Marco Benevento @ Brooklyn Bowl – April 20th

Photos: Andrew Blackstein

Saturday, April 20th was a date many marked in their calendar for a variety of reasons. For many music-lovers in New York City that marked the date on which keyboardist Marco Benevento would finally bring his to the Brooklyn Bowl. Benevento was joined by his frequent trio of drummer Andrew Borger and Ween bassist Dave Dreiwitz for his debut at The Bowl. Diamond Doves and The Mike Dillon Band warmed up the crowd before Marco’s main course.

[All Photos by Andrew Blackstein]

Marco offered a career-spanning set that included four songs from his most recent album – TigerFace. The trio was joined by Benevento’s Garage A Trois band mate Mike Dillon on percussion for The Real Morning Party and worked a cover of The Bangles’ Walk Like An Egyptian into Two of You. With Dave and Andy laying down heavy soundscapes Marco was able to enjoy the luxury of interacting with the Brooklyn faithful. Whether it was lounging on his piano seat, wearing a plush tiger mask or inviting his friend Karina Mackenzie to dance on stage, Marco and his band were visibly enjoying the festivities.

Here’s a look at the setlist and photos from Marco’s performance at the Brooklyn Bowl…

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We’ve heard of announcing shows the morning of the performance, but Pretty Lights is breaking new ground as the jamtronica act has just announced a surprise set at Brooklyn Bowl in New York City that begins in just a few minutes. Derek Vincent Smith was scheduled to be off the road until Coachella next weekend and isn’t supposed to play NYC until he performs at June’s Governor’s Ball Music Festival.

Tonight marks Pretty Lights’ first appearance at Brooklyn Bowl. Questlove will still spin his Bowl Train set following Pretty Lights. Derek will perform tracks mostly off his new album during the hour-long set.

I'm throwin down a surprise hour long set tonight @brooklynbowl 11:30-12:30 b4 @questlove i'll b rockin mostly trx off my new record, come!

Thursday, April 4, 2013 9:47 pm via Twitter for iPhoneReplyRetweetFavorite

@PrettyLights

Pretty Lights

Last night Allman Brothers Band guitarists Derek Trucks and Warren Haynes bridged our favorite two annual New York City residencies, when they performed both with the Allmans at the Beacon on Manhattan’s Upper West Side and with Soulive at Brooklyn Bowl in Williamsburg on the same night. The guitarists started off by playing two sets with the Brothers before they headed south for a surprise third set of Soulive’s second Bowlive IV performance.

[All Photos by Dino Perrucci]

Photographer Dino Perrucci was on hand to capture Derek and Warren in action at both spots.

Here’s more shots from Dino plus a vid of Soulive with Trucks, Haynes, Robert Randolph and the horns on a cover of Band of Changes by Band of Gypsies taped by our pal LazyLightning55…

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While the Allman Brothers Band have been keeping a March musical tradition going since 1989 with their Beacon Theatre runs, Soulive has given life to a musical tradition all their own in Brooklyn. In 2010 Soulive played a 10-night, guest-laden residency at the Brooklyn Bowl titled “Bowlive.” Now in its fourth year, Soulive continues to top themselves with each successive Bowlive. From last night’s Bowlive IV opening show, the trio has laid the groundwork for raising the bar once again.

[All Photos by Andrew Blackstein]

Fusion-jammers Kung Fu kicked off the evening with a short but sweet set filled with potent improvisation. The Connecticut-based band is now in the midst of their fourth year together and continue to expertly mesh the sounds of the groups that spawned Kung Fu: The Breakfast, RAQ and Deep Banana Blackout. Guitarist Tim Palmieri and keyboardist Todd Stoops each have a unique style that’s so different from anybody else in the scene as it mixes speed and accuracy with an ear towards melody. I wasn’t the only one who wished there set went on longer.

When Soulive took the stage for their first set of Bowlive IV they were unaccompanied. Guitarist Eric Krasno, keyboardist Neal Evans and drummer Alan Evans showed off ther jazz-funk-groove hybrid sound on a run of four originals that kicked off the run with a bang. From the minute they started from 2007′s No Place Like Soul, it was clear Soulive would need no warm up. They hit it hard from the get go. Hat Trick, off 2009′s Up Here, shined the light on Kraz’s tasteful, soul-laden shredding. He’s got a sound and approach similar to John Scofield with a dirtier edge to it. Next, Soulive dipped towards the early days of the band by performing Shaheed from 2001′s Doin’ Something and Tuesday’s Night’s Squad.

