Every three years since 2004 Eric Clapton has called upon his famous guitarist friends and those young axeslingers he admires for a benefit called the Crossroads Guitar Festival to raise funds for Clapton’s Crossroads Centre drug treatment center in Antigua. Following the 2004 edition in Dallas and 2007 and 2010 editions near Chicago, this year’s Crossroads Fest takes place at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Last night was the first of the event’s two nights at the “World’s Greatest Arena.”

[Photos by @languagestrange]

Clapton took the stage as the evening’s first act for a five-song acoustic set and returned at points in the night to sit in with many of the performers on the bill. Booker T was up next and was joined by Steve Cropper, Blake Mills, Matt “Guitar” Murphy and Keb Mo for a set of MGs classics. A summit of guitar gods followed, which saw Clapton team up with B.B. King, Robert Cray and Jimmie Vaughan. Sonny Landreth delivered a song while the stage was set for Doyle Bramhall II, who welcomed Citizen Cope and Gary Clark Jr. during his five-song performance. From there, Philip Sayce, Earl Klugh and Al Turner and Kurt Rosenwinkel each took turns leading the proceedings with Clapton joining Rosenwinkel for If I Should Lose You and Way Down That Lonesome Road. Gary Clark Jr. returned for a quick solo interlude which was followed a John Mayer set. Country star Keith Urban helped out Mayer and his band for a cover of Don’t Let Me Down By The Beatles. For Buddy Guy’s set the Chicago legend was joined by Robert Randolph and his protege – Quinn Sullivan. The evening’s MC Dan Aykroyd paired up with Keb Mo for a few tunes before he introduced the Allman Brothers Band to close out the show. The Allmans finished off the evening with a five-song set that included sit-ins from David Hidalgo and Cesar Rosas of Los Lobos, Taj Mahal and Clapton himself for Why Does Love Got To Be So Sad?

We’ve compiled photos, videos and the setlist from last night’s show…

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There was once a time when Phil Lesh and Dark Star Orchestra weren’t on good terms. It was said Lesh didn’t appreciate DSO’s concept and that DSO wasn’t thrilled that Phil recruited John Kadlecik for Furthur. Those bad vibes have apparently dissipated as Uncle Phil sat in with Dark Star Orchestra last night for the second time in six months.

DSO performed at Lesh’s Terrapin Crossroads venue and were joined by the Grateful Dead / Furthur bassist for the majority of the second set. Phil emerged at the beginning of the second stanza, as DSO bassist Kevin Rosen sat out, for China > Rider and That’s It For The Other One sequences. While most of the show focused on material from the late ’60s, Dark Star offered an “original setlist” instead of performing a show from the Dead’s past.

Here’s the setlist from last night’s show…

Set One: Dancin’ In The Streets > Till The Morning Comes, High Time, Easy Wind > Not Fade Away > New Orleans > Not Fade Away > Death Don’t Have No Mercy > Viola Lee Blues

Set Two: China Cat Sunflower* > I Know You Rider*, Cryptical Envelopment > * The Other One > * Cryptical Envelopment*, Hard To Handle > Alligator > jam (mountain jam) > The Eleven > Going Down The Road

Encore: Brokedown Palace

* – w/ Phil Lesh

[Setlist via DeadHeadLand]

Dark Star Orchestra move on to a venue owned by a different member of the Grateful Dead this evening for a sold-out show at Bob Weir’s Sweetwater Music Hall in Mill Valley, Calif.

HT faves My Morning Jacket returned tonight to play a set at Centennial Park in Atlanta, their first gig since January. MMJ’s set was part of the Big Dance festivities to celebrate the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship Final Four, which will be held at the nearby Georgia Dome on Saturday and Monday.

You can watch a webcast of the set here.

Jim James and Co. came out of the gates with the rare opener call of Magheetah before offering off a double dose of songs from their most recent LP, Circuital, in the album’s title track and Outta My System. The Louisville-based band didn’t display any rust as they moved through staples I’m Amazed and Off The Record, connecting each song in the opening segment with noisy, fuzz-laden interludes. Lay Low showcased duel lead theatrics from James and Carl Broemel before dissolving into a whirl of feedback out of which Victory Dance emerged. Jim took an opportunity to welcome the crowd and espouse what a beautiful night it was in between First Light and Wordless Chorus and later dusted off his trusty Omnichord for Touch Me I’m Going To Scream Part 2. More Circuital material came in the form of Holdin’ On To Black Metal which was followed by romps through classics Gideon and Anytime. The power-packed, 80-minute set ended the way many MMJ festival sets do, with One Big Holiday.

