01.20
Jazz Odyssey > Booth Love > Rocker Part 2, Conduit > "Jimmy Stewart" > Conduit, Tribute to the Spinal Shaft > Passing > Utopian Fir
40's Theme, Der Bluten Kat > drums^ > All Night Long^ > Der Bluten Kat, The Linear > "Jimmy Stewart" > The Linear > Ringo
Divisions
The London Souls opened
^ with Jake on percussion
- JO was a bit heavy
- Booth Love had a great jam, very Floyd-ish at the end
- Heavy/bluesy jam in Rocker, with lots of hand signals from Jake
- Conduit had two or three sections to it, ending on a bit of a hip-hoppy vibe
- Happy Birthday to some guy before the Tribute ;)
- Really enjoyed the Tribute jam out of the breakdown, which had Joel on Rhodes and Jake repeating this riff; the band dropped out at some point to have Jake repeat on his own, before relaunching into a more dancey version of the same riff
- Photo: https://twitter.com/#!/Jwelsh8/status/160561075031511041
- Passing dissolved into Fir
- 40's Theme seemed a bit more patient than usual
- Photo: https://twitter.com/#!/Jwelsh8/status/160576419339051008 (Waful at the end of 40's)
- Der Bluten Kat was introduced as one of their earliest songs
- Photo: https://twitter.com/#!/Jwelsh8/status/160577810690347009 ("50 lighters!")
- Drums was really good, actually; not too long > All Night Long (could hear that coming pre-drums)
- Photo: https://twitter.com/#!/Jwelsh8/status/160580089929678849
- Second jam in DBK was one of my favorites of the night. Started a bit as a dancey Run Like Hell and then transitioned into this great Middle Eastern jam. Jake continued with the theme on slide and the drummers really drove the jam hard.
- The Linear was huge, at least I felt that way last night. Just great. Big and focused and heavy.
- Ringo was good, but nothing like the one from last year's Brooklyn Bowl.
- Divisions was cut from the second set and played as the encore. Strong version.
- Photo: https://twitter.com/#!/Jwelsh8/status/160594552149917699 ("All my thoughts divided.")
____
01.21
Jazz Odyssey > Domino Theory > "Jimmy Stewart"* > Domino Theory, Intentions Clear > Voyager$ > White Man's Moccasins > Forks, August, Second Song > Puppet String
Miami Virtue > "Jimmy Stewart" > Glory, #Bridgeless > "Jimmy Stewart"* -> The Floor, Pay the Snucka, Hollywood Nights > Bridgeless
At Last$$, JaJunk
The London Souls opened
* with lyrics
$ first time played, Daft Punk
# with Bob tease
$$ first time played, Etta James, in tribute to her recent passing; with Jen Hartswick on vocals
- Jam out of Domino Theory was a bit of a 180 from the heavier focus of the song, taking more of a Yacht Rock vibe. Really enjoyable. The vocal stew that came out of the Jam had a bit of a different feel from the Yacht sound. Fans claim it was a repeat?
- Intentions Clear dissolved slowly with guitars and texture from Joel as the drums had a shuffling beat . . . before Daft Punk's Voyager emerged and took the room to another level. So much fun. And Waful was so on point with his lights.
- Still without a pause, White Man's Moccs appeared. And then out of White Man's, Forks emerged. As I have made known, I am a big fan of this new song. I love it's vibe and I think it fills a bit of a gap in UM's catalog (this linear song with a specific feel and atmosphere).
- Photo: https://twitter.com/#!/Jwelsh8/status/160921791290802176
- August had a little of pony goofing off before the known bass intro. This version of August featured a great rocking Stew. A rock riff, with the band breaking down a bit, Ryan picking up the riff on the bass, and then back into the jam.
- After band intros, UM covered TV on the Radio's Second Song for the second time. I wish the crowd was more into it, as I like this cover. Particularly the falsetto singing.
