A nature and music filled weekend in upstate New York. The weather was picture perfect as we left the city in our rental car by way of Palisades Parkway. We stopped at a lovely scenic overlook to admire a view of Manhattan we rarely get to experience.
View from part of the Mohonk Mountain hike
As we drove down the New York State Thruway, the weather remained unmatchable, the trees glowing in their shades of orange and yellows. It was simply magnificent. Coming from the Blue Ridge Mountains to live in NYC, the drive reminded how lovely the change of season is and how I longed for Virginia. New York, however, served up such images of beauty over the weekend, I half considered, just for a moment, how nice it would be to have my parents move here to join my sister and I to live out our days in the tri-state area.
View from Mohonk Mountain hike
Leaving Manhattan in the early afternoon, Jay and I were dropped off at the mouth of the Mohunk Preserve. The weekend started with a rocky rambling hike through the Preserve to the Mohunk Mountain House. So majestically beautiful, I couldn’t possibly have left it out of the weekend’s descriptions. Walking through the halls of this massive castle the Quakers built back in the 1800s, I immediately felt like I was in the Stephen King novel, The Shining. And as I vocalize this thought to my companion he turns to tell me that Stephen King stayed here and this was where he got the inspiration for the movie. Creepy.
Mohonk Mountain House
Walking to the top of the Mohunk Mountain to the tower was magical. I felt as if I was in a different land. How could I be in New York? How could it have taken me 7 years to make my way to this beautiful area. Simply majestic.
View of Mohonk Mountain House from top of Hike
RAGING THE MOUNTAIN!
I ended Saturday with a few new bruises and so many smiles, surrounded by new friends and excited for what Sunday would bring. As we awoke Sunday morning, I stepped out on to the back porch of the country house and took in the view and the fresh air. What a great day for a Ramble. The sun was shining, the air had warmed and our friends had started to gather for round two. But what is a Ramble you ask? Once a month, Levon Helm, best known as the drummer for The Band, holds a The Midnight Ramble inside “The Barn” located on his Woodstock New York property. That is pretty awesome. Today was a free Levon Helm’s Kids Ramble and it would be held at Gills Farm.
Gill's Farm Store Front
Pumpkin Cannon of Ulster County
The Kids Ramble was slated to go from 2pm to 4pm. We arrived around 1pm and the parking had already gotten tight. As I exited the car, the first sounds I heard came from THE PUMPKIN LAUNCHER. A pretty insane part of the event. The epic sound of this launcher was ridiculous. I hadn’t seen the thing yet but I imagined this GIANT slingshot type thing going down. Not the case. First thing I saw, as we made our way to the property, peeking out just above the tree line, was the tip of a metal shaft and a chunk of pumpkin spewing out. This thing was more crucial then I could even imagine. The second thing I see is a crowd of people checking out this MASSIVE, double-tanked 30+ foot welded, metal pumpkin launcher. Apparently, they have contests giving people a reason to build these excellent contraptions.
THE CANNON
Having a 6 year old with us, this Ramble was designed for her and her peer group. There was a giant pumpkin field on the right side of the property where families were picking pumpkins to take home. There was face painting and pumpkin carving stations. You had an amazing tractor ride that took families through the pumpkin field, the corn field, a mud bog and back to the pumpkin field. Then you had this enclosed hay tunnel the kids could climb through. And although I never saw the end, it must have had one as the kids came bounding to the soundboard once the music started.
Hippies dancing in the pumpkin fields
The entire event was was literally held in the parking lot and side field (a little more then an acre of space maybe??) in the store font of Gills Farm. Taking a look around, there were easily 300 people crammed onto this property and SPILLING into the streets, into the pumpkin field. It got to the point where the locals had parked along the nearby streets, blocking the shuttle buses picking people up from the designated parking lots.
Roasted Corn! Get Some!!
On the side of the store was the kitchen where they sold roasted corn, corn chowder, chili, hot dogs, squash soup, ciders and more. I can speak for the roasted corn and corn chowder. I had never had roasted corn before and I believe it made it into my top 100 all time favorite foods now. A-MA-ZING! Then you had the corn chowder which I had heard others raving about. It was not overly salted or peppered so the simplicity of the corn really came through. I loved it.
Our Farm Fueled Lunch!
Yummy!
As we attempted to find a spot to sit and eat, we came across a few upside down plastic crates and sat. Just as I was about to dig into my corn I was told I had to move. There was no natural seating except for a few benches here that were all taken up. As I walked away to head to our blanket behind the soundboard, the crowd started cheering. Seems I had been sitting right next to Levon’s trailer and sadly, as my hands were filled with scrumptious farm treats, I was unable to get pictures. I was also a little open-jawed as Donald Fagan followed close behind. And as I made it to the soundboard, Levon made it to the stage.
They started the set with notable songs from The Band‘s catalog like Look Out Cleveland and Long Black Veil. Larry Campbell, a self taught musician who has never had formal training on any of the instruments he plays, switched from guitar to mandolin to violin throughout the set. Teresa Williams also on guitar, sang like a dove. Long Black Veil was a favorite of the day thanks to her earthy vocals.
Rambling Musicians!
Next we had Donald Fagan give us a sultry, bluesy intro to a song I am unsure of. He sang the lyrics and melted the last few notes. I really wish I could recall the title. Ophelia had everyone cheering and singing along. A great song. There was a large horn section with two saxophones, a trumpet and trombone. Each one taking their turn for a solo throughout the song. Almost sounding second line-esque the entire set.
Then we had the Grateful Dead covers by way of Shakedown Street with Donald Fagan on lead vocals. Deep Elem Blues had Larry Cambell on mandolin, hippies dancing in pumpkin patches and the horns got down and dirty as Levon played his electric mandolin while Justin Flick took his place at the drum kit.
