This past Saturday night marked the return to New York of longtime Perpetual Groove keyboardist Matt McDonald for the first time since 2008, when he departed the band, until coming back into the fold during the band’s New Year’s run. The quartet did not disappoint. McDonald and his band mates played a two set affair with song selections culled from the band’s oldest and newest compositions, and featured the most poignant of encores. PGroove kicked off the performance with a recent entry into the band’s repertoire, Holy Ship, which showcased bassist Adam Perry on rare backing vocals, and was a great way to ease into a the show. By the end of the evening, attendees at the sold out performance, held at Brooklyn Bowl, were treated to a retina-blinding and ear, heart and soul-piercing relentless explosion from the Georgia-based band.

[All Photos by Mitch Manzella]

As the first set rolled on with a deliriously dark cover of the Butthole Surfers’ Pepper, my first true feeling that the PGroove of old was back was during the middle of Stealy Man. Led by his signature sonic swirls and knob tweaks and twirls, McDonald and guitarist Brock Butler guided the band through several verses of TV on the Radio’s DLZ. A powerful reminder that the band was an impulsive, improvisational group at heart, I couldn’t help but pump my fist and bang my head, quickly forgetting that it had been almost four years since I had seen McDonald with his band mates at Amberland in 2008, the band’s annual Memorial Day festival, which marked Matt’s last shows with PGroove until late 2011.

“I guess this is a time we can be very clear about this. We chose not to renew a contract. We didn’t fire anyone. On our end there was no ill will. We just didn’t see why we were giving [our management] so much fucking money.” – Matt McDonald

But, as McDonald would tell me the following night in an exclusive, in-depth interview on my couch, the second set was the best one he’s played since his return, and possibly one of his “top five ever.” Yes, it was that good. The closing stanza featured some of the biggest songs in the PGroove arsenal including the Mr. Transistor opener, the catchy TTFPJ and another fine addition to the group’s catalog, Man with All the Answers. The set spilled well over the boiling point in no time at all and came to a raucous end with the tune that always represented McDonald’s time in the band – Robot Waltz. Perpetual Groove closed out the show with their signature hand/rock gestures thrown in the air at the song’s conclusion, and was mimicked by nearly everyone of the 837 paid patrons in attendance at the sold-out show.

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When Slade Sohmer moved on from running this site in 2008, I reluctantly took the reins having no prior experience in editing or leading a team of contributors. Two days after taking over I was contacted by one of my favorite writers, Randy Ray, who wanted to pen a column about movies for HT. I was so honored and felt that if Randy was interested in writing for us, we must have something special here. Now, four years later, Randy, who quickly became a friend, has filed his last Hidden Flick column. We can’t thank him enough for all his hard work and for believing in Hidden Track. – SB

We find ourselves at the end of our little journey. After five seasons, five special editions, and 80 columns in pursuit of hidden cinematic gems, we close the door on Hidden Flick with a final look at a film that either has some sort of secret truth or weary wisdom. Now, I use the word weary because, in many respects, the films canvassed in this ‘little column that could’ seemed to be about souls that were either at the proverbial crossroads, or burned out.

Burned out. One would hesitate to use that phrase about oneself. However, it is a clear indication of the interest level in life when most of the films discussed seek questions, instead of answers. Because it is the questions that keep us moving forward; whereby, the answers, oftentimes given for some need for clarity, are occasionally not only incorrect, but misleading, as well.

In Michael Cuesta’s 2011 film, Roadie, the main character returns home as a worn-down caricature of himself, desperately trying to maintain his hold on the bottom rung of stardom. He was a roadie for Blue Öyster Cult for 26 years, and now, even that fleeting chance at something bigger, something larger than himself, something truly ROCKING, has died out.

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Not too often does an act come around where the band name actually helps drive the success of the band. Occasionally, flipping through a CMJ flyer or plotting bands to see at SXSW, a name might catch your eye like Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. or the Madison Square Gardeners based on kitschiness alone, but usually it’s the opposite: bands have terrible names that their fans overlook because they like the music.

