Bowlive II: Night One – Soulive w/ Lettuce and Maceo Parker
Photo by Allison Murphy)
Bowlive 2, a two week Soulive residency at the Brooklyn Bowl, kicked off yesterday firing on all cylinders. For a Tuesday, the venue was packed! You could literally feel The Gods of Funk smiling down upon the Bowl’s stage the entire night as we were delivered one of the funkiest weeknights the Brooklyn Bowl has seen.
(Photo by Allison Murphy)
Right off the bat it was evident that this year would be different. There were more cameras propped up around the venue to tape the magic that would take place over the ten day run. There were three beautiful tapestries lining one of the walls with Eric Krasno‘s face shimmering in gold. There was a Soulive backdrop on the wall across from the merchandise table set up for fans to take pictures in front of. But the biggest difference this year…Bowlive 2 opening night sold more tickets than The Funky Meters did on their opening night. That is crazy!! Last year on opening night the venue was barely half full. It was quite literally myself, my boys Rob and Russ and maybe 50 other people. It was also the night that I met the wonderful musical blogger of ViewsSkewed.com, Meredith Berke. I can safely say, without her assistance and guidance, Tinyrager.com may never have existed 🙂
Last year’s Bowlive saw Nigel Hall singing alone at his Rhodes until the ends of his set when members of Soulive and Lettuce would join in to help him close it out with major energy. After a year of rotating back ground singers and putting together various combinations of musicians, The Nigel Hall Band has finally gotten it’s core group on lock down.
(Photo by Michael Jurick)
(Photo by Michael Jurick)
A little after 9pm, The Nigel Hall Band, consisting of Eric Krasno on bass, Adam Deitch on drums, Neal Evans on organ, Alan Evans on percussion, Mel Flannery and Tania Jones on backup vocals and Adam “Shmeeans” Smirnoff on guitar, hit the stage filling the excessively packed venue with soulful songs layered with get-down funk. It’s always awesome seeing Krasno on bass. He is so smooth with his guitar and to see him with a bass while others fill the guitar spot, well, it’s fun! The always soulful Hall, decked out in an orange and white argyle sweater and a baseball cap, geared us up in a way that only he could. While most songs were sung seated at his Rhodes, Hall sang his way through fan favorites such as “Never Know” and “Gimmie A Sign.”
Engaging the audience with his expressive nature, Hall danced around the stage for “Never Gonna Let You Go” and “Too Sweet” during which Ryan Zoidis came out for an impromptu saxophone solo. Nigel Hall’s undeniable energy is exactly why Soulive has slated him to open for the remainder of the Bowlive 2 run.
Set List: Baby We Could Have It All (end), Hang It Up, Back Home, Give Me A Sign, Too Sweet, Never Know, Never Wanna Let You Go
By the time the members of Soulive were set to hit the stage, the Brooklyn Bowl was a sardine can busting at the edges with excitement. However, before the anticipated set could begin, Brooklyn Bowl owner Peter Shapiro came on stage to express his gratitude for this musical event and for the audience participation by offering 600 shots of Tequila which were delivered by the tray full throughout the venue.
The lucky residents of New York City recognized that even though this was a school night, nothing would keep them from enjoying the first night of what is expected to be a giant success of a musical run. Pete knew this and the turn out was jaw-dropping. Perhaps everyone felt stupid for missing Lettuce and Maceo Parker playing Brooklyn Bowl together back in January. Perhaps they just heard how good it was and needed to check these guys out for themselves.
(Photo by Michael Jurick)
Nigel Hall comes to the front of the stage and screams into the microphone, “Are you ready to Rage?”…a pitiful response follows. He repeats himself and the venue caught on. We were ready to rage.
Finally, the hosts for the night, guitarist Eric Krasno, drummer Alan Evans and organist Neal Evans, appropriately dressed in Royal Purple, entered on stage and the Brooklyn Bowl erupted. Over the course of the next hour, the funky trio blasted through “El Ron” and releasing a fantastic “One in Seven” on us before offering us a few Beatles covers from their latest album, Rubber Soulive.