With all these people he brings to a stage, Levon is never far from adding more and more. Out walks Daniel Lewis (Gov’t Mule) to play keys along side Donald Fagan for Tennessee Jed. I saw a guy on the french horn at this point but I was unsure of who he was. The horn players evaded me as I couldn’t get close enough to make out faces.
Larry and Teresa - Levon on Mandolin
Donald Fagan and Daniel Lewis blasted out on the keys for a superb cover of Steely Dan’s Black Friday.Teresa Williams BELTED out Hot Tuna‘s Keep Your Lamps Trimmed and Burning. This song was originally a spiritual song sung by Blind Willie Johnson, a favorite of mine. The way her voice melted into the song almost had me in tears. Yup. It’s been a while sing I cried at s show as a result of being touched by the music. She almost had me but not quite. Perhaps yall should check out her band, Ollabelle.
They closed the show out with The Band‘s famous song, The Weight. Everyone was singing. The kids were dancing. Steven Bernstein gave us a wonderful solo on the trumpet. The sun was shining. We all ended the set in a blissful singalong.
Levon says Goodbye!
SET LIST: Look Out Cleveland, Long Black Veil, ———, Ophelia, Shakedown Street, ————, Deep Elem Blues, Tennessee Jed, Black Friday, Keep Your Lamps Trimmed and Burning, King’s Harvest, The Weight
It was a night New Yorkers and beyond had been waiting for since it was first announced back in July. The Royal Family would be taking over Terminal 5 for a night of pure FUNKY RAGE hosting their 3rd Annual Royal Family Ball. Knowing that The Royal Family is a tight brotherhood that rolls deep with love, we die hard fans knew it would be a special night. A night to remember, a night of complete surprises, a night of of complete funk, of blues, of rock ‘n’ roll. A night requiring us to dance till we drop….simply a night we would NEVER forget.
Event Poster: The Royal Family Dream Team
For months, we have eagerly awaited this night. The Royal Family had enticing little offers before the show such as rewarding the first 100 people to purchase a ticket with an autographed poster of The Royal Family. Man, what a hilarious treat. I, of course, jumped on that offer, buying my ticket at 12:01 pm, right when they went on sale, closing the sale out at 12:03pm. Sadly, I didn’t get a poster but many of my friends did. I will some how rectify this 😉 You can be sure of that!
The importance of this night and the energy behind it hit me the second I woke up Saturday morning. I felt like it was Christmas. As much music as I see, this was a show that had me jumping on my toes. The anticipation was palpable. For weeks before the big night, I had numerous friends from outside NY toy with the idea of coming in for the show. However it was my dear friend Andy who was the only one to make the trip from Baltimore for the day/night.
“Street fair arepas… Gut bomb. Royal Family Revue… Funk bomb.” ~ Andy D.
They handed out party favors...
This was one of those events where traveling would be worth it. My phone had been blowing up all night prior to the show with friends wondering what was going down before the Rage. In the end, we summoned all our favorite Ragers to a “Ragehearsal,” as one of my dear friends has come to so aptly name our rendezvous before the shows. Everyone was eager to make a day of it. A 24-hour rage. The EPICNESS of what tonight might bring to our eyes and ears was lost on no one.
“Royals, you shook me, you shook me all night long. Powerful stuff.” ~ Robert M.
Of all the years I have been an Eric Krasno junkie, I have never been part of such a complete day and night full of The Royal Family. And the best part about it…there were guests. Oh yes, there were guests. Tonight’s rage would include performances by:
Terminal 5 doors opened at 6:30pm and we were all in the building by 7:30pm, not wanting to miss a single minute of the show. The venue was far from packed but by the end of the night, the 3,000-person venue was packed in on all sides. It was a night filled to the brim with the EPITOME of Funk, Soul, Blues, Rock, Hip-Hop and more. They play it all ladies and gentleman. And it all began, as it almost always does, with a set from The Nigel Hall Band. Let’s get this Royal Party started…..
MVP OF THE NIGHT – It just needs to be said, flat out, hands down!!! ROYAL FAMILY MVP! Nigel Hall started the show, performed throughout the show and closed the show with the highest elevation of energy and the full embodiment of what RAGE truly entails. He had been rehearsing for weeks with new back-up singers and the rest of the crew to deliver what was quite possibly the greatest performance I had ever seen him lay out on a stage. As soon as I started seeing Nigel Hall perform many moons ago, I started recognizing a pattern prior to his performances and the pattern goes a little something like this…..
Set I: The Nigel Hall Band
Arriving early, I walk around the venue, listening to the audience talking. Many are not sure of who this magnificent singing, keys player is who will be opening for whatever Royal Family Project is slated to open that night. You hear a few people explain “It’s Nigel Hall!” but they do not elaborate. “Who is this Nigel Hall” you hear them wondering out loud? I always want to stop and answer each one of them but I know that Nigel will be answering for himself as soon as the music starts. And then he starts performing…and if not by the end of the first song, by the end of the second song the audience is locked in, jaws on the ground asking everyone around them, WHO IS THIS GUY!!!!?? But this time, they are really looking for answers, they actually care and are invested…floored by this magical singing machine.
Set I: The Nigel Hall Band
And so it was this night. I walked around the venue listening to people talking about what might happen on stage this night. Noticing so many people asking about the opener, Nigel Hall. What those around me didn’t realize yet was that he would steal the show.
Set I: The Nigel Hall Band
Tonight The Nigel Hall Band consisted of a thick wall of solid musicians that we all recognized and a few new faces to the mix. His back up band consisted of those listed above. Eric Krasno, the King of the Royal Family, supporting his fellow Family member on bass guitar. Alan Evans stepping out of his drummer seat to sing backup vocals while Adam Deitch destroyed the drum kit. Not wanting to be left out, from my second level perch I noticed Neal Evans hanging over by Deitch striking things with a single drum stick. You might not have noticed him if you were on the ground level in front of the stage.
