I have 3 kids. Yes, even people like me are allowed to breed unabated in America. Deal with it. I have 2 boys and a daughter. Love them all. May not always like them but I will always love them. They’re kids. It is their moral imperative to annoy, aggravate and piss off their parents. We did it to ours, now they do it to us. Hakuna matata.
I , like many fathers, am constantly being told that I do not show my daughter enough attention. That she feels like I don’t do things with her like I do the boys. Fine. We’re playing ZOMBIE BLOODBATH on the Wii. Grab a controller and join the farting contest already in progress. OK, not exactly what a 9 year old girl wants to spend her evening doing. I get it.
So, her birthday was last week. Turning 10. A big birthday. Going from single digits to double. Here’s my chance to look good to the kid. Coincidentally last week Taylor Swift was doing 2 sold out shows here in Jersey. Of course, both were sold out. How else would I be able to have to resort to StubHub and pay $400 for 3 $75 tickets?
We get to the Prudential Center and the kid has no idea where we are or what is going on. It was a total surprise. Ten feet from the door I give her the tickets and watch her eyes pop out of their sockets and she begins to squeal like someone is deflating a balloon. Very cute and over the top. She is if anything dramatic. We go in and she then finds out that Daddy Cool got her VIP Box seats. All you can eat buffet. Full bar. Sundae station. The whole 9 yards. ‘Cuz that’s how Daddy Cool rolls. Plus, it was all for the kid.
At one point my wife leaned over to me and said, “Little out of your element here, huh?” Understatement of the evening. Taylor Swift’s audience is 90% screaming tweenage girls dressed like they are 21 and on spring break, 3% young teenage boys just beginning to grow hair in strange places with confused feelings for girls and 7% parents who got dragged into driving the other 93% of the crowd to the arena.
But the best part of the evening? Taylor Swift puts on one of the best concerts I have ever seen. I mean totally gives her audience the show it came to see. Songs with great hooks. A dazzling stage show. And a truly sincere enjoyment out of what she is doing. You cannot ask more from any performer.
Sure the songs are written by a starry-eyed 19 year old who still believes in Romeo & Juliet and writes songs about her first kiss.
But you know what? Those are the kinds of songs I want my little girl to hear.
So after a five hour sleep, I shower, get dressed, catch up with my buddy for a minute, then it’s off to the Cake Café for a croissant and up the Fairgrounds for Day 1. It’s a little overcast, the perfect kind of Fest day, not too hot and sunny. Text my folks to let em know I’m on my way. Stop to buy water from the same lady I buy water from outside the fest every year, grab my cubes (slang, term to describe Jazz Fest schedule) and tell the nice lady hanging out to remember me and not be surprised when I sweat through them and come back every day. Get my stuff searched, my ticket scanned, and wow, I’m in. HAPPY JAZZFEST!
Fais DO DO Stage (Photo by allentomdude)
For those who don’t know about Jazz Fest, there are three stages you always need to make time to check out: the Gospel Tent, the Jazz and Heritage Stage, and the Fais Do-Do (pronounced Fay doughdough) Stage. Just do it; make the time. Because at each of those spaces, there’s a really good chance you’ll hear someone you’ve never heard of before making incredible music.
McMain High School Gospel Choir
I learned this lesson really well in 2008 and I try to stick to it, so seeing as it’s the first venue on the way in, I grab a seat in the Gospel Tent to check out the McMain High School Gospel Choir. Local high school, apparently, I know nothing about them and sit down. WOW. Amazing! Unbelievable voices, poise, energy, showmanship. Just incredible! All kinds of soloists started doing amazing things, and their band, comprised of high school musicians, was incredibly tight! Texted my wife that the choir was so good I was thinking about converting, and the Gospel tent is so good it wasn’t the first or last time I’ve made that joke.
Kirk Joseph (Photo By Jeff Dupuis)
While there, I figured out roughly how my day was going to go, then made my way over to LB and her Krewe of folks at the fairgrounds. LB is a Jazzfest vet, having been many times, and I had the pleasure of bonding with her about Jazzfest at a Big Sam show last year, so we’ve been hitting great funk shows together since then. Her Krewe had a nice spot by the Acura (main 1) stage, and I went to check out Kirk Joseph’s Backyard Groove. Kirk Joseph is the original sousaphone player of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, and is credited by many with taking Sousaphone playing into the realm of replacing an electric bass in a funk band. This style of Sousaphone playing, taken up by others like “Tuba Phil” Frazier of the Rebirth Brass Band, has become the standard for many Brass Bands around the world, and Joseph was one of the innovators, so I wanted to see what his new band was putting down. Nice lineup, multiple horns including what looked like a baritone horn (smaller version of a regular tuba), keys, guitar, and a couple of singers. Doing a nice mix of funky stuff, flirtatious titles (don’t let me have a taste if I don’t get to have the whole thing), and stuff with a message about living together.