Set List: El Ron, Aladdin, One in Seven, Come Together, Eleanor Rigby—>I Want You (She’s So Heavy)
Lettuce came on stage raging full force into the appropriately named “Blast Off” with “Last Suppit” following. A few songs in, Maceo Parker, the leader of James Brown’s infamous horn section, joined the stage. As he enters, he playfully goes for Nigel Hall‘s baseball cap and then drops his hand and they share a laugh. Now it was time to dance your ass off as they raged right into several covers beginning with Parliament Funkadelic’s “Up for the Down Stroke.”
(Photo by Michael Jurick)
It was pretty sick to see Cheme join the horns even though Sam wasn’t there and how it was nice they gave him real room to solo during the encores, the same way they gave James Casey a long solo during “Get Back” last year. ~ Russ Agdern
(Photo by Allison Murphy)
The tidal wave of funk through the combination of Lettuce and Maceo continued to bring the fire with “Uptown Up” were Maceo rapped the Corey Parker verse. “There Was a Time,” a James Brown favorite, saw Adam Deitch solo on the drums as Maceo Parker teased Brown’s “Cold Sweat” over top. At one point Parker focuses on It was then time to give Ray Charles a little love as Maceo and the gang brought it down nice and slow for “Night Time is the Right Time” where Alecia Chakour ripped a solo that had all eyes on her and people asking left and right, “Who was this phenomenal voice?”
(Photo by Michael Jurick)
The remainder of the set continued to up the heat with funky vibes and soulful solos. Alecia Chakour joined backup vocals as Maceo Parker exited the stage. She is absolutely amazing. Talk about attitude and vocal style. Straight soul sista right there. An audience member got on a friend’s shoulder and screamed for her during her solo before being asked to get down. The energy in this place was killer.
(Photo by Michael Jurick)
(Photo by Michael Jurick)
There was a time where there were at least 8 people on stage and they were all just playing, improving beats. Nigel and Chakour inserting their voices in various places. The focus was again on Nigel Hall as he busts out his vocals with “Making My Way Back Home.” Acclaimed Jazz pianist, James Hurt, popped in for a few minutes to tear up “Pass the Peas” and again for the encore of “By Any Schmeans Necessary.” Somewhere in the middle of all of it, Maceo Parker returns to the stage in his long winter jacket, looking all ready to walk out the door, but not without one more goodbye!
Set List: Blast Off, Last Suppit, P-Funk Medley including: Up for the Down Stroke/Mothership Connection/Let’s Take It To The Stage/take Your Dead Ass Home, Uptown Up, There Was a Time, Night Time is the Right Time, Shake Everything U Got, Pass the Peas, Soul Power tease, Makin My Way Back Home.
Encore: Sam’s Flying Huff Machine, By Any Schmeans Necessary
Tonight Soulive will take the stage with yet another serving of Lettuce along with a few sides of hip-hop MC Pharoahe Monch and WAX. Be prepared to be blown away by their spittin’ lyrics and fresh beats.
There are music festivals and then there is Jam Cruise!! A musical festival on a cruise ship that travels international seas for 5 to 6 days. I said it last year and I will say it again now. IT IS THE GREATEST MUSICAL ADVENTURE anyone can take.
Last year, I was at a complete loss for words. It was my Virgin Cruise and I was awestruck by the magnitude of what I had just experienced. Considering this was my second year, I thought the hype would be just a bit dimmer, I figured I would be a little less anxious and calm. Nope!
Even now, while I could burst at the seams ATTEMPTING to explain these EPIC musical journeys, I find it so hard figuring out where to start. It’s all so unbelievable. I could tackle these articles by day, or perhaps by subject regarding the atmosphere, the music or the people and so much more. I could write a five page article just on the relationship cultivations that took place this year. There is just so much!!! And the fact that I only slept about 10-12 hours over the span of 5 days gives me an arsenal of memories to pull from.
