January 28, 2010

As we leave the 2000-2009 decade behind, we’ve been looking at a lot of the bands that didn’t quite make it. Esteemed HT editor Scott Bernstein had his picks in a few months back, and here are some of mine. I was surprised to see we overlapped only once, but that says a lot more about the scope of bands that thrived in the decade but that we (probably) won’t see again.

I didn’t have room here for all the supergroups. I loved the JoJo Hermann/Dickinson Brothers combo Smiling Assassins, for example, and it’s hard to believe the Oysterhead tour (minus the 2006 ‘Roo reunion) was nine years ago. I felt like reaching back to Frogwings, too, but seeing as they became inactive in 2000, they weren’t really of this era, were they? And recent reunions by both The Word and Will Bernard’s Motherbug are enough to convince me those groups aren’t lost to the dustbin, either.

Then there’s the matter of Leftover Salmon. Salmon hasn’t been a proper touring outfit since at least the 2005 hiatus, but they continue to reunite and play, and as Drew Emmitt told us in recent site interview, they’re comfortable leaving it at that. Works for us, though maybe they should count for this list seeing as that probably means we won’t see new music or extended tour dates anytime soon. Hard to say.

Did I miss anybody? Am I crazy? Leave a comment below and argue.

10. Phil Lesh & Friends (2007-2008)

They didn’t top another PLF ensemble (see below), but this lineup – with Larry Campbell, Jackie Greene, Steve Molitz, John Molo and sometimes Teresa Williams and Barry Sless – was strong enough to make observers wonder if Phil would finally commit to a band again. It wasn’t to be, and their shows could be frustratingly inconsistent, but this particular band had a strong roots and country-rock jones that felt especially pronounced in Dead classics like Brokedown Palace, Brown Eyed Women, Beat It On Down the Line or, their signature, Cumberland Blues.

Not psychedelic enough for some – and at times lacking the finesse and guitar acrobatics of other PLF lineups – but they were plenty strong (rarely more, for my money, than 11/11/07, the last night of their first NYC residency). They also introduced an entire new group of fans to Greene, now a jam-scene favorite.

READ ON for nine more bands that didn’t make it out of the ’00s…

The past few weeks have been extremely eventful for Umphrey’s McGee as the Chicago-based sextet kicked off the year with two weeks worth of killer shows and continue to announce more dates in 2010. Yesterday, the band announced that they will make their first trip to Australia in April for the Byron Bay Blues Festival, iClips will broadcast an upcoming show on February 4 and that Atlanta will host the next S2 event on February 6.

Last Saturday afternoon, UM hosted the latest S2/Stew Art event in Denver which yielded improv based on such themes as “Marc Brownstein vs. Jenn (sic) Hartswick,” “Iron Maiden Does Devo” and “How You Feel After Eating At Waffle House.” For more details on what S2 events are, check out DaveO’s review of the Washington D.C. S2 and this video from the Denver event. The next S2 takes place in Atlanta at The Tabernacle on February 6. Tickets go on sale tomorrow at noon eastern time.

Umphrey’s will continue to tour their way across the country starting on Tuesday in Omaha. The next stretch of the band’s never ending tour takes them through the Midwest to the South and ends in Baltimore on Valentine’s Day. Anyone who wants to check out UM’s show in St. Louis on February 4 can tune in to the iClips premium broadcast for $6.99. Finally, the prog-jammers will make their first trip down under in April for the Byron Bay Blues Festival in Australia.

READ ON for a full list of Umphrey’s McGee tour dates…

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