- Photo: https://twitter.com/#!/Jwelsh8/status/160925707709583360 (Waful painting the ceiling)
- Cut as the encore from the night before, Puppet String was an energetic closer
- Dominio opening the first, why not Miami for the second; really entertaining jam that featured some syncopation between Jake and BB, that turned "proggy and chunky" into a dance beat
- Maybe 20 minutes of Domino faded into a beautiful Glory -- so beautiful that after it was done, Ryan took to the mic and admitted to tears in his eyes, thanking Jake for the solo and song and the crowd for allowing UM to do what they do
- The Bridgeless > Stew > Floor section was really entertaining; the jam out of Bridgeless featured Jake scratching away on his strings and Joel laying on the Hammond, building to this thick funky jam; which then lead to the second lyrical Stewart from Brendan, that had a bit of a rap feel (and allowed for Kris to also jump in vocally); and then the segue into The Floor was incredibly smooth
- Pay the Snucka had a few moments of improv, small ones
- Hollywood Nights was great and rocking, almost felt like double-time (Bright Lights was cut before Nights); Jake was loving the vocal duties
- And of course the return to Bridgeless ended the show on a high note
- I always love when Jen Hartswick sits in with Umphrey's, and this was no different; a beautiful tribute to the recently passed Etta James
- JaJunk was a fun closer, with a small dancey jam; Jake was using his mic stands as a bow for his guitar and was playing with those sounds (he needs a real bow, I think)
- Photo: https://twitter.com/#!/Jwelsh8/status/160955451847098368 (Jake using his stand)
- Photo: https://twitter.com/#!/Jwelsh8/status/160958040630239232 (band thanking the crowd)
All in all, two wonderful shows from Umphrey's for the sold out crowd. They are firing on all cylinders right now, honestly. Showing patience where needed, communicating. Jams feel effortless. And just about any song can get blown wide open, which keeps things fresh and exciting. I had a wonderful time celebrating my birthday and Umphrey's birthday. Couldn't have asked for anything more . . .
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
2012 Winter Jazz Fest, Friday Night (01.06.12)
I was not able to attend Jazz Fest last year, but I thoroughly enjoyed the event two years ago. So I was excited to go this year, even if it was only Friday.
Tickets (wristbands) were being distributed across the street from Le Poisson Rouge, and I headed to Kenny's Castways to start the evening off with a few songs from Ben Allison, backed by Jenny Scheinman on violin and Steve Cardenas on guitar. I really like Ben's playing, and, well, I love just about everything Jenny does. So it was a good way to start . . . After two tracks (Fred and Roll Credits), I headed across the street for some solo Medeski.
When I got there, it was certainly avant garde, solo piano. High paced for the most part. But then he started playing this didgeridoo-like think while playing the piano. He could control the pitch by sliding his hand along the length of the instrument. He then stood up, and started playing while he paced the stage, including moments where he lifted his foot to close off the end of the instrument. That section actually had more melody and structure than his previous piano work. Really quite interesting.
The ending, though, featured some more out there piano work that finally slowed down . . . to the point that he was playing the strings of the piano (there must be a term for this). The then took to what I think was a harmonium and placed that on the strings and started to get it going. Then, he took out his melodica. So he had the harmonium droning, the melodica, and the low end of the piano. Really something to see and hear.
(Before settling in for Medeski, I did grab a pint of Spontaneous Combustion, Six Point's brew for the Jazz Fest. Smokey, slightly sweet. An interesting beer. Happy I tried it . . . )
As soon as John was done, I worked my way closer with my sister and settled in for the next few hours. Up next was the Nels Cline Singers, featuring Nels, Y. Honda on keyboards, Trevor Dunn on bass (whom I have seen with Zorn's dreamers), and Scott Amendola. What I know of the Singers, I was prepared for some more avant garde playing. But to be honest, there was enough . . . structure? that it held my attention. My favorites were the more mellow B86/Inkblot Nebula, the nod to Sonic Youth Thurston County, and whatever the last song was that seemed to channel Bitches Brew and Eddie Hazel. Honda was a bit tough to hear, but Trevor and Scott were such an amazing rhythm section.
Up next was my second dose of Jenny Scheinman with her band Mischief & Mayhem. Cline and Dunn stayed put, and Jim Black was on drums. I moved even closer, leaning against the stage under Nels' guitar. Their set was really quite wonderful. As I have already mentioned, I am a fan of Jenny's music, regardless of the other musicians. I was able to see her with Frisell just a few weeks ago at the Vanguard, and was blown away. This time around, she was in a more of a leader. Although, I must say that it seemed like Nels took more of a leading role this time around compared to the few other times I had seen them together. Which isn't a bad thing -- he seemed to push Jenny a bit and she more than stepped up, being a bit more demonstrative in her playing. (The setlist was something along the lines of: Junius Elektra, A Ride with Polly Jean, Blues for the Double V, July 4th in 3/4 > Ali Farka Touche, ???, The Mite). I really enjoyed the middle eastern sounding Ali Farka Touche, which will be on their upcoming album to be released in March. And The Mite almost seemed like a carry over from Nels Cline Singers -- just that heavy and disjointed.