Jam Cruise 9 Website Banner
Last year Tinyrager.com didn’t exist as it’s own site. I wrote for other sites but mainly for my own personal cataloging of memories and would just save the documents on my computer. So, after last year’s Jam Cruise, I began writing out my adventure and I never made it past the Sail Away Party.
My life took off before I could finish my personal Jam Cruise manifesto. But I did make an attempt and the end result was all the glorious details about the embarkation line to the ship, the embarkation process, what happened when I explored the boat stumbling across the various venues and checking into my room with the gift bags and what not. I wrote about everything I could remember up until the Sail Away Party….and then I stopped.
This year, I am going to continue where I left off at the Sail Away Party with a few backtracking steps. There is no need for me to re-write the exact same information about the boat for this article. If you would like to know about all the things listed above then CLICK HERE! The article is totally relevant to this one and worth the read and would help cement your mind if you are still debating on getting on the boat. Jam Cruise staff actually found it last year and blasted it over their page a few times due to the comprehensive nature of the article. So, enjoy that! It’s got great pictures too!
Now, let’s get this party started!!!
Hello Pretty Ship (Photo by Murray)
~ Boarding & Pre-Sail Away ~
Within MINUTES, sooooo much can happen to you on Jam Cruise. This year, I boarded the boat in what felt like 15 minutes but was really a little over/under an hour. As we get our room keys and begin the walk into the ship, I gaze to my right and Bob Weir is standing next to me. He pulled himself from the line and leans against the wall looking dazed, confused and very skinny. Had he been standing by us the whole time and we been too excited to notice? He didn’t have an entourage and he looked so frail I guess it’s possible. As my friends and I realized the magnitude of this moment, we all said “Hello Bob!” and he flashed us a forced smile. I couldn’t tell if he was happy or sad but I knew how we felt! FREAKING STOKED!!!
A few more feet through the line and we were shuffled into the section where you get your boarding pictures taken. You could purchase the pictures for $30 if you wanted, but whoa that is a lot. However, in the group behind us, Steve Kimock jumped into the picture. Now THAT is a $30 moment worth purchasing!! And there you had another group of people whose minds were just blown and we hadn’t even made it on the boat yet. Sadly, my hunt for these pictures has come to a dead end. They are gone once you leave the ship.
The NYC Krewe + some before all hell broke loose 🙂 (Photo By Murray)
I was in line with two of my best friends from NYC and we were in different rooms. Once we boarded the boat we separated so I could take my luggage to my room and unpack as fast as possible as not to miss a moment. I was wearing my Big Sam’s Funky Nation tee-shirt, READY for the Sail Away Party. READY to see my main man Big Sam. As I step into the mirrored elevator with my luggage, I was covered by this giant shadow of a man who had followed behind me. And as I turn around, I am embraced by none other than Big Sam. Having reached out to me after he saw one of my reviews of his show, he flashed a smile that melted me as I got a huge hug! What a super duper dude! I will have TONS to say about him later in these articles.
(Photo by Jeffery Dupuis)
Last year I was in the Singles Program. The layout of my room this year was exactly like last year except that I was now with two friends I had met on my virgin cruise: Aaron and Victoria, a super cute Jam Cruise couple who completely enhanced my journey. Thank you both for being such wonderful roommates. I entered an empty room and unpacked as fast as I could. When I walked out of my room, I just didn’t know which way to turn. There were SO many people I wanted to see who I hadn’t seen since last year’s journey and whose relationship was cultivated through Facebook over the year as we waited patiently to all be together again. There was so much I wanted to do all in one moment but I knew where I needed to be. This year, I had a krewe from NYC on the boat and one of them was a virgin, my dear sweet friend Jessica. I wanted to see their room and be with her. I just wanted to watch her take it all in because that must have been what I was like last year with my jaw on the ground.