This was also the first time I had seen backup singers. Lindsay Lucas and Mel Flannery‘s voices, supported by Alan Evans, melted seamlessly with Nigel‘s smooth vocals. This line-up of The Nigel Hall Band hit a home run. To begin, the stage was set with each member on stage, warming up the mics and the instruments for a funky introduction which Nigel steps out to in an orange Argyle sweater with a smile so wide I couldn’t help but mirror the image. And so it began…right into Hang It Up.
Set I: The Nigel Hall Band
Wait Till I Get Home had the Shady Horns completely blowing up the stage. Ryan Zoidis completely standing out on the baritone sax. Everywhere I looked…smiles. Second song in and the place was on fire. This is EXACTLY what Nigel Hall is meant to do and by GOD he does a GREAT job. Never Know saw the Shady Horns exit and Krasno and Smirnoff backing Nigel on keys through the slow and smooth flow.
“I loved the show. I felt that Nigel stood out as there were many great musicians but only 1 best singer. I myself was born under a bad sign so I can relate.” ~ Josh R.
Set I: The Nigel Hall Band
Gimmie a Sign upped the funk meter ten-fold with Nigel funking up the keys. He then takes a moment to explain to the audience, “This is a song that has stuck with me over many years after I heard this song as a young boy. I hope you enjoy it.” And while Adam “Shmeeans” Smirnoff completely let loose on his guitar, Nigel sang a soulful Baby, I Do Love You.
“Give it up for the Horns,” screams Nigel. With Never Gonna Let You Go closing out his set, Nigel Hall sang smoothly as his backup singers filled in when he walked off the stage. And as Ryan Zoidis soloed on his axe of funk, Nigel came running back on stage, grabbing the mic, screaming “NEVER! NEVER! NEVEEEEER!” His passion and his lust for life provides a fuel to his energy that is unmatched. And this was only the first set 🙂
Nigel Hall Setlist: Intro, Hang It Up, Wait Till I Get Home, Too Sweet, Never Know, Gimme A Sign, Baby I Do Love You, Never Gonna Let You Go
NOTE TO TAPERS!! TAPE NIGEL’S SETS and post them. Where is the love??? He is just as much a part of this raging cycle of music as anyone of them. Just sayin….get with the program on that tip please.
After Nigel’s set, I decided to move from my second floorperch to ride the rail with my friends for a bit. Sadly, my crew was situated right in front of the DJ Booth. However, I could see neither drums nor the horns. Absolutely couldn’t stand that option for the rest of the night. Even though I wanted to chill with my friends, I thought, well, I do that every night and this was a show I really had to SEE and inhale completely. So, I reserved myself to chillin on the second perch alone while my crew raged the rail! As it should be 🙂 Watching them, waving to them, laughing with them, we were all still connected as I was completely visible to them. This was actually a part of the night that enhanced my happiness. Seeing them react to Warren coming on stage…their faces, their jumping, screaming, hugging. Perfection.
Set II: Lettuce w/ Talib Kweli, Big Sam, John Scofield
Set II: Lettuce w/ Talib Kweli, Big Sam, John Scofield
Soul singer Hall left the stage and was replaced by DA FUNKY FUNK!!!! One of my top ten favorite groups to have formed on this earth: LETTUCE. Going on a little before/after 9pm, the entire original crew graced the stage, to include the rare appearance by E.D. “Jesus” Combes on bass. Living on the West Coast, he is constantly working with big names such as Eminem, Dr. Dre and played bass and wrote/produced several tracks on Britney Spears new album Blackout. I love E.D. “Jesus” Combes because he puts a lot of thought into the notes he chooses to play, sometimes bursting to the front of the stage with a blast of funk through his body. He totally grinds into his playing which I LOVE!. He stands out with understated effort because his sound is unusual and not forced. You just got to hear him to understand.
“Excellent night all around. Nigel and Soulive were incredible, but Lettuce especially blew me away! Check out the rooftop area for a breather between sets. Nice joint!” ~ Markus S.
The stellar cast on stage played a handful of favorites to include Blast Off, Sam Huff’s Flying Ragin’ Machine and Last Suppitt before bringing out the guests. Let it be made very clear that Lettuce completely set the stage on fire even without the guests. They truly are so tight and on point every time and we were enjoying them so much. The guests were simply a blessed bonus. My hands were on the railing of my ledge and I was literally head banging with so much fury as their energy coursed through me. The horn section with it’s supplements was completely out of control. FIRE FUNK!
Set II: Lettuce w/ Talib Kweli
“Talib was money” ~ Eric S.
“You have my quote on the evening… “Tits on bacon.” ~ Andy D.
The first guest and a personal favorite of the night was Talib Kweli. Rapper’s delight. He brought such an unusual layer to the revue. Bringing the urban into an already straight up funky urban rage, he rapped through Move Something.
The whole joint start shakin
This ain’t the time or place for you to prove something
Cut the stargazin’ yo, move somethin’! ~ Talib Kweli
Set II: Lettuce w/ Talib & Nigel
The Blast saw Nigel Hall back on stage as he joined in on vocals with Talib Kweli. Nigel, man, the guy can do it all. Albeit, he is not a rapper in my mind and probably never will be. He did, however, bring a soulful layer to his rapping that Talib couldn’t touch as he continued to rap over/under Nigel. “Jazzfest energy” was a term I heard among my friends to describe the energy of Talib‘s trio of songs ending with Get By.
