Conspirator @ the Gramercy Theatre, April 8th

Photos: Jeremy Gordon

Watching Conspirator at the Gramercy Theatre in New York City, I was reminded of one of the finest TractorBeam shows on the same stage in ‘07. With a tighter stage, fans were able to experience their favorite musicians stretching their ideas in a different direction in a more intimate venue, than a typical Disco Biscuits show. With their own take on Pink Floyd’s, Another Brick in the Wall and great lighting to accent the band’s performances, everyone went home happy. Although no one seemed happier than Chris Michetti’s bandmate (in RAQ) Todd Stoops.

Sitting in for the second night in a row, Stoops waved his arms and made a few crazy faces as he played it up next to Aron Magner this past Thursday night.

Here’s a full gallery of Jeremy’s photos of Conspirator at the Gramercy Theatre…

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Lotus @ Best Buy Theater, January 26th

Photos: Jeremy Gordon

This past Saturday night Lotus sold out the Best Buy Theater in the heart of Manhattan’s Times Square in New York City as part of the band’s 2013 national tour.

HT’ Jeremy Gordon was on hand and provided us with a gallery of stellar photos.

Setlist…

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Umphrey’s McGee @ Beacon Theatre, January 18th

Photos: Jeremy Gordon

This past Friday night Umphrey’s McGee sold out the historic Beacon Theatre on Manhattan’s Upper West Side as part of the band’s 15th Anniversary Tour.

[All Photos by Jeremy Gordon]

Among the highlights were Bill Evans, who’s no stranger to the Beacon from his multiple sit ins with the Allmans, guesting on Example 1, an outstanding Ocean Billy in the first set and UM’s third-ever performance of their Life During Exodus mashup which combines parts of Bob Marley’s Exodus, Life During Wartime by Talking Heads and Zappa’s City of Tiny Lites. HT photo editor Jeremy Gordon was on hand at the pitless venue and has shared a selection of his shots from Umphrey’s Beacon debut.

Here’s the setlist…

Set 1: Leave Me Las Vegas > 40′s Theme, Conduit, Roulette, Nothing Too Fancy^[1] > Ocean Billy, Weird Fishes/Arpeggi, Plunger

Set 2: Puppet String^[2] -> The Linear > Professor Wormbog, Wappy Sprayberry^[3] > Example 1^[4], Life During Exodus^[5]

Encore: Booth Love -> Puppet String

[1] with Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love (Van Halen) teases; unfinished
[2] with Der Bluten Kat jam
[3] with Exodus (Bob Marley) teases and Theresa jam
[4] with Bill Evans on saxophone
[5] with Jake on keys

[via All Things Umphrey's]

• Previously on HT: Dream Focused – Umphrey’s Celebrates 15 Years

Check out more of Jeremy Gordon’s photos from UM at the Beacon…

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Titus Andronicus @ Webster Hall, December 2nd

Titus Andronicus closed their tour in style at Webster Hall this past Sunday. Although they couldn’t match the craziness of the mosh pit that occurred during Ceremony’s opening set, they made their fans scream along, leap from the stage and crowd surf on the arms of their brethren at the sold-out show.

[All Photos by Jeremy Gordon]

Mixing tunes off the recently released Local Business with classics such as Titus Andronicus, To Old Friends And New and A More Perfect Union, the band expertly weaved punk, indie and classic rock stylings to create their own signature sound. Throughout the evening, the New Jersey natives showed why they were honored as one of Paste Magazine’s Best Live Acts of 2012 and are darlings of (Grantland) writers everywhere.

Happy to finish the exhaustive tour in front of their hometown fans, the band tore through The Contours’ 1962 hit Do You Love Me as vocalist Patrick Stickles was literally carried off by the crowd. When the group returned for the encore Stickles remarked, “One more I guess. We don’t usually do this, but if you insist,” before starting a cover of The Rolling Stones’ Brown Sugar that brought the night to a close. Here’s a full gallery of photos from Titus Andronicus at Webster Hall…

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Gary Clark Jr. and the London Souls @ Brooklyn Bowl, November 6th

What can you say about an evening which opens with the London Souls (and Tash Neal) triumphantly returning to the stage, continues with Gary Clark Jr. ‘s jaw dropping performance in front of a packed house at Brooklyn Bowl and ends with President Obama’s triumphant victory over a bitter rival. Simply Wow. For many, it was their first introduction to the Austin guitarist and boy did he impress. Combining his hard hitting blues of When My Train Pulls In and Don’t Owe You A Thang with the ballad Please Come Home, he left the crowd cheering after almost everything song.

