Archive: 2011

They always say if you set your expectations low, you won’t get let down. Phish fans generally ignore that credo and hyped up the three-show run at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago, IL that started last night. Yet low and behold the quartet threw down a smoker to kick things off in The Windy City.

[Photos by Joel Berk]

While Hidden Track EiC Scott Bernstein recapped the performance last night, we did promise photos from Joel Berk of our site’s Chicago office. Joel delivered a fantastic set of snaps which we’re happy to share with you.

• Previously: Phish Chicago Night One – Setlist & The Skinny

READ ON for a full gallery of Joel’s Phish photos…

There’s no doubt that all your senses can trigger profound memories from the depths of your mind. Certain smells conjure up vacations spent half a world away, childhood memories and other events inextricably tied to a particular aroma. However, nothing for most people, hard core or casual music fans included, can place you at a time or place in your life the way hearing a particular song can. Music is the soundtrack of the “movie” of our life, constantly playing like the background music of a motion picture. It’s omnipresent, always playing and a great way to “bring you back” to a particular time.

What if you were able to make a timeline of every song you listen to and were able to browse through this timeline of your life? Well you can. This week we will look at web service called “Memolane”.

Memolane bills itself as a place to “See, Search and Share” your life. Through a variety of connected services, Memolane aggregates a ton of information and presents it in a neat & clean timeline that can be shared privately with friends, to the public, or not shared at all.

READ ON for more on what Memolane is all about…

Deer Tick @ Pier 54 – August 11

Words: Jeffrey Greenblatt
Photos: Jeremy Gordon

The concert weather gods were smiling down on Deer Tick last Thursday night for quite possibly one of the most gorgeous nights of the summer. The band delivered in what was the scheduled closing night performance for Hudson River Park’s free River Rocks concert series. With temperatures in upper 70s, a cool breeze coming off the water,and an awe inspiring sunset, the Providence-based act played a raucous, freewheeling set, that was punctuated by an exuberant and vocal crowd near the front of the stage, who repeatedly shouted out requests throughout the night.

[All photos by Jeremy Gordon]

The band’s 90-minute set featured fan favorites Baltimore Blues, Little White Lies and Ashamed as well as a healthy dose of new material including what is sure to be a the band’s new signature tune – the punk-inspired Let’s All Go To The Bar. Deer Tick also kicked down a diverse selection of covers, tackling everything from their debut of The Replacements’ Bastards Of Young to Tom Waits’ Innocent When You Dream, which lead singer John McCauley performed solo, as well as longtime Deer Tick staples La Bamba and Maybellene – which got an assist from a member of literary punk-rockers Titus Andronicus, and a fiery show closing take on Townes Van Zandt’s White Freight Liner Blues.

In between McCauley was his usual affable self, sharing stories from the band’s day in New York, that included their decision to douse themselves in aftershave for their schedule press appearances, his fear of getting arrested by the “boat police” if they band played over their allotted time, and the declaration of “Fuck Mumford and Sons” prior to their encore.

READ ON for more from Deer Tick at Pier 54…

We keep our eyes peeled for new tour dates announcements each week and compile them on Tuesdays for this handy column… In 2007, Lisa Hannigan parted ways with Damien Rice, after recording two critically acclaimed albums, as frustrations arose within their working relationship. The split, which was far from amicable, seemed to have worked out […]

Lil Wayne performing at the St. Paul Xcel Center in Minnesota 8.10.11.

Phish pulled into Chicago tonight for the first of three shows at the intimate UIC Pavilion that cap off this section of Summer Tour 2011. The group last played at the indoor venue back in 1998 for a memorable three-night stand on November 7 – 9.

The run’s first set got off to a high energy start with another sizzling version of Back On The Train. Guelah Papyrus and Scent of a Mule kept the old school vibe going and led into a fitting cover of ZZ Top’s Jesus Just Left Chicago. Wolfman’s Brother gave us our first jam and what a Wolfman’s it was. While it didn’t stray too far from the usual territory Wolfman’s explores, this take featured a call and response segment from Mike Gordon and Page McConnell, melodic riffing from Trey Anastasio and a funky backbeat provided by Jon Fishman. Seek out this Wolfman’s, you won’t be sorry.