[Photo Credit: Jonathan Meter]

Well, Food Will Win the War manages to make good on both fronts. The multi-instrumentalist approach to front man Rob Ward’s songwriting makes for a hearty live show and potent studio output, while the band name just seems destined to be one indie music fans will know. With a new album fresh off the presses and shows on the docket at the popular Cameo Art Gallery in Williamsburg next Thursday and the Mercury Lounge on April 21^st, it shouldn’t be long before people do know the name Food Will Win the War.

Hidden Track: First off, even though there’s a lot of common denominators and single degrees of separation between you guys and other bands we’ve covered here at Hidden Track for a while, I don’t know much of the back story behind the history of Food Will Win the War. Could you give a bit of background on how you all know each other and where it began?

Rob Ward: Jeff (violin) and I met through a mutual friend, Judah Dadone (of Freelance Whales). And Devlin (glockenspiel, percussion, vocals) and Jeff used to play in Manson Family Picnic together. Dan (drums) and I have been friends for years and years and years. He and Matt (bass) have been playing as a rhythm section for quite a while for various projects. Scott (keys, accordion, vocals) is a childhood friend of a friend of Dan’s. What a tangled web we weave. Or. Not very tangled. But just a web.

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Umphrey’s McGee @ Fox Theater, March 17

Words: DaveO
Images: Lee Fenyves

It’s a long way to the top if you want to Rock and Roll. It’s been almost 11 years since Umphrey’s McGee made their first journey from the Midwest to the San Francisco Bay Area. In a little over a decade, UM has steadily grown from smaller clubs and mid size theaters, to multi-night runs at the Fillmore, which set the stage for a St. Patrick’s Day, Saturday headlining spot at Oakland’s Fox Theater. While the sextet can’t add another notch to their already impressive record of 2012 sellouts, The Fox certainly seemed as filled in as it does when bands like Wilco and My Morning Jacket pack the place.

[All photos by Lee Fenyves]

The Mother Hips, a California band with an even longer history in the area, took the stage for a 45-minute opening set that kept the attention of the early arrivers for the 7:30 ticket time. Their complex interplay was highlighted by Hips bassist Scott Thunes, whose resume includes playing with Frank Zappa for a majority of the 1980s.

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Marc Millman was on hand for Soulive’s exceptional Bowlive 3 run at Brooklyn Bowl and put together a list of ten “lessons” he learned from the run. Here’s his take, photos and videos…

1. Soulive are a super-talented and versatile band. Over the course of ten nights, Eric Krasno and Alan & Neal Evans played with everyone from famous jazz guitar players (John Scofield) to funky horn players (Karl Denson) to great R&B singers (Ledisi) and a legendary Funk bass player (George Porter Jr.). And they were great with all of them. I will admit to never being a huge fan of instrumental only bands. I am always happiest when singers get involved for at least some part of each set (and they did every night). I like lyrics. Give me Stevie Wonder or Peter Townshend over Miles or even Scofield any day. And the trio format can be somewhat limiting (although Kraz & Neal as soloists can both get WAY OUT THERE). But these guys only played a few songs alone each night because they clearly looked forward to sharing the stage with all of their good friends and various guests. And the truth be told, all the originals performed by the trio were just as enjoyable now as they were back in the days seeing them play around Manhattan more than a decade ago.

[All Photos by Marc Millman]

2. [This next one is not so much a lesson learned as one re-enforced] George Porter Jr. is…THE MAN. Let’s be clear on this. There are many funky bass players out there from Bootsy Collins to Tony Hall & Oteil Burbridge. George is the funkiest of them all. And you know what, he is older then them all…except Larry Graham who is probably just as funky and a year older. But here’s the thing: George plays all the time, everywhere. And he plays everyone’s music where Larry just plays his & Sly’s old hits. And I’ve seen Larry several times over the years and always enjoyed it. But it always has the air of an oldies show. Not George. He brings it every night. And he looks to keep it fresh. If you don’t believe me, check out the version of Going To The Country he performed Night 9. It brought tears to my eyes. I’ve seen a lot of George since The Meters started playing together again when I was in college back in the late ’80s. And yes, he is a friend of mine, but he is still the baddest [and nicest] of the bad. The funkiest of them all. If you don’t believe me, ask Oteil. I snapped an image of the two of them with Oteil’s brother Kofi on Night 8. I didn’t have a chance to take a breath after clicking the shutter release when Oteil grabbed my arm, asked to see it and then begged me to make sure I got him a copy.