Prejean's pheasant, quail and andouille gumbo (Photo by Prejean's Restaurant)
Speaking of tastes, it wouldn’t be Fest without the food! Went off to get my first tastes of Fest, including the Pheasant, Quail and Andouie Gumbo from Prejeans that I look forward to every year, as well as the stuffed mushrooms that are just delicious. And the nice folks at Prejeans gave me a FREE BOWL! After I stopped to take a sip, I groaned at how good the stuff is. One of the folks behind the table asked me why I stopped, I told her it tasted just like I remembered it did last year, and she handed me another bowl without waiting. Awesome! Some to share with LB’s buddies of the Superchill Krewe. Yeah you right!
Dumpstaphunk (Photo by Jason Moran)
Nothing else grabbed my fancy, so I decided to stay put at Acura and give Dumpstaphunk a real chance. I always kind of a weird feeling about them- I feel about musical families the way I feel about royal families- having the name doesn’t impress me, you have to bring it. Being Art Neville’s nephew and playing keys made me a little wary- I’m a huge devotee of Poppa Funk, and didn’t want to see someone up there just b/c of the name. But Ivan really brought it on keys and with some great energy on vocals as well. By the second tune, “Turn This Thing Around” which was talking about helping folks that need a hand, I was really digging the groove. In some ways, Dumpstaphunk reminded me of a mix between the tight funk of the Meters and the cosmic slop of P-Funk. Nasty grooves and a good message? Sign me up. Ivan and the whole crew were serious business, and I’m sorry I ever had a thought that he wasn’t earning it, because Ivan is a monster on them keys.
Walter Payton with Snapbeans & Gumbo Filé
But as the crew was rampaging through “Put it in the Dumpsta” I checked the time and realized it was time to see an old friend. Walter Payton, Jazz Bassist extraordinaire, music education giant of New Orleans, father of trumpet star Nicholas Payton, and longtime stalwart of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, was playing with his group, Snap Ppeas and Gumbo File, at the Economy Hall Tent. The Economy Hall tent is one of three Jazz stages at Jazzfest, the stage representing traditional, New Orleans Jazz. I had the pleasure of making friends with Walter on my first trip to New Orleans in 1999, and always try to get out and see him at Fest. This was especially important this year as he had a stroke at the beginning of the year, so I really wanted to see him. And it was tough. The musicianship was great, he had some tremendous folks playing with him, including guitar wizard June Yamagishi (from Papa Grows Funk, among other things) and a couple great singers and dancers. But he wasn’t nearly as gregarious as previous years, one could tell he wasn’t quite recovered from the stroke and it made me quite sad. When I spoke with one of the staff of Preservation Hall about Walter on Monday, she and I both started to tear up as she talked to me about him not wanting to slow down, wanting to keep going and pushing himself a little too hard to get back. I made her promise to tell him I send my best and she did. It’s a sad thing to see good people not quite at their best. Here’s hoping for a continued speedy recovery, Walter. The music world, and really the whole world needs you better. Readers, if you’re not sure you agree, check out this great video of Walter singing the Louis Armstrong classic, “Shimmy Like My Sister Kate”
Mardi Gras Indian (Photo by Mica Lawson)
Having a bit of time to kill before Dr. Klaw, my next must see, I headed over to catch Bruce “Sunpie” Barnes and the Louisiana Sunspots over at the Congo Square stage. On the way, I got caught in some second line fun with some Mardi Gras Indians and the Paulin Brothers Brass Band. Oh yeah, if ten stages of unbelievable music isn’t enough for you, there are often Brass Bands and Mardi Gras Indians parading through the fairgrounds at random times.