Up til that point the music was more than worth it. So the rest was just extra. Steve Bernstein's MTO was next to play the music of Sly & the Family Stone. It was similar to the set that I saw last year (with the Darcy James Argue double bill). It was fun, but a bit loose and not as impressive as the other sets. I did like having Medeski sit in as a guest right in front of me. (The band also included Dean Bowman on vocals and Peter Apfelbaum on sax, among others.)
As I was leaving, my friend Richard suggested I head back to Kenny's Castaways to see some of Rudresh Mahanthappa. Part of going to a festival is deciding between music you know that you will enjoy, and new artists. Thankfully, I had a push to check out something new. And I am so happy I did. Rudresh plays alto sax in this great, energetic fashion, with some blistering runs. Backed by a guitar, bass, and drums, the music hinted to his Indian heritage. (In doing some research today, I have found out that he has released music with Vijay Iyer. I would love to see that collaboration.) It was after midnight, and Kenny's was packed for Rudresh -- gotta love music fans in New York. After about three or four songs perched on the stairs, I headed over to The Bitter End for just a bit of Burnt Sugar, a "collective" that I hadn't seen for about four or five years.
Tiring out and hungry, I finished the night with a Minetta Tavern burger.
Tickets (wristbands) were being distributed across the street from Le Poisson Rouge, and I headed to Kenny's Castways to start the evening off with a few songs from Ben Allison, backed by Jenny Scheinman on violin and Steve Cardenas on guitar. I really like Ben's playing, and, well, I love just about everything Jenny does. So it was a good way to start . . . After two tracks (Fred and Roll Credits), I headed across the street for some solo Medeski.
When I got there, it was certainly avant garde, solo piano. High paced for the most part. But then he started playing this didgeridoo-like think while playing the piano. He could control the pitch by sliding his hand along the length of the instrument. He then stood up, and started playing while he paced the stage, including moments where he lifted his foot to close off the end of the instrument. That section actually had more melody and structure than his previous piano work. Really quite interesting.
The ending, though, featured some more out there piano work that finally slowed down . . . to the point that he was playing the strings of the piano (there must be a term for this). The then took to what I think was a harmonium and placed that on the strings and started to get it going. Then, he took out his melodica. So he had the harmonium droning, the melodica, and the low end of the piano. Really something to see and hear.
(Before settling in for Medeski, I did grab a pint of Spontaneous Combustion, Six Point's brew for the Jazz Fest. Smokey, slightly sweet. An interesting beer. Happy I tried it . . . )
As soon as John was done, I worked my way closer with my sister and settled in for the next few hours. Up next was the Nels Cline Singers, featuring Nels, Y. Honda on keyboards, Trevor Dunn on bass (whom I have seen with Zorn's dreamers), and Scott Amendola. What I know of the Singers, I was prepared for some more avant garde playing. But to be honest, there was enough . . . structure? that it held my attention. My favorites were the more mellow B86/Inkblot Nebula, the nod to Sonic Youth Thurston County, and whatever the last song was that seemed to channel Bitches Brew and Eddie Hazel. Honda was a bit tough to hear, but Trevor and Scott were such an amazing rhythm section.
Up next was my second dose of Jenny Scheinman with her band Mischief & Mayhem. Cline and Dunn stayed put, and Jim Black was on drums. I moved even closer, leaning against the stage under Nels' guitar. Their set was really quite wonderful. As I have already mentioned, I am a fan of Jenny's music, regardless of the other musicians. I was able to see her with Frisell just a few weeks ago at the Vanguard, and was blown away. This time around, she was in a more of a leader. Although, I must say that it seemed like Nels took more of a leading role this time around compared to the few other times I had seen them together. Which isn't a bad thing -- he seemed to push Jenny a bit and she more than stepped up, being a bit more demonstrative in her playing. (The setlist was something along the lines of: Junius Elektra, A Ride with Polly Jean, Blues for the Double V, July 4th in 3/4 > Ali Farka Touche, ???, The Mite). I really enjoyed the middle eastern sounding Ali Farka Touche, which will be on their upcoming album to be released in March. And The Mite almost seemed like a carry over from Nels Cline Singers -- just that heavy and disjointed.
