March 2011

HT Interview: Mike Gordon Talks Shop

Ryan Dembinsky March 6, 2011 10 Comments

To celebrate last night’s kickoff of a cross-county Mike Gordon Band tour that consists of a herculean 18 shows in 22 nights, we caught up with our favorite bass player on the planet to chat about the tour, his approach to all things techie and some amazing insights on Phish. You might want to brew a pot of coffee, because I think we caught Mike in a particularly good mood this time around. He really dives deep into some pretty interesting topics and philosophies.

[Photo by Joe Ringus]

Hidden Track: Why don’t we start off with the current tour. It seems as though a lot of thought goes into how you route the Mike Gordon Band’s tours. How involved are you in terms of determining where the band plays and the venues?

Mike Gordon: That’s funny, somebody on my hotline actually asked the same question: somewhat involved and somewhat not involved, mediumly involved.

Usually, the manager and the booking agent come with kind of a scheme, which is based on not going back too often to the same place if we had just been there, but also not forgetting it for too long before we go back. For example, last tour, we felt really good about the West Coast and we had some really good crowds, so we decided to hit it again, but not the same exact cities. We decided to hit some that are near the other ones, but different. The secondary markets as they say, but that makes it sound like we’re routing sugar cane. I never really liked that term, but that’s what the managers call them.

The problem is that there just isn’t enough time to play everywhere that we’d like to play and that people would like us to play. I end up going to a lot of places where I haven’t played in a while, because Phish played there in the early ’90s. On my last tour, I did that over and over again, and the places would say, “Why don’t you tell the Phish guys to play here,” and the answer usually is, “Well Phish is not going to play here, that’s why I am.” [laughs] Phish is looking for places that can fit as many people as would like to come, and that’s often certain ones in certain places. In the meantime, it’s really fun for me to get to visit some of these places I wouldn’t normally see.

Previously on HT: Mike Gordon Extends Mound in Eugene, Interview – Mike Gordon’s Balancing Act

READ ON for more of Ryan’s chat with bassist Mike Gordon…

Mike Gordon Band Extends Mound in Eugene

Scott Bernstein March 6, 2011 5 Comments

Bassist Mike Gordon and the Mike Gordon Band set off on a 18-date tour yesterday at the McDonald Theatre in Eugene, Oreg. and Cactus wasn’t kidding when he mentioned an

B List: The Stories Behind The Photos, Pt. 2

Jeremy Gordon March 4, 2011 5 Comments

Yesterday, we published the first part of a two-part B List penned by HT photo editor Jeremy Gordon in which he shared five of his favorite photos and the stories behind them. Today, Jeremy returns to tell the tales of his other five favorite shots. Take it away, JG…

6. The Forgotten Photo

[Coca-Cola sign Times Square]

It was my first time photographing the Disco Biscuits and, man, was I excited. This was going to be the biggest band I had shot up to that time, and only the second time I had shot at the Nokia Theatre in Times Square. I got there early and talked to a few people, including some other photographers. Then I grabbed a few shots of Simon Posford as he spun discs for the crowd. Finally it was time for the Biscuits to take the stage leading to three songs and about 15 minutes of me running around looking for angles, trying to grab focus, and guessing shutter speeds against the pulsating lights, all while the crowd was screaming behind me.

Later in the show, I was invited side stage to get some more shots before adjourning backstage for a slice of Famous Ray’s and a beer. Then it was on to the aftershow to catch Bassnectar at B.B. King. So where does this photo fit into that long and rambling story? It ended up being just one of three shots taken after a friend and I left the concert and headed to Times Square in search of an ATM. There, at 3:00 in the morning, workers were repairing the Coca-Cola sign. For one reason or another I wasn’t happy with the shot, and it sat untouched for eight months until I finally got bored and worked on this forgotten shot. I’m glad I did.

Previously on HT: The Stories Behind The Photos, Pt. 1

READ ON for four more amazing photos and the stories behind them…

Friday Mix Tape: The King Must Die

Scott Bernstein March 4, 2011 No Comments

It was the Summer of 1991 and I was a 14-year-old who had been exposed to plenty of alt-rock, but wasn’t as familiar with classic rock acts from the ’60s

Friday For the Foodies: Montreal, Part 1 – Schwartz’s Montreal Hebrew Delicatessen

Jon Hochstat March 4, 2011 No Comments

I am back from my epic dining weekend in Montreal last weekend which included a Nose to Tail dinner Friday night at DNA cooked by Derek Dammann & Chris Cosentino, lunch Saturday at Schwartz’s Deli, dinner Saturday at Au Pied de Cochon and lunch on Sunday at Cabane a Sucre Au Pied de Cochon. I have pictures and descriptions from every meal but this week I am starting with the easiest of the 4 experiences to write up, Schwartz’s Deli.

Here is the history of Schwartz’s and the explanation of what smoked meat is as per their website:

Schwartz’s was founded in 1928 by Reuben Schwartz, a Jewish immigrant from Romania, and our restaurant has been in the same location ever since, on boulevard Saint-Laurent, where it is now tucked in around funky storefronts and trendy boutiques. The restaurant is a single white-tiled room containing several rows of long narrow tables.

We’ve protected our tradition for over 80 years by maintaining the standards of old. Unlike other smoked-meat purveyors, who add chemicals to their briskets, Schwartz’s prepares smoked meat the old-fashioned way using a secret blend of fine herbs and spices marinated for 10 days. Our smoked meat is smoked daily and contains no preservatives; just the award winning taste and freshness that have brought celebrities from all around the world to our tables.

READ ON for more on Jon’s trip to the legendary Schwartz’s…

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