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Soulive’s highly anticipated Bowlive IV residency at Brooklyn Bowl in NYC kicks off tomorrow night. Luther and Cody Dickinson were announced as special guests with the band leaving the door open for more artists to jam with them that night. This afternoon, we’ve found out one of these extra guests – none other than John Popper of Blues Traveler.

Popper’s @blues_traveler feed has been paying dividends today, as he already broke the news that he’ll be performing with the Allman Brothers Band this evening. Now, the harmonica master has revealed that he’ll jam with Eric Krasno and Soulive tomorrow. John was supposed to have played with Kraz last week at the first night of Bill Evans’ Soulgrass’s residency at the Blue Note, but had to bail as he was recovering from surgery. He considers tomorrow night “a cool makeup exam for me.”

Last week when Soulive announced the guests for their upcoming Bowlive IV residency at Brooklyn Bowl, there was one “TBA” listed that caught our attention. On March 12th the trio will pay tribute to the legendary Stax record label. Today, the band revealed that keyboardist Booker T. Jones will join them at the Bowl on the 12th.

Booker T. is the front man for Booker T. and the M.G.s, a group that released nearly all of their legendary recordings on Stax. Jones also played on a number of Stax sessions. The Shady Horns will also guest on the 12th, with Cochemea Gastelum’s Johnny Arrow project set to open that night.

Over the past few days The Roots drummer Questlove has been warning his Twitter followers to keep their eyes on Brooklyn Bowl’s feed  as they’ll only “have like 3 mins to swipe CC.” Late last night we’ve found out what Questo was hinting at when he revealed that he’ll perform a “duet set” with neo-soul singer D’Angelo at Brooklyn Bowl in New York City on Monday night.

D’Angelo has only played a handful of gigs stateside since 2000 including an appearance with Questlove at last year’s Bonnaroo Super Jam that featured a slew of covers. Questo produced D’Angelo’s latest album which the drummer recently said was expected to be completed in February. Tickets will be available starting at 10AM through the Brooklyn Bowl website.

Soulive will bring Bowlive back to Brooklyn Bowl in New York City next month with eight performances scheduled between March 7th and March 16th. This afternoon the Brooklyn Bowl website has been updated to reveal a number of special guests and opening acts for Bowlive IV.

For opening night, March 7th, Soulive will be joined by Luther and Cody Dickinson of the North Mississippi Allstars with more guests expected to be announced soon. Robert Randolph and Lee Fields will be Soulive’s guest on March 8th. Nigel Hall and DJ Logic will be the guests on the 9th. The 12th will be a special Tribute To Stax Records with a special guest to be revealed soon. Lettuce’s Shady Horns will make multiple appearances with their label mates as they are listed as guests on the 12th, 13th, 14th and 15th. In addition, Marco Benevento and David Hidalgo of Los Lobos will sit in with Soulive on March 13th, while Meters bassist George Porter Jr. will lend a hand on March 15th and 16th. Porter’s Original Meters band mate, guitarist Leo Nocentelli will also guest on the 15th.

Here’s a look at what’s been announced so far…

3/7: Luther and Cody Dickinson + More To Be Announced + Kung Fu To Open
3/8: Robert Randolph and Lee Fields
3/9: Nigel Hall & DJ Logic + Alecia Chakour Band as opener
3/12: A Tribute To Stax feat. Special Guest TBA + The Shady Horns
3/13: Marco Benevento, The Shady Horns, David Hidalgo + London Souls as opener
3/14:  The Shady Horns + More TBA
3/15: George Porter Jr. + Leo Nocentelli + The Shady Horns
3/16: The Shady Horns + George Porter Jr. + Alecia Chakour Band as opener

Tickets for all Bowlive IV shows are on sale now. Stay tuned for more special guest announcements.

On February 14 – 16, New Orleans brass band The Soul Rebels will hold court at Brooklyn Bowl in Brooklyn, New York for a three-night stand. Today, the group has announced a batch of special guests for these shows which mark their biggest run yet in NYC.

Saxophonist Karl Denson will be The Soul Rebels’ guest on Feb. 14th. On the 15th, conga star Pedrito Martinez and Maurice Brown will sit in with The Soul Rebels. Then, as the grand finale, Medeski Martin & Wood keyboardist John Medeski will jam with The Soul Rebels on the 16th. Tickets for all three shows are available now for $12 a piece through Ticketfly.

After selling out their first-ever appearance at NYC’s Beacon Theatre, HT faves Umphrey’s McGee have announced a second NYC gig for this coming weekend as they’ll return to Brooklyn Bowl in Williamsburg on Sunday night. UM are set to rock the Beacon on Friday before travelling to Providence for a Saturday night performance only to return for the intimate affair on Sunday.

