Anyone who has seen Deer Tick can attest to the fact that they are prone to busting out random covers. With an encyclopedic memory of rock history, they are able
Phish’s first-ever shows in Japan took place during the Summer of 1999, when the band traveled across the Pacific to perform at the Fuji Rock Festival. A new Live Phish release titled Japan Relief looks at the July 31, 1999 show from Fuji Rock to benefit Peace Winds America with proceeds going to help the disaster relief efforts following the earthquake and subsequent tsunami that wreaked havoc on Japan.
Not only is all of the July 31, 1999 show included in the release, but the What’s The Use? soundcheck from July 29 is also included. Due out on April 15, this new download/CD features the potent Also Sprach Zarathrustra > David Bowie that kicked off the second set, a human rights speech by the band’s friend, Nawang Khechog, who also sat in a unique Brian and Robert. Yet my favorite moment is the Prince Caspian. Yes, I’m not shitting you – this version of Caspian finds guitarist Trey Anastasio demolishing the solo with speed, passion and precision using a delay-heavy tone. You can purchase the MP3s now for $9.99 with FLACs and ALACs going for $12.95.
READ ON for more on this release…
Cover Wars March Madness rolls on. We’ve had our play-in round and our first full round of 32 covers and we’re left with our Sweet 16. We are in our third year of this tournament and we have just now done the obvious, we have generated an actual bracket so you can visualize how this is all going to go down. Have a look and be sure to vote in all eight matchups.
Matchup #1
Phish debuted this cover at Alpine Valley in the Summer of 1998. As most Phish fans know, there has been one other performance ever and it was the following week at Vernon Downs where the band paired Ramble On with their own Slave To The Traffic Light to close the first set. There are some killer Ramble On Teases in the Slave jam. Source: 8-1-1998
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UPDATE: The text in all the descriptions for Cover Wars March Madness are taken from the original editions which at times – are out of date. As one of our readers pointed out in the previous round – Phish has since performed one more partial performance of Ramble On, and yes – it was pretty terrible.
VS.
Wilco recorded this cover for the 2006 Big Star covers record Big Star Small World. Though never played live by Wilco, the song has made at least 11 appearances at Jeff Tweedy solo shows.
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READ ON to vote on the remaining seven matchups in the Sweet 16.
For as long as debates shall rage, Phish and the Grateful Dead will always be compared to one another — for better or worse. So in today’s column, I will simply add a slight twist to that comparison by focusing on two of their most ambitious and exploratory triumvirates. Ladies and Gentlemen, let us take a look at the contenders by measuring the tale of the tape: Help on the Way > Slipknot > Franklin’s Tower in the Dead’s corner VS. Mike’s Song > I am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove in Phish’s. Apples and oranges, you say? Incomparable? First set versus second set material? Well, for the sake of today’s PFPS we will try and take a look at each and how they stack up against each other. I also an intrigued to know what your thoughts are, and invite you to way in with PFPS’s first poll in a while.
Help > Slip > Franklin’s
One of the Dead’s most prolific opening sequences, this trio set the stage for many a barn-burner over the years. While also also played in this traditional order, with very few breaks from the formula – as opposed to some mega Mike’s Groove sandwiches – Help > Slip > Franklin’s could be called the predictable sequence, but as we know, it is anything but.
Allowing room for weaving, bobbing and exploratory space, Help on the Way in particular always caught that dark edge that made it seem like a storm brewing and doom impending or a slithering serpent wrangling along its belly. Slipknot! seemed to be the psychedelic glue that held this trio together and often times spring-boarded some of the most memorable conclusions in Franklin’s Tower that exist. From the sprawling guitar licks in its opening, to its anthematic line, “If you get confused, just listen to the music play!,” there is no mistaking Franklin’s Tower. It represents an emotional payoff at the end of the mysterious journey, while offering a feel good, danceable vibe.
READ ON for a look at Phish’s song suite and to vote…
String Cheese Incident @ 1st Bank Center, March 12
With Colorado-based jammers String Cheese Incident opting to perform infrequently since returning to action at Rothbury 2009, the few shows that the band plays each year have become highly anticipated events. SCI’s touring schedule pretty much dictates the entire year’s travel schedule for many of their fans. Earlier this month, the 2011 edition of the group’s Winter Carnival – which was held at the 1st Bank Center in Broomfield, CO – delivered the visual and musical spectacle that has come to be expected from the String Cheese Incident.
Saturday night’s performance opened up with a set from funk powerhouse Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk, which set the tone for the whole evening. Both Cheese sets would have a very funky vibe tying the rest of their eclectic mess of genres together. Members of Dumpstaphunk joined Cheese on stage for a boisterous rendition of Will It Go Round in Circles. In a set of music where it may be impossible to label one particular moment as the true highlight, this musical collaboration stakes as much claim as anything.
The second set opened up with security guards trying, and failing miserably, to form an aisle out of the crowd for a “parade.” The parade seemed disjointed with about three people in costumes dancing through the crowd. The true visual spectacle of the night happened at the same time as the “parade”, as dancers were raised on platforms, the lights went crazy and confetti rained down from the ceiling. The resulting chaos was one of the more visually stunning experiences one can see in a concert, but at the same time it more or less overshadowed the music happening on stage.
READ ON for more from String Cheese Incident in Broomfield…
Last month, The Cars released the first video from of their upcoming reunion album to the song, Blue Tip, which gave fans a modernized twist on the band’s quintessentially ’80s
We’ve reached the home stretch of the Allman Brothers Band’s March Madness run at the Beacon. Just as they did last night, The Juke Horns came out and added brass
Cold War Kids' recorded mission since the beginning has been to "match what they've done on-stage." With their latest album, Mine is Yours (their third full-length), the goal was to finally realize that vision, taking a little more time in the studio to craft a long-lasting sonic monument, one that would stack up to their peers like TV on the Radio and Arcade Fire, who, according to Willett, "sound very labored with so many layers of tracks." Working in Nashville with big-name producer Jacquire King (well-known for his contributions to Kings of Leon and Modest Mouse albums), Cold War Kids wanted to go the next step in their journey, achieving a "eureeka" moment that could serve as a fresh start.