Up til that point the music was more than worth it. So the rest was just extra. Steve Bernstein's MTO was next to play the music of Sly & the Family Stone. It was similar to the set that I saw last year (with the Darcy James Argue double bill). It was fun, but a bit loose and not as impressive as the other sets. I did like having Medeski sit in as a guest right in front of me. (The band also included Dean Bowman on vocals and Peter Apfelbaum on sax, among others.)
As I was leaving, my friend Richard suggested I head back to Kenny's Castaways to see some of Rudresh Mahanthappa. Part of going to a festival is deciding between music you know that you will enjoy, and new artists. Thankfully, I had a push to check out something new. And I am so happy I did. Rudresh plays alto sax in this great, energetic fashion, with some blistering runs. Backed by a guitar, bass, and drums, the music hinted to his Indian heritage. (In doing some research today, I have found out that he has released music with Vijay Iyer. I would love to see that collaboration.) It was after midnight, and Kenny's was packed for Rudresh -- gotta love music fans in New York. After about three or four songs perched on the stairs, I headed over to The Bitter End for just a bit of Burnt Sugar, a "collective" that I hadn't seen for about four or five years.
Tiring out and hungry, I finished the night with a Minetta Tavern burger.
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Noam and Friends, 12.15.11
Progressive bluegrass. Nu-grass. Country. Americana. All of the above? No matter the labels, there is something about "that" music that I can not get enough of, especially in a live setting. It isn't a type of music I listen to every day, or even every week, but when I do it never hesitates to put a smile on my face. And in a live setting, the smile is often accompanied with my jaw on the floor.
I tend to define this family of music in a pretty broad spectrum, and it has been with me for quite some time. David Grisman's music does it for me, ever since those first few times seeing him over 15 years ago. The time I got to see Bela, Edgar Meyer, and Mike Marshall in Columbus -- the show moved me so much that one of the featured songs became our wedding song. Playing Strength In Numbers only CD on repeat, over and over. Bela and Edgar bringing the rain at the first Bonnaroo. Two of my favorite shows from this year, Alison Krauss and Gillian Welch, could even be thrown in there. And then those wonderful collaborations between Yo-Yo Ma and these musicians, most recently the Goat Rodeo Sessions with Edgar, Chris Thile, and Stuart Duncan. And speaking of Thile, this love of mine has grown to include the Punch Brothers and what sounds to my ears to be "baroque bluegrass."
This past year, the Brothers' banjoist Noam Pikelny released his second solo record, Beat the Devil & Carry a Rail. And it has lived up to all expectations -- from great guests to wonderful originals and new takes on traditional songs. When I saw that he was playing some intimate shows at the Rockwood Music Hall, I didn't want to get shut out. So I got a pair for last night's early set, which started at eight. We walked in about 8:10 and the band was wrapping up the opening track off of the album, "Jim Thompson's Horse." Now, this was my first time to Rockwood, and it is quite the small space. I should say that there seem to be two venues, or rooms, at Rockwood. (It is a bit odd, as it seems to be in the first floor of a more contemporary building, although the interior is made to look a bit old. Thank god it wasn't made into a bank or another drug store.) By the time we arrived, the venue was simply packed, and we never made it past the small set of stairs that led to the "floor."
Along with Noam, the band consisted of two of his Punch Brothers bandmates, Gabe Witcher on fiddle and vocals along with Chris Eldridge on guitar (and one vocal). Jesse Cobb was on mandolin and "genre" stalwart Mark Schatz was on bass. And guesting on vocals as well as some guitar was the lovely singer Aoife O'Donovan (who I was recently turned on to through the above-mentioned Goat Rodeo Sessions; it was a treat to hear her in person, especially on her original songs). All of the musicians were rather incredible. I am not familiar with Jesse Cobb, but I would like to be as his mandolin playing was top-notch. Gabe stood out quite a bit to my ears -- such effortless fiddle playing (and a good singer as well). The band moved through songs off of the album as well as a few well-placed standards (Buck Owens, for one). They even got Chris Eldridge to sing a song of his father's, the banjo player for the bluegrass band Seldom Scene. (Chris also shown playing Jerry Douglas's parts from "Boathouse on the Lullwater.") One of the highlights of the night was the Irish-sounding Milford's Reel, as the band handed off solo from one to the other.