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Thanks to David Schultz for keeping us posted on the action at SXSW in Austin.

Saturday, March 17

There are several constants about the last day of SXSW. As it always falls on Saturday, the streets, especially Sixth Street, become mobbed with people that descend upon the downtown area because it’s the most exciting thing in town on a warm weekend night.

[The Roots at Mohawk - by @phillyinquirer]

Not only are the streets a congested drunken mess, the lines for every venue grow exponentially from the prior days. Compounding the issue, many of the more enticing acts that have populated the showcases over the past week have fled for calmer ground. Unless your tastes skew wildly eclectic, the probability of seeing something entirely off your radar is at its highest on Saturday night. If there was ever any doubt about the value of being a badge holder it is on the festival’s final night.

One of the other constants: the phenomenal lineup of the MOG Saturday afternoon party at Mohawk. Every year, the online music service books a show with the buzziest of bands and pairs them with high profile acts that sometimes forego any official appearances in favor of this one set. The doors for the event usually open at noon and when they do, the line has usually reached mindboggling lengths. To insure being in the building when the first act hits the stage, people lineup as early as 10:00AM and once people get in, they likely aren’t leaving.

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New Multitudes at Webster Hall, March 14

Words: Jeffrey Greenblatt
Photos: Jeremy Gordon

Without Woody Guthrie there would have been no Pete Seeger, no Bob Dylan and no Bruce Springsteen, as his songbook  inspired multiple generations of budding musicians with his socio-political charged folk songs about the America he lived in and traveled around during the Great Depression. So there’s no shortage of reasons why the iconic folk singer’s 100th birthday is being celebrated in such a big way in 2012.

[All Photos by Jeremy Gordon]

As we’ve  previously mentioned, the all-star roots-rock conglomerate of Jay Farrar, Jim James, Will Johnson and Anders Parker we’re given the opportunity to honor the late Guthrie, by recording a new album culled from previously unseen and unrecorded material, under the moniker of New Multitudes. The quartet brought their brief ten-date, cross-country run to New York City’s historic Webster Hall on Wednesday night, a venue that, as it was dutifully pointed out from the stage, Guthrie himself had actually played, adding a sense that this was indeed one for Woody.

The night was broken into two distinct parts,  with the first section dedicated to bringing to life the songs of New Multitudes, ones that the singer-songwriters had crafted from notes and journal entries from the time that Guthrie had spent in Los Angeles. The confessional songs detail intimate moments of Guthrie’s life, touching on love, life and of course politics and society, often times all in the same song like the emotional wrought My Revolutionary Mind sung by James. The first part of the night came to close with the album’s title track, with all four members of the ad-hoc band out in front of the stage with acoustic guitars strapped on, as their voices blended beautifully on the Farrar sung track about challenging a new generation of activists to not be reticent and to take up causes for which to fight.

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We’re thrilled to welcome back Neeko, one of our first contributors, to share his take on a show that took place on March 13 at Wellington Town Hall in his current home country, New Zealand.

Live music is the greatest thing in the world. (Except for maybe a nice MLT: a mutton, lettuce and tomato sandwich, where the mutton is nice and lean and the tomato is ripe. They’re so perky, I love that!) When the recipe is just right, live music makes your body move in strange ways, it sends your thoughts reeling, and causes your face to contort in weird expressions of joy. The music of Tinariwen accomplishes all of this simply and effortlessly with the most basic of ingredients- melody, harmony, and a heavy dose of rhythm.

Tinariwen are an influential group of nomadic Tuareg-Berber musicians whose career spans more than four decades. They performed last week in Wellington, New Zealand as part of the 2012 NZ International Arts Festival. Each year, the Arts Festival provides a great opportunity to catch events and performances from many incredible Kiwi and international artists, writers, and musicians (many of whom might otherwise skip over this tiny island nation in the South Pacific). This year’s festival program has been no exception and I’ve seen some incredible productions so far, but nothing quite as soul-stirring as Tinariwen’s performance.

