Last month it was announced that The Decemberists multi-instrumentalist Jenny Conlee had been diagnosed with breast cancer, which while caught early will force Conlee miss the band’s June dates during
Buffalo Springfield kicked off their first tour in 43 years on Wednesday at the Fox Theater in Oakland, CA. The band stuck to material from their three studio albums with the exception of Neil Young’s Rockin’ In The Free World.
[Photo via T.U.B.E.]
Here’s a look at a few videos from the tour opener…
Buffalo Springfield – Hot Dusty Roads
READ ON for more Buffalo Springfield videos…
The Avett Brothers @ State Theatre – June 2
Please welcome back Eric Wyman, a longtime friend of Hidden Track, to share his thoughts on last night’s Avett Brothers show…
The Avett Brothers have arrived in New England. Sure their most recent record I & Love & You was lauded by critics and the public. Sure they appeared on national television performing at the Grammys with Bob Dylan. Sure they’re now a highly billed act on the festival circuit. But being a band with southern roots and a similar fan base, I knew they had arrived in New England when the first song found the entire crowd singing.
Previous shows in New England have been fine, but on this night there was an increased energy from the crowd. Not as if they were there to check out a band they heard was good, or because they went with some friends, but rather because they were fans themselves.
The brothers really know how to compose a setlist that rides the peaks and valleys of their musical energy to the fullest. On this night they started with a four song throwdown of high energy songs – And It Spread, Paranoia in b Flat, the bluegrass standard Blue Ridge Mountain Blues and Colorshow. The latter found the entire crowd completely engaged, screaming the callbacks to the band at full force while cellist Joe Kwon changed a string broken string on the fly. Compare this with the combo of Swept Away and When I Drink and you have both ends of the North Carolina band’s spectrum. When I Drink found the brothers, alone on stage, under a single spotlight, sharing a microphone, an environment evoking one of their greatest strengths as an acoustic duo.
Set: And It Spread, Paranoia, Blue Ridge Mt Blues, Colorshow, Swept Away, When I Drink, Tin Man, January Wedding, Shame, Go to Sleep, Sally’s Lover, Ballad of Love and Hate, The Fall, Murder in the city, HFOD, Talk on Indolence, Kick Drum Heart, InLnU
Encore: Laundry Room, Down in the Valley (Scott and Seth)
[via AvettBrothers.com Forum]
READ ON for more of Eric’s take on The Avett Brothers…
After spending half of the night creating another two playlists, I abandoned them in the wee hours in lieu of riding the week-long wave that has been the opening on Phish’s 2011 Summer Tour (in which you can read my review here, along with ample other HT links/news).
So, allow me to present to you a playlist of some choice cuts from Phish’s past, in allowing yourself to get amped for the next set of shows in the Midwest this weekend. First up, we have a scorching Funky Bitch from a venue that holds so much in the Phish lore: The Worcester Centrum. Jumping right ahead to arguably the greatest version of Bathtub Gin from the Great Went in ’97, we reach an early peak with this one that makes my head, heart and soul explode into a zillion pieces of colorful confetti. Following this up with another festival cut, Torn and Frayed from Festival 8, this is another song that I feel gets props, but not the full love it deserves: and might be my favorite song off of the Stones cover album from Halloween ’09.
Jumping on to one of the versions of Sneakin’ Sally Through the Alley that 3.0 has run with, and my once-upon a time favorite tune, The Lizards, I feel we are off to a good mid-set vibe. Dipping twice into the magic of the Great Went, I return for another soaring tune in Harry Hood, in which the band jammed under the stars, sans lights and the birth of glowstick wars as we know them were created. (Don’t throw them at the band!)
READ ON for more on this week’s mix…
We first wrote about White Denim all the way back in April 2008, which is an eternity in blog years, when we featured the band as one of our Blips
Bill Kreutzmann, Papa Mali and Matt Hubbard brought the 7 Walkers to NYC’s Brooklyn Bowl on Tuesday night for a few classic Dead songs, some originals and a bunch of guests to fill the stage.
[All photos by Jeremy Gordon]
Sousaphone were tabbed to hold down the bass lines. Previously announced guests Henry Butler joined in on keyboards for a few songs and Joan Osborne – who toured with Kreutzmann as part of The Dead in 2003 – shared the vocal duties on Turn On Your Love Light, New Speedway Boogie and Sugaree. However, the highlight of the night was the appearance of singer Miss Tami Lynn (at the ripe young age of 69) as she came out to sing with Papa Mali on a slowed down and chilling version of Dr. John’s I Walk On Gilded Splinters.
7 Walkers continue their tour with an appearance at the Mountain Jam Music Festival tonight and will return to New York City’s City Winery on Sept. 2nd & 3rd. READ ON for a full gallery of Jeremy’s photos…
Words: Alexander Wolff
Images: Jason Woodside
Disco Biscuits – Bisco Inferno Weekend: May 26 – 28
For some Disco Biscuits fans, there is no greater treat in the world than to watch the group perform at Red Rocks. Arguably the best outdoor amphitheatre in the country, Red Rocks is a venue that brings a magic all its own to each show. Along with the natural beauty of the venue, the Biscuits have been putting in extra effort to make this weekend as special for their fans as possible and they are finally beginning to succeed.
[All photos by Jason Woodside]
Like most bands, the Biscuits are at their best when touring heavily, so with only 12 tDB shows in 2011 leading up to Bisco Inferno weekend, there was some skepticism and apprehension about whether they would play well. Fans hoped it wouldn’t take too long for the group to start firing on all cylinders. With two shows at the Ogden leading up to the finale at Red Rocks, there wound up being plenty of time for the band get their groove back.
May 26 – Ogden Theatre
Unfortunately, the first show of the weekend on Thursday night was a bit of a letdown. The first set was uneventful save for a slick segue into Shem-Rah Boo, which featured a neat jam out of the middle before returning to Voices Insane. The Overture was a treat, but oddly placed. The second set was somewhat redeeming, with a highly exploratory Orch Theme that featured several beautiful themes and peaked more than once. Tricycle > Mr. Don also featured some excellent playing, most notably from keyboardist Aron Magner.
Set 1: The Very Moon > Voices Insane > Shem-Rah Boo1 > Voices Insane, Neck Romancer, The Overture
Set 2: Park Ave. > Vassillios > Orch Theme > Tricycle > Mr. Don, Shelby Rose
Encore: Mulberry’s Dream
1unfinished
[All setlists via PT Bisco]
READ ON for more from Bisco Inferno weekend…
Incubus is offering fans that preorder the band’s new album first dibs on tickets to their newly announced U.S. tour. The alternative rock group’s seventh studio album, If Not Now,
Jackson Browne continues his solo acoustic tour with a fresh routing beginning in Michigan in September. Playing only guitar and piano, Browne has been doing the solo bit since February,
Los Angeles based trio, Foster The People, will celebrate the release of Torches with a top 10 chart debut this week. With a sold-out summer tour underway, the band are proud