Throughout the night, Noam was affable and funny, mixing great little commentary between the songs. And the humor only grew with the first encore, when he invited out Steve Martin for the duet "Cluck Old Hen." Now, I knew Steve was on the album, but it never occurred to me that he would show up. But there he was, cracking jokes ("Congratulations on selling out Madison Square, I mean, Rockwood Hall." "The show really was great. Now it is only going to get worse."), before launching into a tight and well played song. Such a great treat! After the song, Steve left the stage and the rest of the band came up and closed gathered around
one mic.
All in all, a wonderful night. We left smiling, as it was just what we needed that Thursday night. And we also wanted to figure out what might be next in that intimate space for us . . . It certainly won't be the last time we go to Rockwood. I am quite excited for the next time I see Noam -- maybe it will be with the Punch Brothers. Maybe it will be with Goat Rodeo after Aoife invites him on stage as he asked last night. No matter where or when, I know it will be music to fill me with joy.
I tend to define this family of music in a pretty broad spectrum, and it has been with me for quite some time. David Grisman's music does it for me, ever since those first few times seeing him over 15 years ago. The time I got to see Bela, Edgar Meyer, and Mike Marshall in Columbus -- the show moved me so much that one of the featured songs became our wedding song. Playing Strength In Numbers only CD on repeat, over and over. Bela and Edgar bringing the rain at the first Bonnaroo. Two of my favorite shows from this year, Alison Krauss and Gillian Welch, could even be thrown in there. And then those wonderful collaborations between Yo-Yo Ma and these musicians, most recently the Goat Rodeo Sessions with Edgar, Chris Thile, and Stuart Duncan. And speaking of Thile, this love of mine has grown to include the Punch Brothers and what sounds to my ears to be "baroque bluegrass."
This past year, the Brothers' banjoist Noam Pikelny released his second solo record, Beat the Devil & Carry a Rail. And it has lived up to all expectations -- from great guests to wonderful originals and new takes on traditional songs. When I saw that he was playing some intimate shows at the Rockwood Music Hall, I didn't want to get shut out. So I got a pair for last night's early set, which started at eight. We walked in about 8:10 and the band was wrapping up the opening track off of the album, "Jim Thompson's Horse." Now, this was my first time to Rockwood, and it is quite the small space. I should say that there seem to be two venues, or rooms, at Rockwood. (It is a bit odd, as it seems to be in the first floor of a more contemporary building, although the interior is made to look a bit old. Thank god it wasn't made into a bank or another drug store.) By the time we arrived, the venue was simply packed, and we never made it past the small set of stairs that led to the "floor."
Along with Noam, the band consisted of two of his Punch Brothers bandmates, Gabe Witcher on fiddle and vocals along with Chris Eldridge on guitar (and one vocal). Jesse Cobb was on mandolin and "genre" stalwart Mark Schatz was on bass. And guesting on vocals as well as some guitar was the lovely singer Aoife O'Donovan (who I was recently turned on to through the above-mentioned Goat Rodeo Sessions; it was a treat to hear her in person, especially on her original songs). All of the musicians were rather incredible. I am not familiar with Jesse Cobb, but I would like to be as his mandolin playing was top-notch. Gabe stood out quite a bit to my ears -- such effortless fiddle playing (and a good singer as well). The band moved through songs off of the album as well as a few well-placed standards (Buck Owens, for one). They even got Chris Eldridge to sing a song of his father's, the banjo player for the bluegrass band Seldom Scene. (Chris also shown playing Jerry Douglas's parts from "Boathouse on the Lullwater.") One of the highlights of the night was the Irish-sounding Milford's Reel, as the band handed off solo from one to the other.
Throughout the night, Noam was affable and funny, mixing great little commentary between the songs. And the humor only grew with the first encore, when he invited out Steve Martin for the duet "Cluck Old Hen." Now, I knew Steve was on the album, but it never occurred to me that he would show up. But there he was, cracking jokes ("Congratulations on selling out Madison Square, I mean, Rockwood Hall." "The show really was great. Now it is only going to get worse."), before launching into a tight and well played song. Such a great treat! After the song, Steve left the stage and the rest of the band came up and closed gathered around
one mic.
All in all, a wonderful night. We left smiling, as it was just what we needed that Thursday night. And we also wanted to figure out what might be next in that intimate space for us . . . It certainly won't be the last time we go to Rockwood. I am quite excited for the next time I see Noam -- maybe it will be with the Punch Brothers. Maybe it will be with Goat Rodeo after Aoife invites him on stage as he asked last night. No matter where or when, I know it will be music to fill me with joy.