I was first introduced to the music of Tinirawen a few years back when a friend suggested that, since I liked Jimi Hendrix and the Talking Heads, I would most definitely dig Tinariwen. Intrigued by this unusual sales pitch, I downloaded their album Aman Iman:Water is Life and gave it an attentive listen. Many bands have rhythm, but not all bands have ‘groove’. Simply put, this band has groove. This band oozes groove and soul, and even if you don’t understand the words they are singing, you know exactly what they are singing about. There is a sense of timeless urgency in this music, an urgency one only acquires from living an uncertain, nomadic existence in the Sahara Desert. Many of their songs, even the slower ballads, are built upon a simple formula: percussion + guitars + big harmonic refrains = groove. Their live show does not betray this formula.

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For anyone not yet familiar, Allo Darlin’ is a four piece pop outfit from London that plays in the vein of Noah and the Whale. The music saunters to that same wistful pace as other Uke-wielding indie bands, but like Noah and the Whale, the band possesses real talent in their songwriting. Specifically, songs that initially come across as pleasant and inoffensive, later reveal a low key attention to detail in their carefully vibrating guitar harmonies, ukelele rhythms, and distinctive vocal melodies. You’ll hear this band tagged with words like cute and adorable, but pay no mind, Allo Darlin’ writes great music and plays it well taboot.

We caught up with Allo Darlin’ front-woman Elizabeth Morris for a quick chat in advance of the release of the band’s second LP, Europe, which comes out on April 17th.

Hidden Track: I’ve read that Allo’ Darlin came about very organically in terms of it being a situation where it a group of friends who played some music and next thing you know you’re touring all over the world. Is that basically how it came to be?

Elizabeth Morris: Kind of.  Paul and Mike were friends of one of my friends, and she suggested Paul and I work together on this Springsteen track for a compilation record WIAWYA were putting out. We’d hung out a couple of times before that but I wouldn’t say we were close friends at that stage. But we got together to do that track and got on really well, and before we knew it we were recording more songs together and then we got Bill in on bass who was a friend of mine, to play some live shows. Then we were asked to make an album for Fortuna Pop. So that’s a roundabout way of saying yes – we came about organically!

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[Originally Published: July 22, 2010]

The phrase “the show must go on” originally referred to Broadway and show biz, but the cliché also rings true with live music. Considering we’re talking about rock stars playing demanding, high-energy music it’s no surprise that a number of instances of bands playing one man short have come up over the years. It’s actually more of a surprise that it doesn’t happen more often.

For this week’s B List we look at ten cases where acts we cover have performed without the services of one member. Some gigs were train wrecks while others wound up being great shows. Here’s what we came up with…

1. moe. – 07/09/2010 – Minus Al Schnier

This gig was the impetus for this list as Al Schnier was unable to perform at a recent moe. gig in Peoria, but his band mates went ahead with the show and delivered a solid performance heavy on Chuck and Rob songs. moe. offered fans refunds, but we bet there weren’t many takers.

Set One: Bullet> Awesome Gary> Billy Goat> Timmy Tucker> Zed Nought Z, Buster
Set Two: Captain America> Blue Jeans Pizza> Sensory Deprivation Bank, McBain, All Roads Lead to Home, St. Augustine, Don’t Fuck With Flo> Plane Crash
Encore: Stranger Than Fiction

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Joshua Bogen of JamBandsEurope doesn’t get to catch many jam acts in action as a European resident, so he’s taking full advantage of Jam In The Dam. Each day he’ll provide a diary of his experience in Amsterdam watching DSO, Mike Gordon, Lotus, Keller and moe.

After a busy day on Tuesday I woke up late, which I think will pretty much be the case for the duration of Jam In The Dam. The weather has been unchanged, overcast but not uncomfortable, with more than a touch of grey. A quick breakfast/lunch and off I went into the city to actually see something today. We were now relatively oriented and it did not take too long to arrive at the Van Gogh museum, probably the can’t miss sight for Amsterdam. An amazing collection, well organized to make the tour really easy to follow. And in the middle, we discovered a little gem, an oil painting by Van Gogh titled Skull of A Skeleton with Burning Cigarette. If you haven’t seen it, here it is…

[Public Domain Image]

Yet another good omen for the festival, and possible evidence that Van Gogh himself may have attended the earliest incarnations of Jam In The Dam. After that, and despite a drawn out quest to try what are apparently considered possibly the best french fries in the world, which ended in failure as the place was closed, we made it the Melkweg on time.