Paulin Brothers Brass Band (Photo by Maitri)
So after waving around a napkin and shaking it with the Paulin Brothers Brass Band, who were just great, went off to see Sunpie. Sunpie is impressive, multi instrumentalist, great singer, and a big presence. He apparently used to play football, he’s a tall dude. He’s also all over the place, playing WWOZ’s piano night, playing with his own band, later on that weekend with the Mardi Gras Indians Orchestra, and on the awesome new Ensemble Fatien disc. I was looking forward to catching him and the Sunspots later that night at the Mid City Lanes annual Legends of Zydeco show, but wanted to catch a peek now. He didn’t disappoint, romping through Louis Jordan’s “Choo Choo Ch’boogie” and a couple others before I danced my way back to the Jazz and Heritage Stage for Dr. Klaw. Some really great accordion work, and that band is awful tight.
Alright Dr. Klaw! Dr. Klaw is one of these bands that only exists in a few places like Jazz Fest and Jam Cruise, a mutant mash up of Chapter 2, represented by Eric Krasno on guitar and some vocals, Adam Deitch on drums, and Nigel Hall on Keys and vocals, and Dumpstaphunk, represented by Nick Daniels on bass and lead vocals and Ian Neville on guitar. It was kinda weird to see a guitar based band at the Jazz and Heritage stage, but I didn’t mind it. These guys were fantastic- Nick Daniels syncing up with Adam Deitch for some sick grooves, Eric Krasno letting it out and singing it out a lil bit, and Nigel laying down some tasty stuff on the keys. Ian was good too, but seemed content to let Kras take the lead. Ivan Neville was on the side of the stage most of the set, grooving and possibly chomping at the bit to get in the mix, but didn’t end up stepping in. My personal highlight was Nick Daniels and Nigel Hall sharing vocals on a tasty as hell version of “Higher Ground” by Stevie Wonder. It’s only halfway through Day 1 at the Fairgrounds, and I already got a “best covers of 2010” list brewing in my head. The fellas headed into Nigel Hall’s “Leave Me Alone” but not being in the mood to hear that particular track, I bounded towards the track side of the Congo Square stage to get a good spot for the Soul Rebels Brass Band.
Soul Rebel Brass Band
The Soul Rebels are one of New Orleans’ many great second generation Brass Band outfits. I say second generation because you have older guard groups like the Treme Brass Band, the Paulin Brothers, and then, starting with the Dirty Dozen Brass Band and of course, the mighty Rebirth Brass Band, you have a second wave of brass bands that combine the traditional music with Funk, R&B, Rock, and Hip Hop to make more contemporary flavored music. The Soul Rebels have been around at least sixteen or seventeen years. I got down with their groove for a bit before chatting a little with some folks that were set up near me, including a woman who asked me if I spoke Hebrew (in Hebrew). Ah, the surprises of wearing a Hebrew letter Yankees hat to Jazz Fest. She let me know there were actually a lot of Yids and Israelis at Jazz Fest, and that I should look out for the Krewe at, what else, the Israeli flag by Acura.
Someone bumps into me and it’s KD! KD is the person that finally went to Fest in 2007 and inspired me to get off my tuchus and go there, and she’s just good people. Starting last year, she’s been “living the dream” and spending 12 days in New Orleans for Fest. We catch up, she tells me where she’s been, who she’s been seeing and how she’s doing. We both grumble at the mediocre hip hop stuff that’s entered the Soul Rebels set. I’m sorry y’all, I’m from New York and I take Hip Hop seriously, so I’m kinda tough on folks dropping random things in. Y’all wouldn’t like it if Talib Kweli picked up a saxophone and started half ass-ing “Do Whatcha Wanna” either. Glad to see KD but feeling like a different energy, we hug and part ways, and I head back to the Jazz and Heritage stage to catch 101 Runners.
101 Runner (Photo by Kaarin Tisue)
MAN! What a difference! These guys are pouring it out there, goin nuts over “Shallow Water” and whipping the crowd into a frenzy. I have to say, watching people discover this stage is a favorite of mine. People don’t know what to make of the Mardi Gras Indians groups but they get into them pretty quickly with their incredibly funky grooves and their catchy call and response melodies. Perfect. Off to snag a Loretta’s Praline and get a decent spot for Elvis Costello at the Gentilly Stage. Well, I didn’t head over soon enough, because I can hear strains of a killer version of “Hey, You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away” wafting skyward as I approach. The lawn is packed, no good spot for me. I unfold the chair and grab a seat.