Talib and Nigel leave the stage for the originals, led by the ever amazing Eric Krasno, rage through Break Out and Relax. Eric Krasno, relentless, captivating. His sound and style, one you could pick out of any crowd of guitar players. Powerful musician…wonderful band leader. With all his projects and large catalog of musicians under his Royal Family records, Eric Krasno ensures that our nights in NYC are constantly filled with talented musical projects and shows. I can’t imagine the city without Krasno, Deitch and the lot. And here he was showcased in front of all his projects together in one night. Then as if things could get any better…John Scofield joined the stage…enjoy his warm up…
John Scofield, a legend. A complete and utter master at his trade. Being billed right off the bat, this was one of the highlights of the show that everyone was anticipating that evening. The Flu… it was amazing. John took a little time to warm up in my opinion but then it got rowdy. The horns were grimy, popping in sounds that reminded me of Skerik. It got powerful. The guitar standing out on top of it all, the audience slightly more quiet now, just watching it unfold.
The Shady Horns with Big Sam on trombone was out of this world. Orchestral. Everything was so tight and then Scofield would go off into trippy spacey scratching of the guitar making faces to match. He is endless with the sounds he can produce with a guitar.
Set II: Lettuce
And with a gracious introduction from Alan Evans, with the horns blasting out his name and with John Scofield still in the mix, Nigel Hall was brought back on stage to perform their Curtis Mayfield staple, Move On Up. As many times as I have heard Nigel sing this song and heard he say he was sick of singing it, this version was STELLAR!!! My video is not so great so just turn it down a little lower to hear it and watch it…
The one below is only 1 minute but much better sound. Thought I’d give ya everything 😉
One of the deepest, funkiest, raging songs of the night: Making My Way Back Home, a song about Nigel’s hometown of Washington, DC. Raised three hours away in Williamsburg, Virgina, I relate to this song well. The bass line is killer in this song. Nigel, so interactive with the audience, breaks it down and just continually bringing the energy UP, UP, UP Chuck Brown-style!!! SARDINES & KRAZ AND SCHMEENS!!
Lettuce Setlist: Intro, Blast Off Sam Huff’s Flying Ragin’ Machine, Last Suppitt, King of the Bergs, Move Something, The Blast, Get By, Break Out, Relax, The Flu, Move On Up, Makin My Way Back Home
Breaksciene’s Afterparty at The Loving Cup’s Cameo was announced and the merchandise was plugged….and the headlining group was finally announced. Soulive. Live it, learn it, love them!
You know about Soulive right? One of the greatest trios ever IMHO!! I sure hope you know who they are and if not, check them out. It’s a trio comprised of the virtuoso guitar player, Eric Krasno, drums played by Alan Evans and then there is Neal Evans who plays keys. The standout detail about this group is that Neal also plays the bass through the second layer of his keys. Seriously. Now…what kind of brain can do that? That takes a complicated mind right there. Such a cool combination of sounds/notes/vibes.
Set III: Soulive + Shady Horns
Soulive came out dressed in stylish suits and slammed into Beatles tunes. Their latest CD release, Rubber Soulive, has been something of a hot topic among talented music circles. It’s luscious, loud and worth every single penny. Bringing their own touch to classic Beatles tune such as Come Together, Something in the Way, and Eleanor Rigby, it’s just superb. Sing alongs ensued. Come Together found it’s way into everyone’s throats and the audience sang for their tickets as Soulive played for their lives. Jazz-filled funky rock. The following video is a wonderful collection of all the Beatles tunes. Sit back, turn it up and watch the magic. Best video of the article 🙂 Everyone say “Thank you Mike!”
Krasno completely ripped open the songs, jamming us all into the floor. Backed by the brothers of rage, the Beatles medley was one of the highlights of the show. I Want You (She’s So Heavy) was on a different level all together. Everyone thank my boy Scott for the excellent video below!!
“Was really great to see Soulive hit a comfort level with the Beatles material that they really ripped into it- I want you (She’s so heavy) seemed to really hit another gear of nastiness as they did with that song what most instrumentalists I know have always wanted to do with it.” ~ Russ A.
Set III: Shady Horns + some!!
And once the covers of the Rubber Soulive were done they blasted into their oldies but raging goodies with The Shady Horns (Sam Kinninger & Ryan Zoidis) joining the stage for El Ron. The place was utterly packed and from my second floor perch, I could see everyone moving, groovin’ and clapping. Christian Scott had joined the rage and John Scofield joins the stage again for What You See Is What You Get. Granted, Scofield is a god, but this song was stolen by Christian Scott‘s trumpet solo and Neal Evans‘s keys.
At this point, the show starts elevating into a high point that seems unreachable. Time for a horn rage. By this time Maurice Brown and Rashawn Ross have joined Christian Scott and the Shady Horns. A horn rage ensues but where is Big Sam Williams on the trombone?? Oh man….well, he tried to join the horn ledge, however, Christian Scott had taken his microphone so NOLA represented. Walking behind the drum kit to the front of the stage, Big Sam took over Eric Krasno‘s vocal mic for an intense in-your-face solo. Enjoy! (Turn down volume a bit – it’s one of mine)
Set III: Soulive!
It was time for Scofield to lead the show with one from his own catalog, the funk rock original Hottentot!! The whisper through the audience after this song was loud. This song choice made a lot of people happy, as it should. The song allowed for he & Krasno to trade licks and let loose for a great jam, which I thought might lead to the beginning of the end of Scofield’s addition to the stage, until possibly the encore. Boy….I had no idea what I was thinking. The best was totally yet to come…..
Since the album version was my ringtone for years, the surprise bust-out of Sco’s “Hottentot” was probably one of my favorite highlights. It had a slightly slower, nastier vibe to it that I really enjoyed. ~ Andy D.
WARREN joins the stage...
And if you just watched the video above, then the end just gave it away but THE BEST WAS TOTALLY YET TO COME!!! Warren Haynes……….WARREN HAYNES joined the stage. I literally grabbed the bars in front of me and screamed at the top of my lungs while flailing around. I couldn’t believe it. I just couldn’t believe it. What is more unbelievable is I had to tell all the people around me who that even was. I believe they were there for Talib Kweli but they had NO clue who Warren was. Unreal. And so it was that the venue erupted into a ball of energy that the night had yet to see.