Jam Cruise is over but we know that time will last forever. From the minute I walked into 10242 there was nothing but LOVE. Jessica who I’vereally never met treated me (and everyone) like I was a saint or angel or something. We constructed the door decor (bonding) and the RAGE was on ! Off to Eric’s to gather the troops and start the search for the bottom of the tequilla bottle. A short time later we were off to the pool deck to find the angel Karen has been talking about: Hillary! ~ Murray Ballz
~ Door Décor Competition ~
Sharon & Said's Decor!! (Photo by Richmand Images)
As I entered their room, the faces looking at me were already more shiny and sparkly then when we had left in line. The Jam Cruise blood was flowing through their veins. Their room was bigger with a balcony. It’s always good for SOMEONE in your rage krewe to have a balcony! They had taken out all the makings for their door décor and were attempting to assemble it. Their concept was beautiful. Using pictures of multiple artists and groups that inspired them, along with artists that couldn’t make it on the boat as well as pictures of allllllll our friends and families who couldn’t make it on the boat, we were to create a collage covering the door and then we placed a mirror in the middle. On the mirror’s top it read: “We are all on board together.” On the mirror’s bottom: “And so are you!” So, that when you look into the mirror, everyone is together, connected somehow on board together. I loved it!
A typical hallway on Jam Cruise (Photo by Chad Smith)
(Photo by Murray)
We spent a few hours cutting pictures, tapping things. The rest of our NY posse rolling through the room to say Hi and get the best hugs in the world. This also began the utilization of the deck for party breaks which, as time passed, began making it hard for us to focus and use tape correctly HAHAHA!! The mirror began messing with my head; Rob couldn’t roll a piece of tape to save his life! It was awesome! Oh, you should have seen it.
During this time, the magic of the boat presented itself to us with the introduction of Rob and Jess’s neighbors. When we ran out of tape, they came right in for the rescue. When we needed writing done for the mirror, they were right there with a solution and Maker’s Mark on the rocks. No matter what you want, you get what you NEED on Jam Cruise! From masking tape to enlightenment.
Putting "our" door decor!! (Photo by Murray)
The final product was perfect. A door COVERED with people and musicians we love that couldn’t be on the boat with us, yet they were, even if it was only in this small way. Throughout the week, any number of our NYC posse could be found sitting on the floor starting at our door. Staring at our loved ones, staring at Jerry and Janis. Personally, I was found passed out with my hand on the picture of myself and my boyfriend on the first night and was guided back to bed for what would be the only night I would sleep in my cabin!!!
And in terms of what door enhanced my JC experience the most?? Door number #9211. This door was covered in 3D pictures from last year’s Jam Cruise. There were numerous 3D glasses attached to the wall by string so you could see the pictures. It just got cooler every time I saw it. And at one point, I didn’t even NEED the glasses to see it in 3D. So, anyway, TINYRAGER award to Room #9211 for making us go OUT of our way at least 2 times a day to check out your door!
Forum Party/ Sharon's Birthday Rage! (Photo by Rex-A-Vision)
Once we finished the door we realized that we missed the forum party on the pool deck. They had gathered to give Sharon R. a proper Happy Birthday. I am so sorry I missed this Sharon! Love you! And now…it was time for the Sail Away Party!!!
Jam Cruise Day One Schedule!!
~ Big Sam’s Funky Nation / Sail Away Party ~ Pool Deck ~
Photo By Rex-A-Vision
The wonderful Julie McCoy (Photo by Chad Smith)
The Sail Away Party is phenomenal and truly defines the rest of the voyage. Julie McCoy, the ship’s activities coordinator/manager/queen bee, comes on to the stage. Free champagne is distributed amongst the cruisers lining the pool deck and The Captain and Julie McCoy toast us off on our journey. Then the horns blow and you now know…the party has OFFICIALLY begun. As well, Sweet Water Brewery gives out free beer at during this set, wonderful news for the alcohol drinkers, if you like their flavors!