A tender Anything But Me gave the crowd a cool down period and was the first ABM in two years. Next up was the Phish premiere of Babylon Baby, a staple of the Mike Gordon Band’s repertoire since its debut in March. A typically beautiful Reba led into a powerful Alumni Blues closer that from the looks of the tweets blew the roof of the place and included a rough attempt at Letter To Jimmy Page in the middle. In looking at the reports coming in from Chicago you see one mention of “energy” after another as there’s nothing like indoor shows where the fans surround the band.

READ ON for the recap of the rest of tonight’s show as well as the setlist and The Skinny…

Perpetual Groove completed an epic five night Florida run with two historic shows at The Culture Room August 12th and 13th. Always a favorite venue for the band, Saturday’s show featured a rare double encore plus several special guest sit-ins. The tour produced several sell outs and further established that PGroove once again is riding […]

Well the pretty boy brothers in Kings of Leon were too tired to keep on touring, but their tour openers Band of Horses had energy to spare, so they booked the picturesque venue in central Manhattan to play a blowout show for their fans

  Visionary filmmaker David Lynch will make his solo debut as a musical artist this fall with Crazy Clown Time. Produced and written by Lynch, the album’s 14 original songs spotlight him on guitar and vocals. The album will be released on November 8 by independent British label Sunday Best Recordings / PIAS in America. Two […]

Partisan Records is excited to announce the release of Deer Tick’s new record, Divine Providence. Set to be released on October 25, 2011, Divine Providence was produced by the band along with Adam Landry and Justin Collins, who were also at the helm for lead singer, main songwriter John McCauley’s highly acclaimed side project, Middle […]

It’s a great groove mix this week on Stormy Mondays, kicking off with John Scofield’s A Go Go, the title track of the album that single-handedly initiated the New Groove revolution near the turn of the century, helped in no small part by his band for the album, MMW. It is one of the true […]

Supergroups are nothing new in the world of music, in fact they date back all the to the mid-1960s when Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker formed arguably the first one with Cream. The trend has been has a big renaissance in recent years with the likes of Monsters Of Folk, Wild Flagg, Them […]

We’re six weeks away from the release of Wilco’s The Whole Love on September 27 and we couldn’t be more excited to hear this new batch of tunes from Jeff Tweedy and his mates. Our excitement level was raised another notch by this preview clip that the band has shared featuring the group recording the […]

HT faves Perpetual Groove always come up with interesting themes for their Halloween shows including “Diamonds Are Forever” last year, the “John Hughes Variety Show” in 2009 and “The Karate Kid” in 2008. Recently, the Athens-based band announced that “PERPle Rain” will be this year’s theme for a Halloween night performance at The Workplay in […]

Last week the, two titans of the world of hip hop – Jay Z and Kanye West – dropped their long in the works debut album Watch The Throne. For their first single, the dynamic duo, who have dubbed themselves The Throne, choose to go with the statement track Otis, a wordy, boastful, hook-less tune, […]

Josh Ritter will pause briefly in the midst of his summer tour for a visit to Jimmy Kimmel tonight. Following the appearance, he will team with the Old 97’s for shows at San Diego’s House of Blues on Tuesday and the Wiltern in Los Angeles on Wednesday. The Old 97’s were booked to play George Lopez on […]

Thievery Corporation has a sixth album out called Culture of Fear. Surprising no one, it’s good. Sadly, though, it doesn’t really push the boundaries.

Kim Thayil better watch out next time he plays “Black Hole Sun” because Frampton definitely has his number on this one. Rock star having mellowed with age? Not on your life.

As Bon Iver’s reputation grows, so too do the venues, the ticket prices, and, more surprisingly, the size of the band. What began as a solo project has morphed into a nine-piece ensemble equipped with two drummers, countless rotating electric and acoustic guitars, a few reed instruments, a French horn, a violin and a number of keyboards and computer screens, all playing for a sold-out crowd at the Palace.

Dr. Dog is hitting the road for a series of North American tour dates in the coming months. The band will kick things off with three nights sharing a bill with none other than Bright Eyes before steering their merry bus to selected theaters and ballroom across the country. With their ever-evolving sound and supreme […]