[All Photos by Jeremy Gordon]

Clark even brought out singer Bilal during his set before returning to his debut full-length album with Black & Blu and Bright Lights. As the band left the stage, the screens surrounding the crowd announced President Obama had won a second term and the cheering slowly turned into a joyous chant of “Four More Years!” For a city racked by the destruction of Hurricane Sandy it became a beautiful moment to join together as one.

Here’s a full gallery of photos from Brooklyn Bowl…

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Michael Kiwanuka @ Webster Hall, September 18th

Words: David Schultz

Only 24 years old, Michael Kiwanuka deftly hides his youth behind a scraggly beard and a penchant for resurrecting the soul stylings of a prior generation. On Home Again, Kiwanuka’s fantastic debut album, he channels Sam Cooke through the prism of Sly & The Family Stone at their most blissed out. The album’s lush arrangements conjure up an era of urban unrest fueled by the summer heat but quelled by the need to find a sense of inner peace.

[All Photos by Jeremy Gordon]

At Webster Hall, Kiwanuka did not attempt to present his album in all its ornate glory. Rather, on acoustic guitar, he led a relatively sparse band through the rolls of Home Again and I’m Getting Ready and a spacey run through Jimi Hendrix’ May This Be Love. Kiwanuka and his band often let the music take over, allowing songs like Tell Me A Tale to follow their own path. In a little over an hour, Kiwanuka not only showed extraordinary promise, he offered a glimpse at what might have happened had Jimmy Cliff or Toots Hibbert opted against reggae superstardom for a life of Van Morrison-style jazz and soul.

Here’s a full set of photos from Michael Kiwanuka at Webster Hall…

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Real Estate @ Webster Hall, August 11th

Local band done good Real Estate returned home to a sold-out Webster Hall in New York City this past Saturday night.  In front of a packed balcony of friends and family the band smiled, waved and played through a number of songs from 2011′s Days, including Green Aisles and Out of Tune.

A highlight of the evening came in the form of  a brand-new, unnamed, 10-minute original tune that Stereogum accurately describes as “a warm, expansive piece of work that goes heavy one homespun Television-style guitar interplay and gradually ascends heavenward.”

Here’s a full set of photos from Real Estate at Webster Hall…

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Levon Helm Tribute @ Brooklyn Bowl, June 5

Words: Scott Bernstein

Last Monday night Brooklyn Bowl hosted a wonderful heartfelt tribute to Levon Helm that perfectly captured the essence of The Band drummer’s 60+ year career. Put together by Noah Chernin, Pete Costello and Adam Geringer-Dunn, the marathon show featured musicians from many genres, showing the wide range of performers who Helm influenced and even saw the unannounced addition of Levon Helm Band members Jim Weider, Byron Isaacs and Brian Mitchell to the bill. The members of Bustle In Your Hedgerow  - Marco Benevento, Joe Russo, Scott Metzger and Dave Dreiwitz – were an inspired choice to serve as house band and were the MVPs on a night filled with fantastic performances.

[All Photos by Jeremy Gordon]

The evening was filled with many highlights and not in the places many would’ve guessed leading into the show. Scott Metzger is known for his guitar playing, but not for his voice. However, his gruff and gritty vocals were spot on for the Ophelia opener. Backed by his Bustle band mates, a trio of female singers and a horn section, Ophelia got the night off to a rollicking start. Diamond Doves were also stars of this show as the band, who regularly performs with Elvis Perkins, brought the night to a crescendo with rambunctious takes on Don’t Do It, sung by Jonah Smith, and Up On Cripple Creek.

Set: Ophelia* (sung by Scott Metzger), Slippin & Slidin’ (sung by Kelli Scarr), Goin’ Back To Memphis (sung by Dreiwitz), Ain’t No More Cane(sung by Ryan Miller of Guster, Luke Rathborne and Matthew Houck), Look Out Cleveland (sung by Matthew Houck and Tom Hamilton), Jemima Surrender (sung by Craig Finn), Yazoo Street Scandal (sung by Craig Finn), When I Paint My Masterpiece (sung by Chris Harford), Evangeline (sung by Kim Krans), Whispering Pines (sung by Nicole Atkins), Dirt Farmer (sung by Grayson Capps), Don’t Ya Tell Henry (sung by Tom Hamilton), Don’t Do It* (sung by Jonah Smith), Up On Cripple Creek (sung by Diamond Doves), W.S. Walcott Medicine Show (sung by Sam Cohen), Rag Mama Rag (sung by Sam Cohen), The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down* (sung by Ian Felice), King Harvest (sung by Kelli Scarr), Anna Lee (sung by Kelli Scarr, Leah Siegel and more), Calvary, Long Black Veil (sung by Adam Schatz w/ Diamond Doves), I Ain’t Got No Home (sung by Diamond Doves), Mystery Train* (sung by Jim Keller and Byron Isaacs), I Don’t Want To Hang Up My Rock & Roll Shoes* (sung by Luke Rathborne), Deep Elem Blues* (sung by Nate Martinez), The Shape I’m In (sung by Brian Mitchell), I Shall Be Released (sung by Nicole Atkins, Ian Felice and Ryan Miller), The Weight (sung by many)