Photo by Rex-A-Vision
I walked to the front row with my friends, toasted, and then stepped away for a moment alone. I was alone on the top level of the Pool deck last year for the beginning of Trombone Shorty’s Sail Away Party and I wanted to be in the similar location and just be alone, connecting with the ship, for a few moments. If you read my post from last year, you know the turmoil I was in before I boarded this magical vessel that changed my world. So, I walked up to my sacred spot, snapped a picture of the amazing sight I was staring at and took one giant breath. Upon exhaling that breath came SO MANY tears, I almost collapsed. The flood gates opened upon the realization that I was back. I was back in this music world; this musical WONDERLAND that completely CHANGED MY LIFE! And this year was going to be SO different than last year.
~ Big Sam Sail Away Party~ Raging Audience Shot from Stage ~
Photo By Rex-A-Vision
After letting the tears flow for 2 songs, I gathered myself, with the help of a few people around me, and went back down to the front row, puffy faced and all smiles. For those of you who don’t know much about the boat or who are not large into the music scene, the front row is where it’s at. I was greeted into the front row where all the best people reside in most musical scenes, let alone Jam Cruise. But I suppose I need to talk about music here at some point right? Wasn’t this a music festival on a ship?
Not so great mobile pic of the View from my "alone" spot (Photo by TinyRager)
I have seen Big Sam numerous times throughout the year. I was worried that his Sail Away party would be the same formulaic shows that I had seen him perform over the year. But that wasn’t the case. Where there was a similar flow to it all, Big Sam covered some great songs, added some new dance moves…they just brought us a new show and the audience ate it right up.
Photo by Rex-A-Vision
During the fourth song, the ship’s debarking horn blew, the pool deck erupted with cheers and we started moving. Immediately, the heavy hitters started joining the party. If nothing else, Jam Cruise is about the various musical combination of artists you can find performing on the boat. You NEVER know who is going to sit in with whom. In this case, Leo Nocentelli (The Meters) joined Big Sam for “Gonna Get Funked Up Tonight” and Fred Wesley (JB Horns) followed for “See Me Dance”.
~ Big Sam Sail Away Party~ Top of Pool Deck Perspective ~
Now, The Funky Nation is know for their ability to rage cover songs as well as create new edgy music. Throughout the set he blew some heat into Gnarls Barkley‘s “Crazy”, The Black Crowes/Otis Redding‘s “Hard To Handle” and their final song of the set was a mash up of Cee Lo Green‘s “Fuck You” and Lady Gaga‘s “Bad Religion”. This moment was special for me because when the song first came out, Josh and I literally blasted that Cee Lo Green song for a month straight every morning while getting ready for work. The song is hilarious and the video is even more so. In this moment, I looked around the pool deck and saw people kinda staring blankly. Except for a few people, they didn’t recognize the song. The entire set lived up to it’s expectations. It was high energy, full of flare and raging rock funk.
Set List:
01. Intro
02. ?? (jam/instrumental)
03. Feelin’
04. King of the Party
05. ?? (instrumental)
06. Gonna Get Funked Up Tonight
07. See Me Dance
08. Big Ole Booty
09. Hard to Handle
10. Do Watcha Wanna > Everybody Needs Someone to Love > You Are My Sunshine tease > ??
11. Dance Floor
12. Up In Here >
13. jam >
14. ?? >
15. Crazy > Get Low >
16. band intros/banter >
17. Fuck You > Bad Romance tease
At this point we had half an hour until any music started. Being that this was the first night, I can’t believe they had lulls but this year’s scheduling seemed to be staggered differently so whatever. Gave us time to debate! The options were:
1) Bob Weir‘s Scaring The Children on the Pool Deck (9:30pm-11:30pm)
Already, my heart was racing with the fact that I knew I would be missing things I didn’t want to miss. This year, I knew I would be spending a significant amount of time the first few days cultivating relationships and so I made a point to schedule the music I loved but also plan to hang out where a large percentage of my Jamily might be.
Most of the performers have two sets over the course of the week so I was ok with missing things here and there and catching them later. In general, the inner turmoil for me over what music to see is the most stress I feel on that ship.