Elvis Costello @ Jazzfest 2010
He’s performing some great stuff, and the local crowd has some real love for him as he’s been around the city post federal flood. Does a few more great tunes I don’t know (I must confess to not knowing his catalog super well) and it’s great stuff… but for some reason, my soul is not there. This is one thing that’s difficult to manage about Jazzfest- restless ears. There’s so much good stuff happening at any one moment that it’s tough to stay in one place if you’re not feeling it. So even though this was my first time seeing Elvis Costello, and even though he was great, and even though my friends reading this will probably smack me for saying this… I left Gentilly to end my day at another tent.
On my way to the main gate, I passed the Economy Hall tent, where there was a great tribute to Louis Prima happening, as part of the celebration of his 100th birthday. One of Prima’s guitar players, Bobby Lonero, was leading a great band in a set of Prima classics. Who could go wrong? Great mash up of When You’re Smiling into Oh Marie, and then, when they asked the crowd for a request, everyone yelled for Just a Gigolo. For those who don’t know, the David Lee Roth version was ripped off essentially note for note from Louis Prima’s arrangement. Don’t believe me? Check this out:
John Popper @ Jazz Fet 2010
Except Roth, the nice Jewish boy, leaves off my favorite part, when Prima is saying nobody/no one in multiple languages, including Yiddish at the end. In any case, the band is doing a fantastic version of it, and while I know they’re doing a tribute, it’s putting a big smile on my face. After they finish it, the band starts into “I’m Leaving You” Prima’s last song before he went into a coma and later passed, and not in a place to be down, I head towards the Blues tent where John Popper and the gents from Blues Traveler are closing out the day. The harmonica work is great, and they launch into a great version of Sublime’s “What I Got” which is a great way to end the first day at the fairgrounds. But, as you know from the previous post, this is not the end of the action, but merely half time, as it’s only 7pm and there will be music happening until sunrise tonight!
Upperline, NOLA
On the long walk to my rental car, I realize this is the only day I’ll be able to hit Upperline, an insanely delicious restaurant hidden between the garden district and the Tulane campus. Not wanting to wait another year to have their insanely good Roast Duck with Garlic Port sauce, on a whim, I call to see if they have room for one. If I can get there by 8pm, there’s a small table I can sneak into for an hour. PERFECT!
The Monsters of Zydeco (nb, Mid City, y’all should really call it that next year) doesn’t start till 9ish, M’s flight lands at 10, delicious dinner, half hour of music, get M, 4 more hours of music. Done! I fly across town and, using my handy map (remember those, people? Who needs a GPS when you can read a freaking map!?!), and in 25 minutes, I go from Fairgrounds traffic to Upperline deliciousness. As I sit down and order, I notice an African American gentleman heading towards the… holy crap, it’s DIESEL! Karl Denson is playing a late show at Tipitina’s with his solo band, the Tiny Universe, and he apparently made time for one of New Orleans’ best restaurants as well. Yep, 2 out of 2 funky sax players agree, Upperline is the place to be. I tuck in to my roast duck with praline pecan yams and, MAN, I am a happy camper. Except when I look at my phone and find out that M’s flight, after first text that they were boarded and ready to go, is delayed. NO! Just so y’all know, M is my wife of 2 years, and one of the first things we’ve bonded over is Zydeco music. Since the inception of the Monsters of Zydeco show in 08, I’ve been dying for her to get to Fest in time to see this show. Sated and pleased with the meal but grumpy about the news, I make my way to Mid City Lanes.
Night Show review: Legends of Zydeco, Mid City Lanes, Thursday, 4/29.
Rock'N'Bowl, NOLA
I’ve been to the first two Monsters of Zydeco shows, and it’s pretty much all you could ask for in an all star show. Four or Five of the very best artists in a style of music, playing full hour plus sets with their bands AND everyone is sitting in with each other as well. Imagine four of your favorite rock bands getting together and doing something like that. Awesome, right? Except, this ACTUALLY happens at Rock’N’Bowl each year, unlike the all star concert in your head.
This show, as it was the last two years, is an absolute blast. When you have Buckwheat Zydeco, CJ Chenier, Sunpie Barnes, Nathan Williams of Nathan and the Zydeco Cha Chas, and old school Zydeco legend Clayton Sampy rocking out together, with zydeco and blues guitar master L’il Buck Sinegal leading the band, you know it’s gonna be a good party. Sunpie was serving as the MC of the evening and doing a great job introducing everyone. It seems that in Zydeco, there’s a lot of love to go around with all the musicians involved, and it certainly comes to the forefront on a night like this.