The Chicago-based sextet first performed at Brooklyn Bowl in January of 2011 for a show that marked longtime sound engineer Kevin Browning’s last show on the road with the band. UM returned to the Bowl for a four-night stand in September ’11 that saw guest spots from Bob Weir, Steve Molitz and Biz Markie. Tickets go on sale at noon ET tomorrow (Thursday).

Sunday’s show will celebrate the band’s 15th Anniversary. Check out a photo from the group’s debut performance from January 21st, 1998…

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As a music fan in the New York City area there are two things you can essentially count on each March. One is Allman Brothers’ Beacon Theatre run, while the other is a much newer tradition – Bowlive: Soulive’s multi-night residency at Brooklyn Bowl. For the fourth year in a row the jazz-funk trio will set up shop at the multipurpose venue for eight nights, which will run from March 7-9 and then pick up again from the 12-16. As in years past the band will be joined by an array of special guests over the course of the run, which last year  featured the likes of Derek Trucks, John Scofield, Luther Dickinson (NMAS), Billy Martin and ?uestlove. Tickets are currently on-sale for the entire run, as well as a special eight-night pass that will run you $120.

[Photo by Phrazz]

If you can’t make it out for Soulive’s annual residency, then maybe you’ll be able to hit one of these recently announced tours…

• Animal Collective w/ Dan Deacon: Spring North American Tour (3/7 – 3/24)
• Leonard Cohen: Spring North American Tour (3/2 – 4/20)
  
• Les Claypool’s Duo De Twang: West Cost Tour (3/20 – 3/24)
• Hot Tuna: U.S. Tour (2/8 – 6/21)
• Drive-By Truckers: U.S. Tour (1/17 – 3/17)
• Living Colour: 25th Anniversary World Tour (3/7 – 4/13)
• Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band: Spring Tour (2/27 – 4/2)
• Lotus: U.S. Tour (1/24 – 4/6)
• Crystal Castles: World Tour (1/15 – 5/13)
• Toubab Krewe: Rocky Mountain High Tour (3/21 – 4/6)
• Chelsea Light Moving: North American Tour (3/2 – 4/7)

A new project being built on the famed Las Vegas Strip that will connect three Caesar’s Properties dubbed LINQ will include the first Western outpost of Brooklyn Bowl. According to the Las Vegas Sun, the Las Vegas Brooklyn Bowl “will take up about 25 percent of the 300,000-square-foot development. Brooklyn Bowl is being designed with a 600-seat performance hall able to host crowds watching football on Sundays, DJ or hip-hop karaoke and nightly concerts.” However, the description on the new venue’s Twitter feed mentions a “2000 Capacity Performance Space” as well as 32 lanes and food by Blue Ribbon – the restaurant that provides the food at the NYC location.

The pedestrian mall is also expected to host a 550-foot ferris wheel called the “High Roller” and will contain a bevy of restaurants and shops including a Yard House outpost for beer-lovers. LINQ is expected to open in late 2013, with Brooklyn Bowl’s Vegas page saying their venue will open in 2014. “Like” the Brooklyn Bowl Vegas Facebook page or follow the Twitter feed for future updates.

Last night at Brooklyn Bowl, comedian/actress Maya Rudolph, vocalist Gretchen Lieberum and The Roots teamed up for a set of Prince classics. Rudolph and Lieberum, who go by the name PRINCEss, were clearly living out a dream and seemed to relish every moment.

A number of videos from the performance have surfaced so far via Brooklyn Glutton…

First, here’s the ensemble’s take on Purple Rain…

PRINCEss w/ The Roots – Purple Rain

Next, check out the group’s versions of Controversy and Dirty Mind…

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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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Words: JR Hevron

“You are all in for an insanely special show,” says event organizer Noah Chernin of Monday’s Levon Helm tribute at Brooklyn Bowl: “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down”: A Celebration of the Life and Music of Levon Helm”

In the true spirit of the rambles that Levon Helm was famous for hosting at his barn in Woodstock, Chernin — along with Pete Costello and Adam Geringer-Dunn of Brooklyn Bowl — have put together a stellar lineup of performers to honor the memory of the great Band drummer.

In addition to a core band of Marco Benevento, Dave Dreiwitz, Scott Metzger and Joe Russo (who play together regularly as Bustle In Your Hedgrow), the organizers have invited special guest performers including Craig Finn & Tad Kubler (The Hold Steady), Ryan Miller (Guster), Grayson Capps, members of The Felice Brothers, Nicole Atkins, Phosphorescent, Family Band, Diamond Doves, Kelli Scarr, Yellowbirds, Tom Hamilton (American Babies), Thieving Irons and Luke Rathborne.

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