* – w/ horn section

Towards the beginning of the show guitarist Jim Weider of Levon’s band came out and wound up performing on nearly a dozen tunes by the time the night was over. Weider’s LHB band mates Brian Mitchell and Byron Isaacs also had big roles in the show on piano and bass respectively. Singers shuffled in and out with The Hold Steady’s Craig Finn putting his heart and soul into fine versions of Jemima Surrender and Yazoo Street Surrender, folk artist Grayson Capps delivering a poignant take on Dirt Farmer, Jim Keller and Byron Isaacs’ bluesy Mystery Train dirge and Mitchell’s gritty The Shape I’m In.

Here’s a full gallery of Jeremy Gordon’s photos…

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An all-star lineup of performers came together at Central Park’s SummerStage in NYC on Tuesday night as part of a tribute to legendary guitarist Jimi Hendrix. Tuesday’s show was a fundraiser for the City Parks Foundation which provides free and accessible arts, sports, education and community-building programs within NYC parks, including the SummerStage slate of concerts each year.

[All Photos by Jeremy Gordon]

As the sun began to set, Wyclef Jean started the show by his lonesome in replicating Hendrix’s famed Star Spangled Banner from Woodstock. From there, The Roots emerged for takes on Have You Ever Been To Electric Ladyland and Fire. Brazilian born Bebel Gilberto was up next for Little Wing and The Wind Cries Mary, before G. Love and house band Soulive delivered If 6 Was 9 and Ain’t No Telling. From there, Soulive held court with two songs that are part of the trio’s repertoire – Manic Depression and Them Changes. Next up was Keller Williams who played a solo version of Castles Made of Sand and was backed by Soulive for Up In The Skies.

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Lotus @ Irving Plaza, May 10th

This past weekend Lotus returned to New York City for two intimate shows at Irving Plaza.  Playing before a near-capacity crowd on Thursday evening and a sold out venue on Friday night, the band treated fans to Moss Shoes (last played on October 6, 2007) and paid tribute to MCA and the Beastie Boys by covering In 3s and Sabrosa.  The jamtronica act busted out Moss Shoes at the request of fans, who took to the band’s social networking sites to make their request known.

[All Photos by Jeremy Gordon]

Next up for Lotus is a trip to Japan, where the group will play a week’s worth of shows. Then, they return to the states for sets at Summer Camp and Mountain Jam.

Setlists…

5/10/12 Irving Plaza , New York, NY

1: Blacklight Sunflare, Suitcases, Malabarista, Its All Clear To Me Now > Spiritualize, Blender
———
2: We are now connected > Nematode, Molluskunk, Nonstop in SF, In 3s (Beastie Boys), Lead Pipe > Jump Off > Zelda
———
E: 72 Hours, Harps

5/11/12 Irving Plaza , New York, NY

1: Bubonic Tonic> Golden Ghost, Ashcon, Livingston Storm, Let Me In (debut), Tarasque, Massif

2: Plant your Root> Tip of the Tongue, Neon Tubes, Moss Shoes> Sabrosa (Beastie Boys) > Greet the Mind, Break Build Burn, Wax

E: Disappear in a Blood-Red Sky, Bellwether> Umbilical Moonset> Bellwether

• Live Downloads: Lotus 05/11/2012

Here’s a full gallery of photos by Jeremy Gordon…

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Delta Spirit @ Webster Hall, March 29

[All Photos by Jeremy Gordon]

This past Thursday night, California rockers Delta Spirit took the stage at a sold-out Webster Hall in New York City. Focusing the majority of the set on their latest self-titled album, Delta Spirit didn’t stop the crowd from showering the band with love and singing along to every song (many of the female fans also shouted their love of handsome front man Matt Vasquez throughout the show).

With an energetic set that had the band running around the stage and urging the fans on constantly, Delta Spirit returned the love in a more surprising way by rewarding one gentlemen in the front row with Vasquez’s own guitar.