This year, while players were moving in and out, it was mostly Buckwheat’s band that formed a house band, with L’il Buck at the helm, and man, were they on it. The people were on it, too, as the floor filled up with swingers and two steppers the second Sampy got it started. I’ve been in Pantera and Primus mosh pits, and I can tell you it gets a little dangerous on the dance floor at Zydeco night at the Rock’N’Bowl. Sampy played some great French language old school classics and the people were really feeling it.
Next up, Nathan Williams took a turn and he mixed a little more English into the songs and things got a bit more contemporary, there was the start of the mix of classic Zydeco and R&B, with Nathan leading the band in a rousing cover of “Hey Hey Hey Hey!” Nathan also put on quite a show, getting down on his knees at the front of the stage (he came right over to me several times, which was awesome) and hopping off the stage to play in the crowd. Want some Zydeco..take a listen…
CJ Chenier
The sets were a good hour or so, and the set breaks were pretty short as they kept rotating in players. Next up was Sunpie, and I was psyched to see the man take a turn- he got a serious groove going the dance floor was a frenzy! Too bad I wasn’t getting to frenzy, thanks to the fools that delayed M’s flight… but wait, the phone’s ringing! Hooray! M’s landed, and after Sunpie’s second song ends, I sprint to the car to go get her. She hops in and we drive right back to the show as quick as possible. We missed the end of Sunpie’s set, but CJ Chenier is getting started, and man, that guy can play. But hell, they all can play. And while the other leaders/bands are coming on, everyone else stays and listens, and takes their cher out on the dance floor. M and I would bump into CJ later on the floor during Buckwheat’s set. CJ is going bananas, as is the band and the rest of the place. CJ plays a good hour, dropping Hot Tamale Baby on us, and M and I twirl around the dance floor while trying not to get elbowed or body checked by another dancing couple.
Buckwheat Zydeco
We hit the set break, grab a drink, sit by an empty bowling alley and relax for a minute. I find out that M is a complete trooper, having been up till 2 packing, gotten up at 6 and is still standing now and waiting for Buckwheat to come out. What can I say, the girl loves her some Zydeco. And Buckwheat didn’t disappoint. We were especially psyched to cheer when the introduction of Buckwheat was no longer just about his Grammy nominations, but as a Grammy Winner! Buckwheat burns immediately into “Whatcha Gonna Do?” and the place is going crazy. CJ is dancing with someone and has a huge grin on his face. Sunpie is out dancing too. It’s fantastic- everyone is dancing, smiling and having a ball. It’s Jazz Fest. As the show winds down to a close, John Blanchard, Mid City Lanes Owner, asks everyone to clear a path, and one of the bartenders does ten or so back flips in a row! Insane! As the band is packing up, Sunpie decides we haven’t gotten enough, so he gives us a little Lagniappe (something extra) by firing up his accordion and singing some more. CJ Chenier sits down at the organ to join him but for the first couple of minutes there’s no power, which Sunpie found out the hard way when he said “you got it, CJ” to give him a solo, and CJ yells (no mic, but audibly) “got what, I ain’t got nothin!” but finally the power gets back on and a washboard player jumps on stage, and they gave us another half hour of music!
Again, this is exactly what you want your All Star shows to be like- everyone doin their own thing and also doing it together. For nearly six hours. Yeah You Right!
I drove us back to our buddy’s spot, quieted the very energetic dog and helped M into bed. After considering joining LB at Tips for KDTU’s show, I decided Fest is a marathon and I have many late nights still to go, so I climbed into bed with my baby at 3am instead of going back out- though not before predicting to LB that Robert Walter would sit in with KDTU that night and asking her not to tell me about it till the next day. With my sweetie in town, and her fam due in the next day, and the alarm clock going off in 6.5 hours, Friday is going to be a fun day…
Stephen Chopek (aka SodaCan) lives and works as a musician and artist in Jersey City, NJ. He is a multi-instrumentalist and self-taught artist. His work explores the connections that exist in the process of creating music and visual art.
Chopek’s music is the sum of many parts – what he terms audio collage. Individual elements are both created by the artist and sampled from previously existing sources. They are then gathered, categorized, arranged, dissected, deconstructed, sliced, diced, manipulated, repeated, rearranged, recycled, reused, and molded into original compositions.
SodaCan = Stephen Chopek
He also applies the collage technique to visual art and poetry. Chopek’s mixed media works take readily accessible materials and found objects out of their original contexts and reshapes them into new compositions.
