2011

Filmmaker Brent Kado takes us behind the scenes for an exclusive look at all of the hard work that went into filming Umphrey’s McGee at the Chicago-based band’s three-night New Year’s Run for a future DVD release…

Words: Brent Kado
Images: Chad Smith, Ben Slayter, Brian Spady and Charles Izenstark

Chicago is a city of simple traditions. There’s no doubt that Umphrey’s McGee understands this. It’s why they’ve made their home city the site of the band’s New Year’s Eve shows since 2000. Another Umphrey’s tradition is filming their DVD releases in Chicago, a couple times on New Year’s Eve. So when the band asked my associate Chad Smith and I to film all three nights of this years run at the Riviera Theater to say the least I was thrilled. While I’d recently shot the North Coast Music Festival for a documentary and directed a standard one-song music video for Lotus, the challenge and energy of filming a three-night New Year’s run offered a fresh and unique set of challenges and opportunities.

[Photo by Ben Slayter]

The Planning Period

If you are going to shoot live music, and three days of it at that, planning is essential. The proper gear, a strong crew, accurate logistics and a definitive schedule must be locked down in advance. Gear is concern number one. Its not just cameras and tripods. There are lenses, memory cards, batteries and a host of other items to rent. Food, beverages, passes and parking for the crew must be lined up. Schedules must be coordinated with the band, the band’s crew, the house crew and our crew. Making sure that the details of these things are in order pre-shoot can make the actual shooting go so much smoother.

Day 1

Chad And I arrive at the Riviera around 2 PM on Monday. The light rig set up is in full swing. We introduce ourselves to the house crew – most recognizing us from the Lotus shoot a month earlier – and Chad begins to try and coordinate schedules and logistics with the band’s people. Don (Umphrey’s Tour manager) immediately goes over some of the important points with us such as where certain passes will allow our crew to go, any changes in the schedule and other potential conflicts that he foresaw.

We set up a camera to try and capture some of the setup and begin our walk through to plot out camera locations and reacquaint ourselves with site lines. As the band slowly trickles in for their night time rehearsal, Robbie (stage manager) and Bob (monitors) begin to explain to us the special events planned for the weekend (guests, balloon drop, etc.) as well as where our cameras will be allowed to move on stage. Due to limited space, Chad and I have to adjust our ideas for onstage cameras. We also learn that the Riviera crew is behind in their set up schedule and that both the light programming and bands sound check will be moved to the next day. Chad and I unload all of our gear – 11 boxes of rented equipment, a oversized case of Chad’s gear and a couple bags – and set it up in our area backstage. We have further conversations with the band’s people – Vince (manager) and Kevin (sound engineer) – about need-to-know information for our shoot.

READ ON for more from Brent on what went into filming Umphrey’s McGee’s three-night New Year’s Run at the Riviera in Chicago…

Words: Alexander Wolff
Images: Jason Woodside

Denver is one hell of a place to be a live music fan on New Years Eve. With multiple acts that have big draws setting up shop for more than one night, one has choices. Quite a luxury indeed! So, with Widespread Panic and STS9 both having headlined multiple-night runs in town, you are surely wondering what else went down around Denver on the last two nights of 2010.

[All photos by Jason Woodside]

East coast experimental Americana outfit Railroad Earth was booked for three nights at the Ogden Theater leading into the start of 2011. The group wound up playing four after announcing a January 1st performance during the show on the 30th. That night, the first set started off with a bit of a lull, the band having selected slower numbers that were lacking in any sort of extended improvisation, albeit tightly executed. Both the first exploration of the night, as well as the highlight of the show came in the form of a swelling, spacious jam out of Head that they pushed with a four-on-the-floor rhythm to a nice peak before bringing it home.

The second set did not disappoint, as the band came out hard with a guest vocalist for Mighty River and Peace on Earth, and a rocking double-fiddle jam in Reuben’s Train. Out of 1759 came an extended jam setting up the segue into Seven Story Mountain, and they kept the energy going through the rest of the set into the encore. A solid showing.

The Motet, one of Colorado’s best kept secrets, played to a sold-out crowd at Cervante’s Masterpiece Ballroom on New Year’s Eve; now that sounds like a party. Before The Motet would bring the funk parade to the dance floor, there was an interesting set of music to get through first. Boston roots-reggae act John Brown’s Body played a wonderfully impressive set of music. With their thick dub lines, syncopated horns, spacious improv and tight vocals they got the dance floor kicking and skanking. READ ON for more…

While Phish shied away from playing much new material during their five-night New Year’s Run, they did debut a catchy new Trey/Tom tune called Pigtail at the second night of

This week, featured columnist Brian Bavosa looks back at Phish’s Meatstick Musical, Midnight Madness & how the band finally feels comfortable again…

New Year’s Eve. New York City. Palpable, electric energy.

Following up on my last column, in which I recapped all of the previous 16 shows Phish had ever played at “Magical” Square Garden, I initially had no intentions of saying any more about that band and that building for at least a bit. However, what transpired over December 30th, New Year’s Eve (especially at Midnight), and Phish’s first-ever gig on New Year’s day, well, hell, I just had to, and felt that something more needed be said and showed, and listened to and seen!

[Photos by Adam Kaufman]

By this point if you are a fan of Phish, you’ve had almost two weeks to digest one of the most amazing, dynamic and simply well thought out and executed New Year’s gags in the band’s history – albeit, some parts of the stunt were borrowed from previous NYE stunts. I will simply try to do what I never seem to be able to, and shut up and let some of these videos and images paint the picture of what truly transpired on New Year’s Eve at MSG. I also wanted to make a few points about what else happened over this year-ending and year-beginning run, and what it means for Phish in 2011.

The Musical, Midnight Madness that began at approximately 11:45pm on NYE was a moment that signaled a change for Phish. It was the most elaborate, planned and outright *FUN* stunt since Big Cypress – which also saw the band ride in on their now infamous Hot-Dog – but also has had me thinking that the band is truly comfortable again in their own skin after almost two full years since their return at Hampton in March 2009. I mean, look at that video! It shows a band that still loves and respects what it does enough to spend the time, money and effort to provide a spectacle.

READ ON for more from Brian Bavosa about what the MSG Run taught us about the current state of Phish and the band’s future…