Sub Pop Records is proud to announce the new album from Blitzen Trapper entitled American Goldwing set for a September 13th release, Beginning July 19th in Salt Lake City, Blitzen
Fleet Foxes have annoucned 11 new tour stops in support of Helplessness Blues. New dates include two shows at the Paramount Theater in Seattle a show at the intimate Henry
Jeff Mangum has announced five new shows in North America, listed below. Each show will go on sale this Wednesday, June 22nd at 12pm EDT. In addition to these new
We’ve come to the end of the first leg of Phish Summer Tour 2011. Tonight’s performance at the nTelos Wireless Pavilion in Portsmouth, VA is the 18th and last of the run. Phish has only played at the intimate venue once before this evening, back on June 15, 2010.
[From @Phish_FTR]
Phish played on Father’s Day for the third year in a row tonight. To mark the occasion, the band members welcomed each of their fathers to the stage during the show opening Harpua. This extreme rarity (10th version in 15 years) didn’t feature an extensive narration with guitarist Trey Anastasio taking a quick opportunity to welcome the audience to the show and explain that the tune was performed in honor of a fan a sign for their 31st birthday. The fan was birthday girl Kristen Goess who attended the show with her mother. She brought a sign that said “31 Minute Walls of the Cave” on the front and “For My 31st Birthday” on the back. Kristen not only got Harpua played in her honor, but Walls of the Cave as well (though not a 31-minute version). Trey then introduced all of the band member’s fathers who helped sing the call and response section at the end of the song making for a memorable moment.
[Photo via SpencerBC]
READ ON for the setlist and The Skinny…
Phil Lesh and The Levon Helm Band @ Midnight Ramble, June 17
Part of the joy in seeing live music is the never-ending quest to find the ideal balance of music, setting, sound and ambiance which results in the creation of life long memories. While no concert event can ever be considered “perfect”, on Friday night, June 17, Levon Helm’s Midnight Ramble with Phil Lesh set a remarkably high bar and perhaps even set the parameters for concert perfection.
Tucked cozily into the Catskill Mountains in the fertile music grounds of Woodstock, NY, not even a stone’s throw from the legendary Bearsville Studios, is Levon Helm’s private residence with a barn cum recording studio. Guests navigate a long winding driveway and are warmly greeted by a staff seemingly more intent on welcoming and befriending their guests than anything else.
Driveway Driving In
Barn from the Outside
Upon entering the studio, the majestic beauty of the natural surroundings outside are almost eclipsed by the grandeur & elegance of the studio. Carved between the wood beams, exposed stone, folding chairs and benches, was an intimate stage that appeared mysteriously within reach of every one of the 300 guests in attendance. Created by laying a large Oriental rug on top of the barn-board floor and surrounded with guitar & instrument stands perched on a stone hearth in front of a large fireplace, the stage was set for another night of the “Midnight Ramble”.
READ ON for more about Friday’s special Midnight Ramble…
The "Big Man," saxophonist Clarence Clemons, has died in Palm Beach, Florida, from complications of a stroke he suffered last Sunday. The beloved 69-year-old musician was born in Norfolk, Virgina,
We’re saddened to report that saxophonist Clarence Clemons of the E Street Band has died today from complications of stroke he suffered last Sunday. Clemons has been a member of
Phish’s swing through North Carolina brings them to the venue formerly known as Walnut Creek in Raleigh this evening. The group’s penultimate performance of Summer Tour 2011 – Leg One is their eighth at the Research Triangle area shed with a particularly memorable July 22, 1997 show getting the DVD release treatment as Phish – Walnut Creek.
[Photo via HelloMetro]
READ ON for tonight’s setlist and The Skinny…
Phish @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre – Charlotte
We’ve reached the final weekend of the first leg of Phish Summer Tour 2011 as the band moved from one Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre (Alpharetta) to another (Charlotte) for their fourth-ever show at the venue. Phish has previously played the North Carolina shed on July 7, 1999; July 25, 2003 and July 2, 2010.
[via @Mike_Gordon]
For the previous two shows in Alpharetta, Phish tended to play it safe and offered fans high-energy versions of some of their most popular and most played songs. This evening’s performance went a different route as the band reached into their “bag of tricks” and came out with the first exploratory jams in quite a few shows, some bust outs and even our first Henrietta song of the nearly-completed tour.
Tonight Mike’s Groove kicked off a show for the first time since Phish’s “final show” at Coventry in 2004. Mike’s was played in response to a fan who brought a “Mike’s House” sign to the show. How about we stick to signs for songs that haven’t been played in a while folks? Later in the set, NICU gave fans a chance to visit “Leo’s House” while Colonel’s Forbin’s Ascent > Fly Famous Mockingbird reared its head for only the third time since the quartet went on hiatus in October of 2000. Just like each of the other post-hiatus versions, there was not much of a narration with tonight’s YEMblog guest tweeter Scott Marks telling us that guitarist Trey Anastasio referenced the t-shirt he and bassist Mike Gordon were wearing thusly – “look, I’m not going to give this away (points at his short-sleeve t-shirt) but you all know who this is…it’s the Famous Mockingbird!”
READ ON for the setlist and The Skinny…
Cake @ The Ogden Theater, June 14
Words: Jonathan Kosakow
Photos: Matthew Speck
A backyard smoke machine clouded the stage for Cake, who entered the room at The Ogden Theater Tuesday night following a stern pre-recorded warning against photography, and a comically long musical intro that may or may not have been borrowed from a mid-90s Saturday morning cartoon. They wasted no time before launching into the instrumental Arco Arena and the crowd pleasing Frank Sinatra, but even so early in the show it seemed that John McCrea and company were a little overtired.
[All photos by Matthew Speck]
The audience, though, didn’t really seem to notice. Since their first album way back in 1994, Cake has played the hidden hero to so many. In those years, they have put out only six studio albums – before this year’s Showroom of Compassion, the most recent was seven years ago and is easily their least popular. But the music never disappeared from the memories and cassette players of our generation. When it was announced that Cake would be playing two nights in Denver, a shout of excitement rang out so loud you may as well have thought they were putting Fraggle Rock back on the air, and the tickets for both shows sold out well in advance.
The spacious yet intimate, grungy Ogden Theater filled up quickly with a crowd heavily made up of the under-30 generation. It seems almost every Cake fan is similar in certain respects – quiet and sensible, but with a bit of a dark side. And this was proven as most fans quietly sang along to their old favorites of sex and pent-up anger, Italian Leather Sofa and How Do You Afford Your Rock ‘N’ Roll Lifestyle.
READ ON for more about Cake in Denver…