Set III: Soulive + Warren + Sco
Born Under A Bad Sign, a song made popular by Cream and originally written by the legendary blues guitarist, Albert King. Yes SIR!! HOLY YES!!!!!! What can I say about this? It was phenomenal. Warren Haynes, John Scofield and Eric Krasno on the stage at one time…kidding me? Nigel Hall came out and sang alternating verses with Warren Haynes and there were mixed reviews over this move but I thought it was superb. Nigel, once again adding a layer to the mix that just felt right.
“Nigel’s voice is always a special treat. Being a longtime Soulive fan, I really appreciated their take on the Beatles. Oh Eleanor Rigby! Thank you Soulive, Nigel Hall and the whole crew for getting so many wonderful musicians together all on one stage for this major collaboration!” ~ Jessica B.
I’m actually a little torn on Nigel. I think Warren could have held the vocals down on “Born Under a Bad Sign” on his own, though Nigel did rip Too Much and the JB mini set. ~ Russ A.
I always did say Warren sings like an angel. ~ Jessica B.
This was just such a treat. You had Big Sam on his trombone as well. I mean, the $25 ticket was paid for so long ago but if anyone had any qualms, they were silenced by this mega, face-melting guitar threesome horn flip-out. Nigel‘s voice was killer. Warren was killer. The horns were unmatched. Scofield was melting into the floor with his guitar. Unreal. For a minute, I forgot who I was there to watch. Wondering who the true star of the show truly was. Scofield left the stage and the rest of the set was Nigel Hall tearing up the vocals and Soulive blasting the stage apart with funky goodness. It was so great!
(Doin the 2 Video is uploading. I’ll insert it tomorrow)
The encore was a James Brown Medley of all kinds of songs. John Scofield came back out. During the 3rd song, Nigel miscounted the beats and had a little rage to a stop and rewind the moment. TWENTY!!! And the second time around it went down right and they dropped the funk into our faces and dripped funk until they exited the stage. JAMES BROWN MEDLEY!! Think about that energy if you can! Those of you there, remember that? Nigel screaming, horns blasting…
There was some kind of swagger in the Soulive set that night. maybe it was that this was the biggest paying crowd for them headlining a show in nyc, maybe it was just feeling good on the material, maybe it was the hard work, but they played the hell out of those tunes. they owned those tunes. ~ Russ A.
Soulive Setlist: Come Together, Something In The Way, Eleanor Rigby, I Want You (She’s So Heavy),
El Ron, What You See Is What You Get, Hottentot, Born Under a Bad Sign, Do The 2, Too Much, JB Medley w/ John Scofield
It was a phenomenal night of music at Terminal this night. for $25 you just couldn’t beat what we had just witnessed. There was a fire on stage and an energy pumping thorugh the venue that I hadn’t felt before. The crowd being so diverse, some coming for Talib Kweli and not knowing Warren Haynes. Others knowing Warren Haynes but not Nigel Hall. Others boasting about Lettuce but knowing nothing of John Scofield. I think the greatest part of the night was knowing that a lot of people were introduced to a lot of new music and musicians this night. I hope they went home and looked up Warren Haynes and Talib Kweli and Nigel Hall.
The Royal Family ensures that New York City will remain at the forefront of musical collaborations and musical history. I feel as though whenever The Royal Family has a big to-do, they out do themselves every single time. Thank you Royal Family. Thank you for feeding us, supplying us with the music we need to survive.
Brock Butler celebrated his birthday in Manhattan this past weekend ripping apart the Bowery Ballroom Friday night and Brooklyn Bowl on Saturday. Both nights were phenomenal and they brought a much more electronica vibe to this performance then they were here back in February. There was more exploration in the music this time. Less frat rock, more free-flow rage.
Brock Butler @ Brooklyn Bowl
Perpetual Groove is a band with a large cult following. Their latest release, Heal, came out in January 2009. They hold a wonderful music festival every year called Amberland. Led by musical encyclopedia, Brock Butler, you can always be sure that you will have an interesting musical evening as this group touches on a wide variety of styles of music, numerous covers and funky get-down jams.
The first set of the Bowery Ballroom performance is my favorite set of the entire weekend. It was blasting with energy, filled with songs about friendships and championship such as Crockett and Tubbs, All My Friends and We Are Your Friends. There was a vibe shooting through the stage Friday night. The birthday party had commenced.
Bass Rage @ Brooklyn Bowl
Seeing TTFPJ in the set list, I had to figure out what it meant. After a bit of digging, it is my understanding that TTFPJ stands for Tribute to Freddy Prince Jr. The explanation gets more in-depth by continuing to dissect the lyrics behind the song. The tribute is apparently referencing FPJ’s marriage to Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
They covered some great songs like The Beatles‘ Helter Skelter, Bob Dylan‘s The Man In Me (I think) and at some point Brock Butler mashed Wyclef Jean‘s Gone Till November into Walking in Place, I believe.
Having blasted PGroove‘s Youtube video cover of Kanye West’s We Don’t Care the entire week prior to the show, Josh shouted to Brock about playing this during the second set. Brock looked right at Josh and said he would have to talk to the fellas about it. Sadly, it never happened. We were hoping for it to be the encore and it might have happened however…
Albert Suttle - Drums
Encoring with Chemical Brother‘s The Golden Path at the Bowery Ballroom, there was no encore the following night at the Brooklyn Bowl. Rather, Brock Butler told the audience, “We have to get off stage at 12:15 on the dot. Instead of stepping away we are going to play right through.” The crowd went wild and the remainder of both nights were filled with trippy dancing, smiling, sing alongs and space in everyone’s faces.