As a drummer, Stephen has toured the world and recorded with Charlie Hunter, John Mayer, Marc Broussard, Jesse Malin, The Alternate Routes, and many others. He maintains a busy performing and recording schedule while spreading the word about SodaCan to new audiences.
For free downloads, visual art, and more information, please visit the SodaCan website at www.SodaCanSodaCan.com
As well, Stephen will be joining The Sullivan Street Shakedown with Mikey Beatz & Zoe Wilder on June 19, 2010 at Sullivan Hall. Please join us 🙂
Once a month at Sullivan Hall, a group of DJs, instrumentalists and special guests grace the stage to bring New York City what is inspired to become one of the city’s most raging dance parties through the promotion of community and love. It is simply called The Sullivan Street Shakedown.
Sullivan Hall ( Photo by Adam McCullough)
Tonight, The Sullivan Street Shakedown: Five, Eight, Forty was to be a musical celebration of photographer Matthew Fitzgerald. What is more fun than spending your birthday surrounded by your friends dancing to wonderful music? Nothing. Matthew Fitzgerald has been a fixture on the scene for many years and is credited with “breathing life into and moving the careers of every performer” who performed this night.
(Photo by John Ewing)
For the rest of us, it was a chance to see new collaborations, to see members from one of our favorite bands cross boundaries into other musical genres and to see the third installment of a wonderful musical idea from Philly make its way to our fair NYC. Tonight specifically, Will Swank from the Motet was accompanying The Shakedown and I was pretty pumped about that.
Over the course of our meeting, I have been able to gain some wonderful knowledge about the project and The Shakedown scene from the man himself, Mikey Beatz:
I throw the party monthly. I spin a set and invite new guest DJ(s) each month to headline. Maybe I ask someone to play some auxiliary percussion or [I ask] a sax player to come and jam a bit.
DJ Nutritious (Photo by Phrazz)
It’s actually quite involved as The Shakedown itself is a party that started in Philly 8 years ago, and is one of the most highly regarded of its kind in the world. Now the originators of The Shakedown in Philly have blessed us with the opportunity to bring The Shakedown into NYC. I’m working to help NYC see the potential in The Shakedown. You should see what our brothers and sisters are doing in Philly and you can witness the potential that we have to truly create something “brotherly & loving” in NYC.
All the guests change each month. Some of it depends on who I’m collaborating with at the moment, some of it depends which DJs in our business network happen to be around and want to play. We also receive a lot of inquiries from domestic and international booking agents trying to get their artists on our party.
Let the Shakedown begin…I attended a wonderful little pre-game with some pals on the Lower East Side and we made our way to our respective shows on the West. For them it was The Melvin Sparks Band at The Blue Note and for me I anticipated to be a night of raging improv and dancing! There would be no set list tonight. A night of imagination, knowledge, talent, technicality and improvisation. No matter what, it would be music and it would be lovely.
That’s the thing about improv! You can’t be afraid to make a miracle or a mistake…it’s that beautiful 🙂 We’ve been listening to videos and recordings and we’ve amazed ourselves…so fun 🙂 ~ Zoe Wilder
Settin’ Up The Shakedown
I got there pretty early, around 11:30pm. Met the beautiful Zoe Wilder, her pink eyeshadow and bright outfit a direct extension of her vibrant personality. Met the birthday boy and we had a little photo shoot amongst friends. The stage was busy with activity. Plugging things in here, moving tables there. The music didn’t actually begin until around 12:30am. However, when the musicians hit the stage, the sounds escaped from them as if they were ready to make us move all day. The artists who comprised the stage that night were (and I don’t dare try to describe them better then they describe themselves):
Ed of PsychLab (Photo by S & D Photography)
DrumLab:
The duo of Steve Asaro (Roland TD-20 V-Drums / Electronics) and Ed (techno wizardry) of the famous psychedelic / live electronic band Psylab. DrumLab breaks it down into the strictly twisted dub elements of Psylab‘s mastery and paves new ground with what can be done with a set of e-drums and lots of SUBS.
People In Charge:
Added to the sonic mix is the collaboration of rotating People In Charge musical guests – the opportunity for producers to rock their instruments live on stage rather than behind the recording console. On this night, Mikey Beatz (drums), David Blitzer (bass), and Zoe Wilder (vocals) team with DrumLab to turn the party on its head.
(Photo by S & D Photography)
DJ Viz:
Or Vizzie, the techno technician of Psylab fame, rocks the 1’s and 2’s, strictly vinyl, for an exploration and elaboration of the world’s finest Dub-Step and Drum & Bass. Viz is a sub-bass gourmand, so be ready to feel it in your gut.
