Disco Biscuits @ Theater at Madison Square Garden – December 31

Words: Carla Danca
Photos: Jeremy Gordon

For the past few years the Disco Biscuits have chosen to go against the grain by avoiding New York City on New Year’s Eve. Instead of competing with the huge draw of Phish at Madison Square Garden this year, the band used it to their advantage by performing at the theater adjacent to MSG. By starting the show just before midnight, they drew both die-hard fans and those looking for a late-night option after the ball dropped in Times Square or Phish finished their round of golf at The Garden.

From the behemoth screens in front of the venue flashing the hottest acts, to the throngs of fans surrounding the venue looking for a ticket long after the first notes of the show had rung out, the excitement was felt throughout Penn Plaza. While New Year’s Eve wasn’t the first time that tDB have played at the Theater, this was their debut headlining performance at the former Felt Forum and an occasion that made Biscuits bassist Marc “Brownie” Brownstein proud. Brownie mentioned that  he attended Blues Traveler’s New Year’s Eve show at the same venue in 1992, where he promised himself  he would be on that stage one day.

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Gathering of the Vibes at Seaside Park, Bridgeport, CT – July 19-22

Words: Carla Danca
Photos: Jeremy Gordon

With familiar sights and sounds filling the air, Seaside Park in Bridgeport, Connecticut was yet again a vacation from life for so many music lovers. The grown-up summer camp where attendees stay anxiously awake the night before in anticipation of all the friends, new and old to see. Each year it’s a countdown that starts months in advance waiting for the puzzle to come together. What bands will play? Who will you camp next to?  And most importantly, what new friends will you make? Summer festival season is a time to reconnect with the so many friends that many of us have come to call family.

Along with family, one of the things that Vibes has also come to stand for is the Grateful Dead. The event started 17 years ago to honor the passing of Jerry Garcia and to help keep the “family” alive. This year family was more at the center stage than ever with the four core members each playing.

Traditional first day headliners, Dark Star Orchestra closed the main stage Thursday with a  great set from 7/18/89. Friday saw Bill, Bobby and Phil, each with their own bands, keeping the “Raindog” tradition alive by playing to a soaked audience. Mickey took the stage on Saturday. While many were disappointed by the lack of any sit ins, each member showed his own interpretation of the Grateful Dead sound.

It was Phil Lesh and Friends however that  took things “furthur.” Phil’s two sons, Grahame and Brian, joined him on stage along with Jackie Greene, Joe Russo, and husband and wife, Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams. While there was some initial disappointment that Phil’s lineup did not include any long term “Friends,” the night had more than a few gems. Beautiful harmonies rang out clear over the packed field as the legions of fans sang along. It was at this point where you could see and feel the power of Grateful Dead’s music bridging generations together.

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Camp Bisco 11 @ Indian Lookout Country Club, July 12th-14th

Words: Carla Danca
Photos: Jeremy Gordon

Camp Bisco 11 began late Wednesday night, earlier than ever and started what might be one of the most improved festivals in recent memory. The band might not be playing many shows these days and have shown no intention of going back to touring full-time, but they sure do know how to throw a party. After years of extraordinarily long lines, the improvements needed to make Indian Lookout Country Club work for large crowds were implemented.

Unfortunately for those without parking passes, limited onsite parking as well as the off-site box office with shuttles helped to increase camping to accommodate the ever-growing event. Despite a tragic accident that occurred on Wednesday morning, safety was also improved by building segregated roads for emergency vehicles giving staff easy access to the fields. Part of this plan also included a very segregated VIP and back of house which led to different experiences depending on your ticket. The exclusive late night sets and the new entry, which made entering the site even easier, helped make the expensive ticket a must have for many and sold out well before the event.

While the Disco Biscuits’ sets started off a bit rocky, Saturday’s performances were enjoyable not only the fans, but for the band as well. As the crowd was getting down to old school songs like Mulberry’s Dream the band was looking just as happy to be there. The second set also saw a sit in from Big Gigantic’s Dominic Lalli on Spaga, while the sax star also played later that night with Conspirator in the VIP tent. The final set ended with high fives and hugs between the members, which was reassuring after a disjointed Road to Camp.

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Words: Carla Danca

This year will mark the 17th annual Gathering of the Vibes, so we took some time to sit down with Gathering of the Vibes founder Ken Hays to discuss the 2012 installment of the festival which takes place from July 19 – 22 at Seaside Park in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Hays has been through it all from memorable musicians to record breaking heat waves and even a lightning strike or two over the years. What makes GOTV such a special festival for so many people and one of the largest festivals in New England? Check out what Ken had to say about it below..

Hidden Track: It’s about two weeks until showtime and a pretty busy time for you. Can you tell us a little bit about what’s going on at headquarters this week?

Ken Hays: Sure. We’re wrapping up last minute details, insurance, A/V agreements, I’ve got about ten guys down at Seaside Park on the Ops team that are laying out all the locations with spray paint and chalk lines and getting ready for the tents, staging, generators, Porta Potties and all the things that it requires to keep 20,000-25,000 people happy for the week.

HT: It’s probably great when it gets down to this point and its just the machine working

KH: Yeah, if I wasn’t so bogged down with emails I’d be a whole lot happier.

HT: I think that’s every working person’s dream.

KH: Absolutely. (laughs)

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Alabama Shakes  / Diamond Rugs @ Central Park SummerStage, June 24

Words: Carla Danca
Photos: Jeremy Gordon

On a New York Sunday filled with music, Central Park’s SummerStage went quite a different direction than that of nearby Governor’s Ball and instead of going with DJs and electronic music focused their “Sold Out”  free event on two young rock bands.

[All Photos by Jeremy Gordon]

The opening act – Diamond Rugs – are a true supergroup of well-known indie/rock musicians drawn from bands that on the surface are very different (but love to drink beer). Unlike so many other side projects, this band was an impressive force much greater than the sum of its parts.  While each band member brings his own sound, the mix is pleasing and familiar, in a good way. This band is definitely a bit quirky with their own style and irreverence for the calendar as they closed the set with a tune about Christmas that left a few eyebrows raised.

It might seem like yesterday that the Alabama Shakes burst onto the scene as the most talked about band at CMJ. In less than a year, the band has quickly moved up to headlining Central Park’s SummerStage.  To those unfamiliar with the band, it quickly becomes apparent why Jack White has taken this band under his wing by touring with the quartet and producing their material. As someone who is no stranger to reviving a retro sound, the Alabama Shakes are the perfect accompaniment to his baby blue and nostalgia-tinged prom band. The Shakes quick growth reminds us that good old fashioned rock and roll will never die. As a powerful band that punctuates the oft-sung-about troubles of love, you can see how they started out covering the classics of rock. All the while, front woman Brittany Howard gives off the air of someone with many more years of heartbreak and hurt under her belt.

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