At this point I should mention that the Jam In The Dam schedule is printed out in what, for me, is a completely backwards way. For each day’s schedule the times for the “headliner” of the day, the last band to go on, is printed first, and the start and end times for the “opener,” the first band to play, is printed at the bottom, with the other bands’ time slots listed in reverse order. If you can follow me, that means that the first time you see on the schedule is when the last band goes on, a set at midnight, and the last time you see, at the bottom, is the time that the first band is supposed to finish their set, at 9:30 PM. However, when I first glanced at the schedule, reading in a logical fashion, i got the idea into my head that each night started at 12 midnight and ended at 9:30 in the morning. (which actually if you think about it, would be quite convenient for the people coming over from the U.S., who would basically never have to adjust to European time). Thankfully, that is not the case, and the festival got rolling right on time at 8 PM.

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Gogol Bordello @ Boulder Theater, March 7

Words: Jonathan Kosakow
Images: Michael Stein [from March 8 performance at Denver's Ogden Theatre]

Have you ever sat in a room watching a group of people on stage, knowing that a revolution could start right then and there? Like all the universes would collide and each and every human being in attendance would ban together and start ripping the chairs from their bolts, simply to rejoice in their unity? Well, neither have I, but a Gogol Bordello performance may be the closest I’ve come. As I stood on the balcony, looking out over a sold-out crowd in the 1,000 seat standing room only Boulder Theater last week, I thought for a brief moment that some sort of sweet, kind, backwards riot might break out and everyone would grab the closest person to them and just start fucking, because there is hardly any other better way to join together in body mind and soul with another human being than that.

[All Photos by Michael Stein]

For Gogol Bordello, it would seem that unity is what they’re after. Even if you lost your hearing at a Bordello show (which is not entirely impossible, as loud as they play, and as loud as the crowd gets), you could tell just by looking at the melting pot of performers on stage that they are in favor of diversity. Meanwhile the crowd, like the population of Boulder, Colorado was quite the opposite: at its core, a bunch of white people (though admittedly they were altogether quite different seeming from one spot to the next).

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On most Thursdays at Brooklyn Bowl, ?uestlove spins the night away during sessions billed as Bowl Train which means a more compressed evening than usual for the concert that leads into The Roots drummer’s DJ gig. As was the case last night, where Soulive took the stage early and welcomed a bevy of guests by the time they passed the baton to ?uesto before midnight. Among the many talented musicians joining Soulive at the eighth of ten Bowlive III performances were Medeski Martin and Wood drummer Billy Martin, saxophonist Skerik, singer/songwriter Citizen Cope, Kofi Burbridge, Alice Smith, The Bowlive Horns, Nigel Hall and legendary bassist George Porter Jr.

[All Photos by Phrazz]

Each of Soulive’s two sets last night offered something completely different. The first set started out with just the trio for Steppin’ and Kofi and the horns on El Ron, before they welcomed Cope to lead them a few of his originals, including Bullet and a Target. Alice Smith had a chance to shine towards the end of the set on a cover of Cee Lo’s Fool For You. The Tuesday Night Squad first set closer featured the horns and Nigel Hall on keys.

For the closing stanza, Soulive paid tribute to New Orleans with the help of George Porter Jr., ?uestlove, Billy Martin, Burbridge and Skerik. By the time the set was through, Soulive and their guests had covered Meters classics Hey Pocky Way, Funkify Your Life, Africa and Just Kissed My Baby. For a full recap of Night 8, head over to Royal Family Records’ blog where Karen Dugan has the scoop.