Will Swank:
Swank brings with him years of touring experience with The Motet and a background in subterranean Jazz that stands the test with history’s most legendary saxophone players. Will rocks a growling tenor and phrases lines like he’s painting the future in ancient poetry.
Nutritious:
Is a DJ… and he rocks the shit out of parties.
Zoe Wilder (Photo by S & D Photography)
David Blitzer:
Bass player, used to play for the band called The Uptowns.
ZW has shared many a stage but, most infamous for her collaborations with Psylab and the New Deal. Possibly most remembered for her shadow dancing performance at main-stage Camp Bisco 6, Wilder’s scheming something xxx-tra provocative for Five Eight Forty so, abre los ojos.
VJ Mamiko Kushida:
Mami should need no introduction but, new to the States after rockin Japan’s biggest events for years, Mamiko’s the most bad-ass VJ here. She’s one part kunoichi, one part Foxy Brown – she’ll super-fly slice-you and you’ll thank her for it.
Sullivan Street Shakedown
Images by VJ Mamiko Kushida (Photo by: Jp Pacquing)
The sounds that escaped the stage were a combination of organic and mechanical. At times, only a few members would rage, then the entire group. They stepped in when the powers moved them. A beauty of improv. As the music played, to the left of the stage was a screen that was had fabulous images being cast upon it. The images cast on the screen were manipulated and inspired by VJ Mamiko Kushida. They were vivid, dream like, malleable. Over the last 5 years, since she was in Japan, Mami has been creating and collecting these images. Currently, her collection tops out at over 800 images and at performances she picks and mixes from her collection as the music moves her. What a wonderful expression of love through music.
Ragers @ The Sullivan Street Shakedown (Photo by Phrazz)
Around 1:30 am the crowd started to get pretty thin. Ironically, there might have been more photographers there at one point then dancers. But the beat was BUMPIN’ and the people were groovin’. One thing that was made evidently clear to me within minutes of the show beginning was that this scene was dripping with potential to be an all out rager when it came to the late night crowd. There was funk, rock n roll, jazz…we just needed that crowd to shuffle in.
The Sullivan Street Shakedown (Photo by Phrazz)
When Will Swank and Gregg Marcus joined the stage, I was immediately drawn in by the oh so jazzy horns. Sporadically, the horns would sound off, intersecting with the beats and groans of the electronic fiddling and Mikey’s drumming. At one point, the sounds layered over the beat reminded me of whales singing. I believe this was due to Gregg Marcus manipulating his trumpet with a plunger. That mess sounded AWESOME! I would love to hear the play back during this time. It was all so intersecting and fun. I distinctly remember being taken over by it and shuffling across the open dance floor without a care in the world. In my notes taken from that night, I had scribbled “dancing with the whales.” Honestly, I absolutely didn’t need anyone else in the venue to enjoy myself that night. I glance at my notes as I type this and there are a bunch of smiles all over the page. Clearly, I was happy.
(Photo by Scott Rudd)
Will Swank and Zoe Wilder (Photo by Phrazz)
Layered on top of the electric rage, I loved the horns. I am a horn lover. Biased as all hell. Their addition to any project is a plus in my mind. I absolutely loved the horns over this style of music and mixing. Will Swank was so jazzy and obscene against the heavy bass beat of space at times. The room was filled with a very loungey vibe. I felt like I needed to be seated at a intimate table with appetizers and a date. And as the horns raged, the beat picked back up with Mikey banging out the drums, creating new beats around every corner forcing the music to change with him. I loved it. Amelia was dancing around the room, lending her energy to those who were not dancing, which was only a choice few. The music was forceful in it’s ability to have us dancing.
Sullivan Street Shakedown
Throughout the performance, artists rotated instruments. At one point Ed had left his machines to go play with Mikey’s tables. Boys and their toys! Such a beauty about improvisation. The musicians possibly had on bigger smiles then the audience. They were having FUN! I felt it, I saw it, and I heard it. To me, what was happening on that stage was the essence of live music.
Ed of Psylab
As Ed and Mike’y were throwing us the “getdown” music, VJ Mima was flashing the screen with black and white images that look to have been drawn with pencil and had come to life. All the while, Zoe Wilder would come and go from the stage as she pleased, dancing for the audience, or perhaps just herself, in any way the music moved her. I imagined what her Wonderland must be like up there as the black lights reflecting off her vivid outfit and her pink eyes lit up the stage.