There have been very few post-Jerry/Dead projects that I have enjoyed. As stated in previous articles, I lost almost all interest in pursuing The Dead after Jerry died. It took many a year before I started seeing Furthur for the first time this year and sadly, Bobby practically ruined the first set by passing out on his feet while on stage.
There will forever be post-Jerry projects but nothing will quite match The Grateful Dead and the power through music that they projected while Jerry was alive. But at the end of the day, we LOVE those songs, we LOVE the lyrics, and we LOVE the notes. At the end of the day, it sometimes doesn’t matter who is singing them. And so, I have begun checking out the Post-Jerry projects that have come around my way. More importantly, I have come to appreciate, albeit only a few, Post-Jerry projects I have seen beginning with Bill Kreutzmann‘s 7 Walker’s, including Papa Mali and George Porter. A lovely new project with fresh Robert Hunter lyrics.
I was internally PRAYING that there would be a dance floor. At times, B.B. Kings has somehow thought that the audience to some of their shows might be old and not want to dance? Shoot, not at a Dead-related project. Happily, as we walked into the B.B. Kings basement space they had left a portion of the dance floor uncluttered with tables and it was packed from side to side with dancers. I have just got to assume that B.B. Kings doesn’t give a rats ass about the people actually watching the music, they only care about the people buying alcohol and the people who sit down to eat. The rest of us are just supposed to fend for ourselves.
Starting the first set with Scarlet Begonias, an uplifting, vibrant song, Tim Bluhm‘s vocals slide into place perfectly with that Devilish sound. Such a great voice, slightly obscure for those unfamiliar with his projects, such a commanding presence and great guitar styling. He was a perfect fit for this project.
Keller Williams, on the other hand, is by no means a weaker substitute, yet he has such a distinct voice and guitar styling that the whole thing just screams that Keller Williams is performing with The Rhythm Devils. For those of us who LOVE Keller Williams, this is a wonderful treat and I do LOVE Keller Williams, both his voice, his styling and his cute head of hair! However, it felt as though Tim Bluhm folded right into the group, mixing seamlessly into the The Rhythm Devils sound rather then standing alone as Keller did.
Davy Knowles - Amazing!
Fire on the Mountain was to follow with Davy Knowles kicking out the first guitar solo of the night. Now, if I could insert a sound clip here it would be of a car coming to s screeching halt after you hear his name. Personally, in that front row, as soon as I focused on him…I hit the brakes and my jaw dropped. How many of y’all have heard of DAVY KNOWLES? DAVY KNOWLES!! Wow. A wonderful, handsome, vocally appealing, shredding guitar player. Yes, another one of those.
Mikey Hart rage!
The Grateful Dead medallion fronting Mickey Hart‘s Drum kit shimmered in lights, almost as if it were winking at us as The Devils performed what could be a potential theme song: Friend of the Devil. Davy Knowles moved to the mandolin for this tune, further exposing his talents to the audience. Originally from England, when not touring with The Rhythm Devils, Davy is leading the group Davy Knowles & Back Door Slam.
Tim was reading lyrics all night!
After a while, I noticed Tim Bluhm was looking at his music stand more than usual. It became clear he was reading the lyrics and possibly reading the chords to the songs as he sang, tossing his lyric sheets to the ground after each song. I thought of my of one of my girlfriend’s, who has a major thing for guys reading sheet music hahaha.
Tripping their way into Fountains of Wood, it was a great song. The talking drum played by Sikiru Adepoju was an interesting addition. It add slight dimension but overall , without even a spot light on the poor guy, he was cast to the side and I forgot he was there half the time. That is absolutely not a good thing. Now, if you want to see a talking drum performance, come with me to see the West African Band at midnight every Saturday. Unreal…
Davy on Mandolin
Check out The Mother Hips too!!
The remainder of the set brought forth a free jam on the drums. Mickey Hart rang the chimes, adding a softness to the lovely This One Hour. Davy Knowles leading vocals on Cold Rain and Snow. I just fell in love with him harder and harder with every note that came from his mouth and hands. At some point throughout the night, I overheard people dissin’ the lovely, young musician that was tearing the stage up that night. Honestly. It absolutely didn’t bother me, like it appeared to bother others, that this young man was so young. Personally, it makes me happy for the future of Dead projects/music/vibes when I see young musicians holding their place along side the greats. When I see them taking that music, becoming inspired by it, taking it on and making it their own all while keeping the integrity of the song. He was phenomenal. How could anyone hate on him? Blew my mind…
Andy Hess - Bass
I saw my friends to the left of the stage and I made my way for a different vantage point. At some point during the first set, a photographer had placed a Jerry Garcia Bobble Head Doll near Andy Hess, on top of the amps. For the remainder of the night, Andy would take a step forward and softly tap the head allowing Jerry to nod in agreement to the smiling faces.
Lovin Tim!!
The Rhythm Devils closed the first set with a feisty rendition of Cumberland Blues and UNCLE JOHN’S BAND!!! Such a great tune. Such a familiar tune. Everyone was singing and dancing and smiling. The EXACT hoped outcome for such a show!
Bill Kreutzmann
We took a break outside to use our phones and rage Times Square a bit. There is no phone reception in the basement of B.B. Kings Club. It’s quite annoying but liberating at the same time. Not drinking, I picked up a soda from the street vendor to have in my purse. Surrounding the cart were tie-dyed shirts as far as the eye could see. This was nothing like when Furthur was in town a few months back and the streets were hardly walk-able, but it was still a highly psychedelic street. After about 10 minutes, we made our way back down the plush stairs for the second set.
