We’re a bit saddened to report that Carrie Brownstein will be stepping down from her blogging duties at NPR’s Monitor Mix to pursue a number of different projects, which include
Phish kicks off its Fall Tour on October 10 with three gigs at the 1st Bank Center in Broomfield, Colorado and I have to admit I am not quite sure what to expect on several fronts. And there’s something sort of exciting about that. There also something extra special about Phish in the Fall as they have proven throughout the years, including 2009 when they tore apart the Northeast in late-November after a glorious performance of the Rolling Stones’ Exile on Main Street at Festival 8 in Indio, CA.
But the last time we saw the band it was wrapping up a somewhat unsteady second leg of summer tour. Yes, the Berkeley Cities is other-worldly (how many recent jams can you hear/feel that connection between the crowd and the band that was felt during that segment?) and the two Alpine Valley shows brought the heat. But overall the shows lacked the creativity and punch of the first leg of the summer. I found it interesting that in Leg 2, there were 10 songs played four times in the 11 shows (Backwards Down the Number Line, Down with Disease, You Enjoy Myself, Possum, Ocelot, Run Like an Antelope, Tweezer, Tweezer Reprise, Mike’s Song and Weekapaug Groove).
Those songs are always in constant rotation so it’s not a huge surprise they saw a lot of action. But in Leg 1 of the summer tour, Phish made such an effort to mix up the setlists, bust out the bust outs and generally catch fans by surprise at least once on most nights. So it was indeed surprising to basically see that approach abandoned for the August shows. Not to mention the fact that they ignored the 15th Anniversary of Jerry Garcia’s death – I don’t want to hear that Quinn the Eskimo was a tribute – and failed to do anything unique in two of the most special musical venues in the country: Berkeley’s Greek Theater and Town Park in Telluride.
READ ON for more of Luke’s preview of Phish Fall Tour…
I’ll let you in on a little secret about LIFE ON DRUMS, Billy Martin’s “instructional” video for drummers…you don’t have to be a drummer to enjoy it. Martin gives lessons
In our never-ending quest to dig up great bands whose tickets cost less than a corned beef sandwich at Katz’s, we bring you another round of Blips. Blips highlights some great bands that are largely still in their larvae stage, but will soon morph into their beautiful butterfly. In this edition, we have some really cool new music, so take a sec, poke around the bands’ various websites, and see what you think of these two under the radar acts…
Jukebox The Ghost
It’s not too often that I get a chance to write about a band that got its start at my alma mater, so I thought I’d seize the opportunity to do just that by telling you about the music of Jukebox The Ghost. The three piece act, consisting of of Ben Thornewill (vocals & piano), Tommy Siegel (vocals & guitar) and Jesse Kristin (drums), formed while students at The George Washington University in Washington, DC during the early aughts. JTG’s name comes from a Captain Beefheart song and a line from the book Pnin by Vladimir Nabokov.
While DC had previously been the epicenter of the hardcore movement in the 1980s, the music of Jukebox The Ghost couldn’t be more different from the aggressiveness of those bands. Blending synth-y, uptempo, piano-pop with bouncy rhythms, the trio sound is influenced by the likes of Ben Folds, The Postal Service and Passion Pit. The band, who released their sophomore full length effort Everything Under The Sun
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READ ON for a profile of J. Roddy Waltson & The Business…
The duo of drummer Dean Spunt and guitarist Randy Randall have gained a lot of buzz as No Age and their newest release Everything In Between proves that the hype is well earned. The art-punk-pop LA fellas have crafted the rare beast: a catchy, freaked-out pasture of pumping drums and squealing guitars contained in garage DIY style that is not only listenable, but engaging.
Mike Gordon’s third studio album, Moss, comes out on 10/19 and after a few weeks on the road with Phish, the bassist heads out with his solo band for a
Last night, I recorded the debut episode of a new podcast called Type II along with fellow Phish fans Justin Wendt and Tanya Sperry. Each week Type II will feature
Always ahead of the curve, HT faves Umphrey’s McGee are making a break from the typical album format as they release new music this fall. The Chicago-based sextet will be releasing a series of digital EPs with a number of different ways to purchase them…
buy the EPs separately or as a bundle; or splurge for the holidays on the box set which will include music and video for the discerning UMphreak, including a wealth of bonus tracks, previously unreleased rarities, and hand-picked, band curated material from studio and live work. The tracks will be available in multiple formats: MP3, FLAC, and 24-Bit Hi Res FLACs for select titles. Details will be released shortly.