Carlos Felice Theater! (Photo by TinyRager)
I took off for Robert Randolph and the Family Band, riding on a cloud. When I got there, the theater greeted me with all its purple and gold majesty. This is my favorite venue on the ship. Again, you can learn about the ship from last year’s posts. But I will tell ya that the purple and gold colors are beautiful and remind me of my college, there are two levels to rage on, the elevated steps in front of the stage are perfect for our drinks, extra costume accessories like boas, hats and what not. The stairs are also rounded and this allows for a much larger front row throwdown.
I got to the theater and no one was really even in there and the roadies were still setting up. Speaking of cultivating relationships, I met a lovely twin set named Cindy and Mindy, who inevitably raged the front row with the best of us the whole cruise. Rage on ragers. Big hugs to you both!
(Photo by Rex-A-Vision)
~ Robert Randolph and the Family Band ~ Theatro Carlo Felice ~
As I sat there, making new friends, old ones started arriving. Said and Sharon’s smiling face made their way to our side of the theater. (Thanks to Said for the RR&TFB set-list below). Then one by one the Jamily krewe gathered until we were 25+ deep on the left side of the stage. Oh, how I just want to talk about all these lovely people, not the music. It’s insane. But that is not the purpose of this so…
(Photo by Rex-A-Vision)
(Photo by Rex-A-Vision)
Having seen Robert Randolph and the Family Band a few times this year and being disappointed in the performances, I was PRAYING that he would kick it back to his roots and focus on older songs, perhaps melt our faces without playing Lady Gaga tunes to fill time. Perhaps give us some great covers; perhaps show us some great collaborations. And that is exactly what they did.
Blasting off his set with “Ted’s Jam,” he shot me right back to ten years ago when I first found Robert and Danyel at Star Hill in Charlottesville, Virginia. The newest addition to the clan, Lenesha Randolph, was on stage, backing up her brother. I am still weary on her talent. I won’t say anymore regarding that topic.
“The March” is one of my all time favorites Robert debuted years ago. I was right up front with my musical posse and when Robert got off his seat and started dancing for us, we all knew the dance and joined along. He asked us to teach those around us but he was doing a fine job wiggling his body for us….mmmmmm. And Danyel‘s bass thumped away. I am absolutely IN LOVE with Danyel and his voice. Always have been!
“Tears of Joy” brought the blues to an otherwise raging set and my faith in Robert Randolph and his family, however swaying it may have been hours earlier, was restored and his #1 fan was back on top, in the front row, loosing her mind!
Set List:
01. Ted’s Jam
02. ?
03. ?
04. The March
05. ?
06. If I Had My Way
07. Deliver Me
08. I Miss My Girlfriend (Her Name is Molly)
09. Thriller Jam
10. I Need More Love
11. Voodoo Chile
12. Tears of Joy
13. Traveling Shoes
As soon as set ended, I hightailed it to the Pool Deck to check out the remainder of Bob Weir‘s Scaring The Children. I ended up on the upper deck looking down at the sea of Dead heads who were staring doe-eyed at Bobby and Co. The wind was blowing warmly over my body as I realized we were so far from land now I couldn’t see lights.
I gave Bobby as much time as I could before wanting to leave. Personally, I thought it sounded pretty slow and that is not a bad thing, I just needed something more to move to. I wish I could recall the song that was playing. Even though it was tough for me to look at Bobby, as all I could imagine was the scene from Indiana Jones where the guy takes the sip from the wrong chalice and his skin melts off, it appeared that he was giving the people what they wanted. Smiles abounded on the faces below me and I just knew that Jerry was smiling down upon the ship.
(Photo by Jeffrey Dupuis)
So, after Robert Randolph‘s set, we were faced with more difficult choices.
Having just seen Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe numerous time over the past year and just a few days earlier as the Phish After Party on New Years Eve, I decided to skip KDTU on the Pool Deck and focus on the Anders Osborne set.
Performing on same stage as Robert Randolph, the Anders set was going to take a little time to prepare as they transferred over the equipment. I used this time to gather my thoughts, fill up my water bottle and grab a bite to eat. I don’t want to go into the food just yet…too stressful.