Catch Delta Spirit as they continue their Southern leg of the tour and keep watching for more video blogs from the band. Here’s a full gallery…

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This past Monday night, an eclectic and talented group of  musicians came together at Carnegie Hall to celebrate Tibetan culture at the XXII Annual Tibet House Benefit Concert.  The evening began with traditional prayers from eight Tibetan Monks, before Robert Thurman (president of Tibet House) took the stage to remind all in attendance of the importance of the upcoming year to Tibetan society.

[All Photos by Jeremy Gordon]

Standout performances included amusing stories by Laurie Anderson (on her unfortunate spiritual trip with American naturalists), meditations and songs by singer Dechen Shak-Dagsay, and an electric performance by violinist Tim Fain. Stephin Merritt of The Magnetic Fields played a banjo-ukulele for his set (and announced his fear of turning into the WB Frog on the stage), and Das Racist attempted to rap disjointedly over Rahzel’s beatboxing while gyrating and wrapping themselves in the American Flag.

Toward the end of the evening, legendary musician Lou Reed teamed up with the Patti Smith’s band (sans Patti Smith) to headline the show and performed a rather underwhelming three song set before he was joined on stage by all of the performers to honor composer and curator Phillip Glass on his 75^th birthday.

Here’s a full gallery of Jeremy’s photos from Carnegie Hall…

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Three out of the five members of God Street Wine came together with a few of their friends for a Jon Bevo’s Love Orchestra performance this past Saturday night at Mexicali Live in Teaneck, New Jersey. Guitarists Lo Faber and Aaron Maxwell and keyboardist Jon Bevo were joined by drummer Dave Diamond, bassist Tom Pirozzi and multi-instrumentalist Jason Crosby for both sets, which also featured guest spots from Todd Pasternack of the Ominous Seapods as well as Angela Ford Pasternack, Lizzy Friel and Frank Messina. JBLO mostly stuck to God Street Wine classics.

[All Photos by Jeremy Gordon]

HT photo editor Jeremy Gordon was on hand to capture this first JBLO performance of the century and has shared a gallery of his photos. Here’s the setlist…

Set One: Get On The Train, Souvenir, Bring Back The News, Goodnight Gretchen, Driving West, Imogene, Upside Down & Inside Out w/Lizzy Friel, vocals, Stone House w/Lizzy Friel, vocals

Set Two: She Comes Up Softly (Lo Acoustic), 6:15 (Lo Acoustic), Epiphany, Waiting For The Tide w/Todd Pasternack, guitar & Angela Ford Pasternack, vocals, Hollow Frog w/Frank Messina, Henrietta, Hammer & A Spike > Epilog > Hellfire

Encore: Nightingale w/Lizzy Friel, vocals

• Audio:  Yossi Pollak’s SBD Matrix
• Video: Six Songs Shot by Tyler Curtis

Check out this full gallery of Jeremy Gordon’s Jon Bevo’s Love Orchestra pics…

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Brothers Past @ Brooklyn Bowl, January 13

HT’s Jeremy Gordon caught one of Brothers Past’s first shows of 2012 on Friday night at Brooklyn Bowl. We wanted to share his snaps from the jamtronica act’s two-set performance.

[All Photos by Jeremy Gordon]

Setlist…

Set One: Celebrity>Getaway Somehow>Can You Keep a Secret, Dressed Uo Worn Down>Charity Starts at Home>Boy

Set Two: Astphadel, Dead Clowns>The Mirror>Dead Clowns, Whos Gonna Love Me Now

Encore: Leave the Light On

[via Brothers Past Facebook Page]

Here’s a full gallery of Jeremy’s fantastic photos…

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Disco Biscuits @ Best Buy Theater: December 28

Words: Carla Danca
Images: Jeremy Gordon

Earlier this month, The Disco Biscuits decided to fall back on their late night roots and gave a late start time to this past Wednesday night’s performance, which made for one of the most sought after tickets out there. With the Disco Biscuits performing less shows that usual of late, it left some fans unsure of how the holiday run would go. But even if they did speculate endlessly on the band’s ability to perform,the uncertainty didn’t hurt ticket sales as each night of the group’s NYC leg sold out well in advance of show time.

Brothers Past started the night off with some great jamming that got the sparse crowd out of their comfortable seats in the back and heading down to the front. Their always welcome cover of Depeche Mode’s Enjoy the Silence was dark and moody and a perfect contrast to the a steady builds throughout an opening set that included an on point version of  Leave the Lights On.

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