Thursday, December 15, 2011
#MMJatMSG
My ears are still ringing a bit from last night's My Morning Jacket concert at MSG.
To be quite frank, I thought the show started off rather "standard." I had decided to go a bit spur-of-the-moment, as a friend had an extra; so for a bit I was sitting alone up to the right of the stage. The sound was a bit fuzzy probably due to the volume, and I just wasn't feeling it. I really love Victory Dance, but it just seemed to be slightly one-note for the next few songs. (Needless to say, I was not as excited as Aaron was following his Tweets.)
But somewhere around Steam Engine or Out of My System, I took a walk, met my friend, and joined him and his wife in Section 2 just off the floor in the back. The sound improved, I was around friends, and the band seemed to pick up speed (to my ears). Dancefloors really marked when the show took off for me -- loved the Magheeta, wish I could have heard Bryan Jackson on flute for Dondante, and the closing five songs were just about perfect and set me into another level (Smokin From Shootin, Run Thru, Touch Me I'm Going To Scream Pt. 2, Off The Record, Gideon).
I like the lyrics to Bermuda Highway, so that was nice to hear for an encore, just Yim and an acoustic. As soon as I started to hear Bottle, by Gil Scott Heron, I became the most animated fan in Section 2. And this time, you could hear Jackson on flute (along with the horn section)! I had last listened to the song after hearing of Gil's passing a few months ago, but I recognized it almost immediately. (On the way home, I realized he played on Gil's original studio version, which made the event even cooler). Black Metal > Holiday was the perfect way to end the night (I'll Be Home for Christmas was so-so musically, but a fun walk-out).
All in all, a great night, and I am quite happy I went. The show had a nice arc for me, and I actually don't mind the slow start as it made the end even that much better. Seeing MMJ fill MSG with their music would not have been expected when I saw them at a small venue called Rosebud in Pittsburgh over eight years ago. But fill it they did.
To be quite frank, I thought the show started off rather "standard." I had decided to go a bit spur-of-the-moment, as a friend had an extra; so for a bit I was sitting alone up to the right of the stage. The sound was a bit fuzzy probably due to the volume, and I just wasn't feeling it. I really love Victory Dance, but it just seemed to be slightly one-note for the next few songs. (Needless to say, I was not as excited as Aaron was following his Tweets.)
But somewhere around Steam Engine or Out of My System, I took a walk, met my friend, and joined him and his wife in Section 2 just off the floor in the back. The sound improved, I was around friends, and the band seemed to pick up speed (to my ears). Dancefloors really marked when the show took off for me -- loved the Magheeta, wish I could have heard Bryan Jackson on flute for Dondante, and the closing five songs were just about perfect and set me into another level (Smokin From Shootin, Run Thru, Touch Me I'm Going To Scream Pt. 2, Off The Record, Gideon).
I like the lyrics to Bermuda Highway, so that was nice to hear for an encore, just Yim and an acoustic. As soon as I started to hear Bottle, by Gil Scott Heron, I became the most animated fan in Section 2. And this time, you could hear Jackson on flute (along with the horn section)! I had last listened to the song after hearing of Gil's passing a few months ago, but I recognized it almost immediately. (On the way home, I realized he played on Gil's original studio version, which made the event even cooler). Black Metal > Holiday was the perfect way to end the night (I'll Be Home for Christmas was so-so musically, but a fun walk-out).
All in all, a great night, and I am quite happy I went. The show had a nice arc for me, and I actually don't mind the slow start as it made the end even that much better. Seeing MMJ fill MSG with their music would not have been expected when I saw them at a small venue called Rosebud in Pittsburgh over eight years ago. But fill it they did.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
The Sea and Cake Breezing Through the Bowery
Superb, as my friend Aaron described last night. The Sea and Cake put on a great show, as to be expected, last evening at the Bowery Ballroom. This was my fourth time seeing the band out of Chicago, and each time I think I enjoy listening -- and watching -- and more.
With quite a bit of variety to their setlist (only three songs off of the new album), I love that they were able to dip back and play songs off of, what, eight albums? As I mentioned, they are a band which is fun to watch, as each member of the band are characters. From Sam singing with his eyes closed, focused. Archer, the "professor," making odd little faces as he rips off these great little riffs. John McIntire, attacking the drums with this measured chaos. And then the bassist holding it down, almost separate from the other three. It was great to see them in a place as intimate as the Bowery, where you can notice these types of things (as well as get the negative, like the incredibly annoying screamer in the left-hand balcony).