(Photo by Michael Weiss)
~ Anders Osborne with Stanton Moore and Carl Dufrene ~ Teatro Carlo Felice ~
(Photo by Dave Vann)
I had missed Anders Osbourne the few times he made his way through NYC the past year and having seen him in the past, I KNEW he would rip up whatever stage he was on with his rouge, wild, rockin’ New Orleans vibe. That is exactly what I was looking for at this time in the evening.
His back up band was a force to be reckoned with. Joining the stage this set was:
This set was complete fire!!! I mean absolutely out of control, rock-laced guitar shredding jams, backed by outrageous solos by Skerik and added guitar layers by way of Scott Metzger and Will Bernard. At the time, it was my favorite set of the night and in hindsight, it is in my top five sets of the week. The inclusion of Skerik‘s hyper-driven saxophone layered upon Anders songs was, well……take a look at this….seriously.
Set List:
1. Tuning
2. Love Is Taking Its Toll
3. Echoes Of My Sins
4. Darkness At The Bottom
5. Burning On The Inside
6. Got Your Heart
7. Me Donkey Want Water
4) AND THE LAST CHOICE!!!! The Jam Room: Hosted by Tony Hall (12:00am – 6:00am)
Now we come to the greatest and grandest part of the Jam Cruise experience. THE JAM ROOM!! Each night, a different musician (generally a guitar player, keys player or bass player) hosts The Jam Room. The Jam Room is a entertainment space located in the rear of the ship where these musicians play host to who ever wants to join them on stage. Sometimes, there are pre-arranged gatherings or sometimes a musician just jumps up for a song and adds to the insanity. Always, there are free jams, group rages and it’s all off the cuff improvisational jamming.
~ The Jam Room with Host Tony Hall ~
(Photo by Rex-A-Vision)
Tonight’s Jam Room host was Tony Hall, New Orlean’s Dumpstaphunk bass player. Tony is one of the most charismatic musicians around. He is always invested in engaging with his audiences, making faces, pulling girls on stage, dancing with the audience. He is one of my favorites in that aspect.
Sadly there is not a lot of footage from the Jam Room to show you. Many Cruisers had already gone to bed to save their strength while others were raging so hard they couldn’t manipulate a camera or video device to save their life. But I can tell you that it was a RIPPING good Jam Room.
It was an epic moment lost on the winds of the ocean and remembered only by those that were present… ~ Ananda Atmore
Tony Hall was backed by many of his bands mates from Dumpstaphunk to include:
There was so much happening on stage there is no way to recall it all. One of the last songs played in the jam room that night was Jimi Hendrix‘s “Hey Joe”. The Lee Boys‘ Roosevelt Collier jumped up on stage and confused the hell out of us as he was only a passenger on the ship thus year! SO FUN when things like that happen. You know it’s a good time when other musicians pay to get on board.
(Photo by Rex-A-Vision)
(Photo by Rex-A-Vision)
Tonight would be the only night that I came back to my room to sleep. The theme one must know and get to embrace on Jam Cruise is: “It’s a marathon, not a sprint!” It appeared that everyone had taken that creed to heart as I wondered around the pool deck wondering where everyone was. Where were the late night jam sessions and/or drum circles on the pool decks? Where was Brock Butler playing his acoustic guitar to the people watching the sunrise.I am sure that they were somewhere, I just never stumbled upon them. It was destiny, however, because after raging the Unofficial Pre-Jam Cruise party at the Days Inn Bahia Cabana Beach Resort the night prior, I was exhausted. I decided to watch the sunrise with my NYC crew and hear how our virgin cruiser Jessica B. had enjoyed her first night.
As I looked over the balcony, lost in the wake of the ship, my friends and I smiled at each other. We watched the wake of the ship hit the tip of the horizon and we knew there was no turning back. We were together on this epic musical journey and there were so many adventures to be had. I took myself to bed around 7am but not before touching the faces of all our family and friends that lined the door decor, wishing they were with us. Sleep was needed as we had a full day at sea tomorrow. I couldn’t wait to see what was in store for us when we final rose again.
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.
Musical Musings of a Tiny Rager 