Not only will the group put out newer material but they will also release studio versions of UM classics in these collections. Umphrey’s kicks things off by sharing a free download of the recently debuted track Wellwishers.
READ ON to take a listen and look for more details soon…
It’s been 28 years since the members of the Tombstone Blues Band graced the Fairbanks High School Gymnasium with their ambitious covers and crackling 15-year old voices. Most folks probably associate the Tombstone Blues Band with that funny picture of Mike Gordon and his band mates – Kerry Keefe (vocals, bass, harmonica), Dan McBride (lead/rhythm guitar, vocals) and Bruce Diehl (drums) – but they were a pretty progressive band for a bunch high school kids, tackling Johnny B. Goode, Johnny Winter’s version of Bony Moronie, Riders on the Storm and Won’t Get Fooled Again.
Obviously, everybody knows what happened to that goofy guy who played bass and keyboards as he became a founding member of Phish, but Mike’s band mate Reverend B. Kerry Keefe has also kept with his playing as well, albeit in a different context. For Reverend Kerry, it’s been a windy road since high school, but after some tough times, he found his way to gospel music. Just recently, he finished off a three-year long project called Glory To His Name, which features Keefe on guitar as well as Florence Knight and Pastor Thurman Hargrove, combines black gospel with classic rock and funk to form a powerful spiritual sound. Make no mistake about it, 28 years later “The Rev” still tears it up.
Hidden Track: So, let’s start at the beginning, can you talk about what you’ve been up to since high school and what drove you to become a reverend?
Rev. Kerry: Since high school, we all went on to college. I made it to Clark University, where I not only earned a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy and English, but also a man-eating drinking habit. Everyone else kind of went on with their lives, and I proceeded to party like it was 1986 for about twelve years. Fast forward to 1996, a ruined marriage and me staring at my tired face in the mirror saying, “There’s got to be something better than this.” I stumbled upon prayer in my desperation, and I believed, and began a new life.
Ultimately, I was lead to the church where in addition to my sobriety, I learned I had gifts in the Word and ministry. God gave me my music gift back. I was lucky if I picked up the guitar a dozen times in the last five years of my drinking. Lots of folks picture rock stars partying and drinking, but it doesn’t seem to work too well. Long story short, I got my life back, my music back and God is still in the process of returning me to where I should have been: beautiful marriage, children and gainful employment as a counselor in the State Prison system in addition to my role as associate minister at the church.
READ ON for more of Ryan’s chat with Reverend Kerry…
Fourmile Canyon Revival featuring String Cheese Incident, Yonder Mountain String Band, Big Head Todd & The Monsters, Vince Herman & Drew Emmittt and Very Special Guests Jon Fishman, Mike Gordon, Page McConnell and Trey Anastasio – October 9, 2010 @ 1st Bank Center, Broomfield, CO
I woke up a little bit late on September 6, Labor Day, and walked out to my backyard to drink a cup of coffee. My roommate pointed out that in the distance smoke was rising behind the mountains. Until I got to a TV, I had no idea the magnitude of what was happening only a few miles away. Driving through the town of Boulder, half of the sky was clear, but the other was completely covered in reddish-brown smoke. I had barely gotten out of the car before a fleck of ash landed in my eye, and then another and another.
[Photos by Brendan Flanagan]
The fire had started that morning in Fourmile Canyon, and spread quickly to surrounding areas including the historic Gold Hill, Sunshine Canyon, and parts of Bald Mountain. Firefighters from 20 states came to battle the blaze as 3,500 people were evacuated from their homes, but within a matter of days the most destructive fire in Colorado state history destroyed 6,400 acres and 169 homes.
One of the many families displaced by the fire was that of String Cheese Incident bass player Keith Moseley. As he began to realize the destruction that occurred, and the effect that it had on his immediate community, he and bandmate Bill Nershi started to organize a benefit concert. With the help of local radio station KBCO, Yonder Mountain String Band, Big Head Todd & The Monsters and Vince Herman & Drew Emmitt – all of whom hold close ties to the area – a benefit concert was planned for October 9, 2010.
READ ON for more on the Fourmile Canyon Revival…