• Bowlive III: Night One Photos and Videos, Night Two Photos, Night Three Photos, Night Four Photos and Videos and Soulive In Your Hedgerow – Night Five, Zach Deputy and Eric Krasno Duel & More Night Seven Videos

Bowlive III finishes off tonight and tomorrow at Brooklyn Bowl or via iClips Pay-Per-View webcast. Here’s a full gallery of snaps from Night Eight thanks to Nick “Phrazz” Fitanides…

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There are ties that bind in Southern music circles, and then there is Col. Bruce Hampton, who seems to have had a hand in just about every great regional collaboration — and an influence that reaches far into what emerged from the HORDE-era jam scene and well beyond — since the original Aquarium Rescue Unit sparked to life in the mid-1980s. His legacy, of course, goes back decades earlier.

No surprise, then, that Hampton played a key role in the creation of Flannel Church, a new band that features Duane Trucks on drums, Kevin Scott on bass, Gregory “Wolf” Hodges on guitar and vocals and A.J. Ghent on pedal steel.

Duane, younger brother of Derek and nephew of Butch, and Scott have played with the Colonel for several years now in the Pharaoh Gummit, and New Orleans guitarist Hodges is veteran of many bands, including the Colonel-associated Codetalkers and also Blueground Undergrass. Ghent, son of sacred steel legend Aubrey Ghent, is the latest addition.

The band made its official debut in Jacksonville just after Christmas in 2010, on Duane’s 23rd birthday, and has since played sporadic gigs with Lee Boys steel ace Roosevelt Collier and guitarist Shane Pruitt. It’s the Ghent lineup that will make its first appearance in the Northeast this week, however, playing an after-Allmans show at New York’s Iridium on Friday, March 9, and an opening slot for Bobby Keys and the Sufferin’ Bastards at the Highline Ballroom on Sunday, March 11.

This is a funky, gospely, greasy, soul-nourishing unit that draws a little bit from all of its various members’ musical pedigrees. Based on their early buzz, you’re advised not to miss out, as Duane told us in a recent conversation.

HIDDEN TRACK: So tell me about how Flannel Church came together.

DUANE TRUCKS: Well, with most bands in this region, it seems like Col. Bruce is kind of the glue that pulls us all together, so you might as well just add us to that list — he was really the reason, man. About two years ago, we did a [Pharaoh Gummit] gig in New Orleans for JazzFest at the Howlin’ Wolf, and Wolf sat in on that. Wolf and I had known each other — I’ve known Bruce since I was four years old, and I’d always see all of his different bands when I was growing up so I’d first met Wolf when I was 13 or 14 and in middle school. He’d called me and Kevin up and said hey man, I’ve got some thing I want to try, so we did that, we jammed, and right off the bat, we were like, oh shit, there’s something happening here. So we said let’s take our time, and let’s make that something happen.

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With the Allman Brothers Band 2012 Beacon Run set to kick off on Friday, we wanted to re-publish Chad Berndtson’s thought-provoking preview about what he’d like to see from the legendary band.

Dear Allman Brothers Band,

You’re old, and you’re aging well. I continue to shell out for the Beacon because your surprises and your sense of adventure can still blow past even a seen-it-all concertgoer’s most optimistic hopes — when you feel like it.

Some of the Beacon and United Palace shows I saw between 2001 and 2011 are in my Top 30 all-time nights out. Others, I feel like I overpaid — really overpaid in some cases. So here’s to keeping things interesting and renewing ABB Nation’s faith that your March shows are the one of the most reliable investments in live music — with a few gentle suggestions from a longtime and wholly devoted fan fully prepared to get ripped apart by other Nation members disagreeing with all ten.

If you’re expecting another “Ask Dickey to sit-in” request, that’s not what we’re about here. Assume that we love you already, that we will practice tough love based on how much money you charge for these shows and how good we know you really can be, and that we’re always up for some new flavors of fun.

1. Play another new original — even if it’s a sketch.

There’s been a whole lot of “definitely, maybe” talk about a new Allman Brothers Band album for years now, and we have seen snatches of new material here and there, though apart from Bag End, the vast majority of your first time plays are either new covers or songs familiar to side projects like the Warren Haynes Band or Tedeschi Trucks Band. I find it hard to believe that the current Allmans lineup doesn’t have at least something else kicking around, even in rough sketch form. What better place to workshop it than in front of ravenous Beacon fans that would know immediately — and appreciate immediately — that it’s a new original?

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