local officials. Hot Carl even showed a sense of humor by referencing his comment about the Civic Center smelling like an Amsterdam Hash Bar at the RatDog show by writing “tonight, Asheville’s Civic Center smelled more like City Hall than an Amsterdam hash house,” as part of an email he sent out about his experience at the concert.
We’re glad to see Mumpower enjoyed the show and if you see an older looking gentleman slinging Wounded Eagle Deck of Shame playing cards at Knoxville let us know. There’s always a spot in our 1972 VW Bus to bring Hot Carl on Phish tour this summer. You know you want to councilman.
READ ON for the full text of the letter Mumpower sent about Phish…
With each passing year the task of coming up with new and inventive strategies to keep things fresh for the masses of people that annually coming back to Manchester must