They are a band I could listen to every day of my life.
I grabbed a setlist off of Archer's case:
Weekend (Car Alarm)
On a Letter (Car Alarm)
The Staircase (Car Alarm)
Window Sills (Car Alarm)
Middlenight (Everybody)
Afternoon Speaker (Oui)
Up On the North Shore (Moonlight Butterfly)
Midtown (Oui)
Exact To Me (Everybody)
Crossing Line (Everybody)
A Fuller Moon (Car Alarm)
Inn Keeping (Midnight Butterfly)
The Argument (Fawn)
Leeora (Biz)
An Echo In (Glass)
Lyric (Midnight Butterfly)
Parasol (Nassau)
instrumental (?; not on the setlist)
I should add that Brokeback was a great opener, sounding slightly as if Tortoise was tackling Ribot or Zorn. Really enjoyed them.
With quite a bit of variety to their setlist (only three songs off of the new album), I love that they were able to dip back and play songs off of, what, eight albums? As I mentioned, they are a band which is fun to watch, as each member of the band are characters. From Sam singing with his eyes closed, focused. Archer, the "professor," making odd little faces as he rips off these great little riffs. John McIntire, attacking the drums with this measured chaos. And then the bassist holding it down, almost separate from the other three. It was great to see them in a place as intimate as the Bowery, where you can notice these types of things (as well as get the negative, like the incredibly annoying screamer in the left-hand balcony).
They are a band I could listen to every day of my life.
I grabbed a setlist off of Archer's case:
Weekend (Car Alarm)
On a Letter (Car Alarm)
The Staircase (Car Alarm)
Window Sills (Car Alarm)
Middlenight (Everybody)
Afternoon Speaker (Oui)
Up On the North Shore (Moonlight Butterfly)
Midtown (Oui)
Exact To Me (Everybody)
Crossing Line (Everybody)
A Fuller Moon (Car Alarm)
Inn Keeping (Midnight Butterfly)
The Argument (Fawn)
Leeora (Biz)
An Echo In (Glass)
Lyric (Midnight Butterfly)
Parasol (Nassau)
instrumental (?; not on the setlist)
I should add that Brokeback was a great opener, sounding slightly as if Tortoise was tackling Ribot or Zorn. Really enjoyed them.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Friday, October 28, 2011
Memories of a Camping Palace
The other day I got to thinking "Where would I rather be, if I wasn't here?"
I was transported to a state park in Pennsylvania, probably Clear Creek. Yesterday's weather - a bit chilly, damp - kept pulling me back to memories of camping. These were memories captured by all five senses. From the smell of the fires and the wet leaves, to the chill in the air, seeing one's breath, the specific touch of the plastic mattresses on the bunk beds when you reached out from your sleeping bag, the taste of water from a bota bag, that great taste of "gorp" (peanuts, M&Ms, and raisins) . . .
It makes me nostalgic, longing.
And thankful for those amazing experiences, so early in life, that I can now carry with me to call back on when needed.
I was transported to a state park in Pennsylvania, probably Clear Creek. Yesterday's weather - a bit chilly, damp - kept pulling me back to memories of camping. These were memories captured by all five senses. From the smell of the fires and the wet leaves, to the chill in the air, seeing one's breath, the specific touch of the plastic mattresses on the bunk beds when you reached out from your sleeping bag, the taste of water from a bota bag, that great taste of "gorp" (peanuts, M&Ms, and raisins) . . .
It makes me nostalgic, longing.
And thankful for those amazing experiences, so early in life, that I can now carry with me to call back on when needed.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Street Sense (new contributor)
I just wanted to let you know that I will be starting to contribute to Street Sense, a (traditional) urban-focused blog that two old co-workers started. Joe graciously allowed me to start writing, and I have started this week.
http://www.street-sense.org/streettalk/2011/10/26/design-for-the-other-90-cities.html
I realize my vow to post once a day over here hasn't worked too well. Hopefully my contributions to Street Sense will be more consistent.
Thanks!
http://www.street-sense.org/streettalk/2011/10/26/design-for-the-other-90-cities.html
I realize my vow to post once a day over here hasn't worked too well. Hopefully my contributions to Street Sense will be more consistent.
Thanks!
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