We made sure to walk in a little early so that Josh could join me in the front stage. Being that he is over 6-feet, it’s better he already be there rather then try to push his way up to the front once it’s already packed. After a few minutes, the stage was once again filled with some of our scenes most respected musicians. Watching Tim Bluhm‘s solo during Samson and Delilah was a point where I caught myself completely lost in the moment.
Wrecking Crew was fun. A light, danceable song (as if any of their songs WERE NOT danceable) that had everyone on stage as well as the audience grinning from ear to ear. It was clear that the members on stage that night were having a blast. It came out in their performances, the musical banter was evident. Listen to Davy Knowles‘s voice. Man, I love his voice!!
Any rage...
Then it was time for the drums! Making way for the intro into The Other One, Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart completely took off on their respective monstrous set-ups. I sometimes have my issues with muddy snare drums or too many electronics but these two truly created a unique vibe in B.B. Kings that night. In the moment, I thought there was some deep, creative drumming going on. Sikiru Adepoju had his moment on the talking drum as well during this time. Still, no spot light placed on him. He stood on the side, in the shadows. WHY???
Not so Tiny Tim
Bobble Head Jerry
Mountain of the Moon was lovely. Such a slow song, couples formed and began swaying immediately as Tim’s voice soothed over us on vocals. The various guitar solos followed and SPAAAAACE entailed through to the end of the song. Totally trippy. Voodoo Zombies, sang by Davy Knowles, who sounded a little like a male version of Joan Osbourne for a minute, followed bringing the vibe back into overdrive followed by New Speed Way Boogie where the guitars weeped on stage and the bass was heavy. Andy tapped Bobble Jerry with a smile while the audience sang along helping the band bring the songs to their end.
A HUGE jam out occurred during Strange World. And finally, they closed the set out with Not Fade Away. Another sing-a-long kind of song that had everyone involved.
Mikey Hart
As they exited the stage, the crowd finished their singing and began screaming as loud as they could. A truly appreciative audience who, I think, realized how great a performance they had just seen. With the introduction of Davy Knowles into the mix, I had been elevated to some pretty high heights as he sang with that voice. With the insertion of Tim Bluhm as lead over Keller Williams, I had seen a different performance, I had felt that this was such a better fit. As I spanned the room for friends, they returned to the stage for one last song. As Davy Knowles sang So Many Roads, I slowly prepared myself for the night of music to be over. That is never a fun feeling but what a song to end on!!
Sadly, a recording of the performance never made its way online. There were numerous tapers at the show. However, at sometime, I believe during intermission, something occurred between some tapers and the audience that forced the taping to be shut down. Some STUPID Drama ensued and here we are with no recording. GRRRRRRRRRRRR……regardless, here is the set-list and I hope the videos suffice!!
Sept 1 – NEW YORK, NY – B.B. King Blues Club
1st Set: Scarlet Begonias>, Fire on the Mountain>, Friend of Devil, Fountains of Wood, This One Hour, Cold Rain and Snow>, Cumberland Blues>, Uncle John’s Band
2nd Set: Sampson & Delilah>, Wrecking Crew>, Other One, Mountains of the Moon, Voodoo Zombies, New Speedway Boogie, Strange World, Going Down the Road Feeling Bad, Not Fade Away
Live music!! What would our lives be with out it? For live music lovers, and I think I can speak for most of us when I say this, we look forward to new and unusual sounds coming up out of our scene. Once in a while, a group comes along that pushes the boundaries of their musical talent. They push the boundaries of what is popular and what might be. They push the comfort zone of our ears, our listening pallets. I can say, without hesitation, Caravan of Thieves if just one of these groups.
The Living Room
Caravan of Thieves graced Manhattan with a month long Tuesday night residency at The Living Room in New York City’s East Village. The brain child of husband and wife duo Fuzz Fuzzman (Deep Banana Blackout) and Carrie Sangiovanni, Caravan of Thieves not only brings to the scene a uniquely vibing, gypsy jazz sound but more importantly, their performance is rich with fun and flare. Flat out awesome gypsy rage.
Django Reinhardt
Gypsy Jazz & Gypsy Swing was made famous in the 1930’s through the musical styling of Django Reinhardt, a name synonymous with the style. I wager not many people have ever heard the name, let alone heard the beautiful music that came from this innovative European guitar player who changed music forever. I can’t think of anyone who has brought this musician to the forefront of my mind until I heard this performance. Fuzz Fuzzman is Django-incarnate.
James “Fuzz” Sangiovanni – Voice + Guitar
Carrie Sangiovanni – Voice + Guitar
Ben Dean – Violin
Brian Anderson – Double Bass
Special Guest: Bruce Martin (Tom Tom Club)
As I walked into the back room of The Living Room, through the heavy velvet curtains, I was greeted with a packed room, dimly lit intimate tables and a stage covered with what appeared to be a music group pulled right from the 1930’s. With Victorian flare, they wore page boy caps, Fedora hats, suspenders, ripped stockings, corsets, vests, thin ties…their image a direct reflection of their dedication to style of their sound.
Caravan of Thieves @ The Living Room
The first thing that stood out from their wonderful image was the lack of a drum kit. The second thing, no electricity at all…full acoustic, which I was looking forward to after a heavy week of electric raging from other various performances.
Sadly, I missed the first song (I Don’t Wanna Be) but walked in as The Caravan raged into a phenomenal cover of Queen‘s Bohemian Rhapsody. Carrie held to the vocals as Ben Dean covered the underlying melody with the night’s first solo to my ears coming from the violin. As Fuzz sung, “I see a a little silhouette of a man…,” the crowd joined the four Thieves and a sing-a-long ensued. Fuzz pulled out a ripping solo bringing the song to an end.
Fuzz & Carrie Sangiovanni
The third song cemented the Gypsy style into my ears with I Can’t Behave, a love song marked with dilemma. This would be the first time the Thieves had performed this song in front of an audience and the banter before hand was comical. “There’s something nice about a First Time!” says Carrie, as she gazed jokingly at Fuzz. The end of the song raged forth chaos which brought to mind Russian’s dancing the Kozachok. Perhaps there was a Gypsy dance that would fit this song.