Rage!
I stepped out for some fresh air and more fun friendly photo shots ensued. Walking back in, I distinctly remember walking into a GREAT beat and jam. Zoe put her voice through a chaos machine, the trumpets would tease, the “untz-untz” of the bass shook my legs. It was fun as hell. Exactly what it was meant to be. I LOVED what was happening on stage at this moment and immediately felt a little pain in my chest knowing that I wouldn’t be able to ask the title of the song. Knowing that I wouldn’t be able to go home and find it on Youtube…it was all improv and they had won me over.
Happy Birthday! (Photo by S & D Photography)
I believe the best part of the night was when the birthday boy was finally recognized. Zoe brought out the cake as Matthew made his way to the front of the stage where Zoe playfully wiped icing on his nose after he blew out the candle. Just look at that smile above! LOVE!!
Sullivan Street Shakedown
Towards the end of their set, the sounds got bleek and deep. I wanted more from the horns but the mechanical side of things had picked up. The manipulations of sounds with knobs, buttons, pedals, microphones, etc. This is a new type of music for me and so I wish I could get more technical in my writing. So used to “instruments”. Not sure how I define the word “instrument” anymore with all the technology that has saturated certain genres. The sounds coming off the stage were as lovely as they were intense. Very chill music. The horns stood alone and the beat was slow.
Sullivan Street Shakedown (Photo by Phrazz)
The Blue Note crew came after their show just in time for cake. Music, cake, friends…and a smiling birthday boy. So much more then a typical weekend show, this was an event respecting someone’s life on Earth. SO much love in that. SO much. I felt it all night and the music on stage vibrated it through us into the wee morning hours. At the base of it, this was a low maintenance dance party with a focus on soulful house music.
Mikey Beatz
Mikey Beatz has surrounded himself with vibrant talented musicians. He has seen the unique opportunity he has been given of crossing live music with electronic. Aside from being a talented musician himself, it is his appreciation and addition of other talented musicians that makes The Sullivan Street Shakedown stand out. I encourage anyone in the NYC area to come check this project out and to join us in spreading the word of The Sullivan Street Shakedown.
NEXT MONTH’S EVENT INFORMATION FOR
Please join all of for next month’s installation of The Sullivan Street Shakedown with:.
DJ Monchan (Dailysession)
Chris Hall (Stupendous Music)
Visuals by Mamiko Kushida
Percussion by Stephen Chopek
Special Guest: ElaNEF
And your resident selector: Nutritious
He was something different in rock & roll. He was a man who was loved and respected by everyone. From other musicians to fans who had listened to him for over 40 years, he was the true personification of “heavy metal”. He was Ronnie James Dio and this past weekend the world lost a true star.
Not a star in the sense of fame or popularity, though he had all that and more. Dio was a star in that he was a beacon of light that all true astronauts of rock aimed for in their journeys through the heavens of music.
Richie Blackmore's Rainbow
Ronnie James Dio. The name itself is as inseparable from metal as Paris Hilton is from skankdom. No matter what he was doing he brought that Dio quality 100% ever time. Whether it was the classic album days with Blackmore’s Rainbow or his days as Ozzy’s replacement in Black Sabbath or his own illustrious solo career, the man stood as an ambassador of power chords and testicle-vibrating bass.
RJD
In the few days since he has passed, I have noticed something. I’ve noticed that everyone has had something nice to say about Ronnie James. Professional musicians have given tear racked eulogies describing how it was Ronnie that they wanted to be when they were starting out. Fans on every type of music forum from jambands to jazz have shared their own stories of how seeing Dio growing up left such a lasting impression on them.
There isn’t a teenage boy out there who can stop himself from beginning to bang his head when those first notes of “Holy Diver” begin to play. You will never see an over the top metal arena show with fire, lasers or giant animatronic demons that aren’t a pale comparison to the original blockbuster shows that Dio first brought to the world.
RJD
If you ever had the chance to see Dio perform, you know what I am talking about. When the man stopped singing and spoke to his audience, you knew he meant every word. His smile and those eyes glinting with all those tales of dragons and wizards behind them made you never take your own eyes off him while he was onstage.
At barely 5 feet tall, Ronnie James Dio proved one very simple thing: Height does not make a man a giant. It’s in the size of his heart and the love that fills it.
Musical Musings of a Tiny Rager 