November 10, 2010

New Jersey-bred jam legends Blues Traveler came to Brooklyn Bowl this past weekend for a pair of sold out performances at our favorite venue in New York City. The shows were a homecoming of sorts for the band, which cut its proverbial teeth at joints like the Wetlands Preserve and Nightingale’s during the late ’80s and early ’90s before finding commercial success.

[All photos by Rob Chapman]

The quintet was joined by quite a few guests over the course of the weekend including Paulie Z from Z02, Lisa Bouchelle, Chris Barron of the Spin Doctors, Matt Whyte of Earl Greyhound and John Cusimano of The Cringe. Even Rachel Ray, Cusimano’s wife, was in the house and left the band some deviled eggs, which we’d imagine were yum-o.

Photographer Rob Chapman was in the house for Saturday’s show. READ ON for a batch of Blues Traveler photos from Brooklyn Bowl by Rob…

Longtime GSW devotee Lynn Kestenbaum has directed and produced a 15-minute documentary about God Street Wine’s reunion shows in New York City this past July featuring interviews with nearly all of the band for our friends at State of Mind. Take a peek at this fantastic flick…

God Street Wine Brung Back

In other God Street Wine news, guitarists Lo Faber and Aaron Maxwell performed an acoustic set last Friday at Mexicali Live! in Teaneck, NJ. READ ON for the setlist, audio and video from the performance…

For the third year in a row, the Chicago Bluegrass & Blues Festival brings elements of a summer festival indoors for the Chicago winter. Over the course of three days

If you’ve heard a recording or watched videos of Buffalo Springfield’s first performances in 42 years at last month’s Bridge School Benefit, it should come as no surprise that the

Bruce Springsteen will make a rare appearance on late night TV on the November 16th episode of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. Fallon, a longtime Springsteen fan, will welcome The

Something tells me it’s been a while since anyone around here has watched a Beavis & Butthead clip, so today we’ve got a classic – Blues Traveler’s Runaround. Surprisingly, Butthead

Dead Kenny G’s @ Blue Nile, October 31

Contemporary jazz aficionados Skerik, Brad Houser and Mike Dillon have spent the better half of their musical careers contorting the face of jazz music. The three musicians have contributed to several projects (Critters Buggin, Garage A Trois) each initiating a full spectrum of sonic chaos, while heroically taking a stand against smooth jazz and expediting the genre to the grave.

On Sunday October 31 the three resurrected smooth jazz in the form of the Dead Kenny G’s. Dillon (drums, percussion, vocals), Houser (bass, baritone sax), Skerik (sax, keys) and friends performed the genre’s revitalized incarnation at The Blue Nile in New Orleans.

As one would expect, fans were decorated in their Halloween best, reeking havoc in the name of a good time. Dillon, Houser and Skerik all sported deadly costumes (complete with buoyant curls) of smooth jazz poster boy, soprano saxophonist Kenny G. The musicians played to the audience’s enthusiasm with a dissonant trifecta of saxophones; Skerik, Houser and friends experimented with a bizarre blend of acid jazz full of restless squawking while Dillon monkeyed with his drums. READ ON for more…