Caravan of Thieves ragin...Bruce Martin joining the stage...
Let's hit everything around us...
Then there is hitting. Lots of hitting They all start hitting things placed around the stage. And with the introduction of Bruce Martin (Tom Tom Club), Shim Sham Honey began. Bruce was playing all kinds of instruments throughout the evening, presently raging what appeared to be a turkey oven rack. The sound was unique yet so richly rooted in times past. Exactly what I would consider a traveling gypsy jazz circus band to sound like. Pulling the sounds from their surroundings by utilizing such primitive or unique items in addition to the traditional instruments. Sadly, there is little footage of this show so here is the song performed in 2009. It’s great 🙂
Carrie and Ben
Butcher’s Wife wasup next which had Fuzz and Ben Dean battling it out with their bows. I can’t fail to mention that the character that each member of the Thieves attempts to portray goes way beyond just playing their respective instruments and dressing in period clothing. The vibrant, whitty banter and the impromptu comedic happenings that takes place on stage brought the musical set to life and added an entirely new dimension to the performance. A soft, yet raging flare came out of Ben Dean, the violinist, during Butcher’s Wife. A slow, lovely song with tantalizing violin teases. Bruce Martin on Accordion changes the sound considerably, bringing a hint of a keyboard being present. Carrie’s voice matching so well while she harmonized with Fuzz.
Caravan of Thieves + Bruce Martin (Tom Tom Club)
The Talking Heads Psycho Killer rang out over the audience and yet again, they killed another cover in such an unusual style. This cover was particularly poignant as both Bruce and Fuzz are members of the Tom Tom Club, a group founded by husband and wife team Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz, both members of The Talking Heads. My friend Eric was at a earlier residency performance earlier in the month and was able to grab this snippet of the song.
The next song was called Candy, a metaphorical song about addiction, and as Fuzz described the meaning behind the song, ironically, I was popping Jolly Ranchers in my mouth and passing some out to those around me. As the juices ran down the back of my throat, the main Thieve asked us to yell out our favorite candy, Josh and I both scream out “Reeses‘” and my Jolly Rancher spits out. The chorus for Candy was so pretty. Fuzz picked a lovely acoustic solo on his gorgeous guitar, his top hat tilting to the side. Ben’s violin solo was next, expressing both the loveliness and darkness behind the song.
Yummy Bass Player doin his thing! Doesn't he look like Christian Bale?
The next song, a mash-up of You Are My Sunshine and Singing in the Rain, started with some banter between the guitarists. Bruce, Ben and Fuzz start into a flighty singing “Please don’t take my sunshine away,” and then the bass player and all other members completely wig out on stage. They began screaming, flailing about, crying, throwing things…it got SERIOUS up in the Living Room.
It was at this point the true flare of the bass player came alive into my focus. He reminded me of Christian Bale and I did some mental wrong doing in my head with him and his stand-up bass. Screaming things like “I’m so sad!” and “You Cunt!!,” he was the most verbal and out-there element on the stage with his antics. At this point, various members of the Thieves have made their way back to the floor, faking tears, still screaming and things quiet as it’s almost as Fuzz steps forward to proclaim a service announcement. “Look at these sorry sobbing saps. Is this how you want to be? We don’t want you to be this way.” “We are moving ON” states a serious and dramatic Fuzz. And it was back into a happy bounce vibe, a calypso-style rage of Singing in the Rain.
And they all fall down...
Bouquet, the title of their first studio album and a song about “bouquets of thoughts” was meticulous and full of flare. Lead off with the violin and then into silence. Fuzz explains that the next song is a medley of Beatles tunes, Girl/Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite. Fuzz was very verbal in his explanations of the meanings behind every song. A true testament to the validity and authenticity of the style in which the lyrics and story telling play such a crucial part in the compilation of a group. The meat of the song showcased Bruce on what we were told was an Angklung. I imagine his home/studio to be an arsenal of odd instruments. Again, the following video is not from tonight’s performance, sadly, but great all the same.
Then it it was time for band intros: Fuzz on everything, Bruce on all kinds of things. There was talk about this being the last night of their Living Room residency and how much fun they had over the past month. I silently cursed myself for missing the previous shows but was SO thankful for making this one last minute, as I had almost missed this one as well.
And as Fuzz screams, “Where the freaks at?”, it turns into an all out percussion jam. At some point the entire band has dipped to the floor and audience members are up dancing. “I’m going to eat you, you are my desire,” sing one of the Thieves. And as Bruce raged his Angklung, Fuzz raged and scatted, Ben was beating on the bass all while Carrie’s soft female voice filled the air. And finally, the Percussion Jam where they all just manipulated and beat the instruments and structures around them until they couldn’t anymore.
What can’t be said about this band? They are fun with elegant compositions. They are witty, they are sincere, they are talented musicians. It is dramatic song writing that backs some dramatic acoustic music…the list goes on and on. Be sure to check out their schedule and catch one of their shows immediately:
Setlist: I Don’t Wanna, Bohemian Rhapsody, I Can’t Behave (debut performance), Ghostwriter, Shim Sham, Butcher’s Wife, Psycho Killer, Candy, You Are My Sunshine/ Singing in the Rain, Bouquet, Girl/ Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite, Eat You, Freaks/ Percussion Jam
Encore: Raise the Dead
Sadly, there was no recordings made, or found at least, of the Tuesday residency. However, I can’t leave you with out a taste of this wonderful, playful group. Only catching a few minutes of their act, I was privileged enough to see Caravan of Thieves at Gathering of the Vibes this year. Here is their set:
Musical Musings of a Tiny Rager 