Setlist…

Set: Magheetah > Circuital > Outta My System > I’m Amazed > Off The Record, Lay Low > Victory Dance > First Light, Wordless Chorus, Touch Me I’m Going To Scream Part 2, Holdin’ On To Black Metal, Gideon, Anytime, One Big Holiday

There are currently no future My Morning Jacket performances scheduled.

HT faves RAQ’s three-night reunion run through the Northeast came to a close last night at The Blockley in Philadelphia after previous performances in Boston on Thursday night and in New York City on Saturday evening. The group showed off the impressive breadth of their catalog, repeating only two songs over the course of a run that was essentially a giant three-night Welcome To The Donkey Show sandwich as it began and ended with the fan-favorite RAQ original.

[Photo by Andrew Blackstein]

While we’re still working on a review of RAQ’s fantastic performance in NYC that will go up soon (complete with more of Andrew Blackstein’s photos), we wanted to share not only all of the setlists from the past three nights but also professionally-shot footage of last night’s show with soundboard audio. The Blockley streamed the entire 2:14 show via their Ustream feed…

Video streaming by Ustream

Here’s all three RAQ Reunion Tour setlists and audio links…

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We’ve come to the end of 2012 and Phish’s four-night New Year’s Run at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Tonight the quartet returned to MSG to finish off the run with their seventh three-set, New Year’s Eve performance at “The World’s Greatest Arena.”

[Photo via @phishfromtheroad]

Phish has always been known for their “quirky” lyrics and no song is quite as quirky as Kung. The Jon Fishman-penned ditty features the line “we can stage a runaway golfcart marathon.” Over 23 years after the debut of Kung, the quartet showed that can indeed “stage a runaway golfcart marathon” as this year’s “gag” turned MSG into a golf-themed, garden party complete with golf carts driving wildly around the stage. The golf theme continued into the third set after Tweezer Reprise followed Auld Lang Syne as each song Phish played referenced golf – Sand, The Wedge, Fly Like An Eagle (Steve Miller Band), Wilson (an image of a Wilson-branded ball was shown on the scoreboard), Lawn Boy (performed a capella), Driver and Iron Man.

Watch The “Gag”…

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December 30th has also been a special day for Phish as they’ve delivered a number of memorable gigs on this night. Tonight, Phish continued their four-night NYE Run at Madison Square Garden.

[Photo via @phishfromtheroad]

The penultimate show of 2012 started off with a batch of staples that led into only the 16th version of Blues Image’s one-hit wonder Ride Captain Ride ever. Ocelot continues to win over Phish fans thanks to its swampy jam section. Ya Mar featured Mike Gordon taking a bass solo in lieu of a guitar solo. Horn has been a tune the quartet has struggled with, but not on this night – it was nailed. My Friend, My Friend also benefited from a near flawless performance and led into a typically ferocious Run Like An Antelope first set closer.

While the second show of the run didn’t contain much exploration, the same can’t be said about Night Three. Phish opened up Down With Disease in a big way, exploring multiple jam spaces in the near 20-minute version that kicked off the closing stanza. A particularly enthralling segment saw bassist Mike Gordon utilize a synth’d out tone that was so powerful the audience roared when he kicked into it. Guitarist Trey Anastasio followed along for a funky and dirty romp that closed out the Disease and led into Twenty Years Later. Next up was Carini which kept the “darkness” theme going and contained a jam that could’ve easily been played by early Pink Floyd as by Woodsman. This psych-y segment was Phish jamming without a net and was more spacey than melodic. The quartet followed the jam-laden first half of Set Two with straight-forward takes on Backwards Down The Number Line and Julius. A gorgeous, patient Slave To The Traffic Light was a powerful way to end the set of the run thus far. When Phish returned for the encore, they did something they’ve never done before over the last 29 years – they followed Slave with Harry Hood. Two of the more emotional and quintessentially Phish tunes back-to-back. Hood’s jam section was as patient as the powerful Slave, until it came time for the climax. Anastasio played a series of chords to end the tune instead of his usual rapid-fire flurry of notes. Show of Life was tacked on as a bonus second song in the encore slot.

[MKDevo's 12/30 Videos]

Setlist…

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Last night Phish began their annual New Year’s Run at Madison Square Garden in New York City with a show that featured memorable versions of Tweezer and Wolfman’s Brother. This evening the four-night stand continued for what was the band’s 25th show at “The World’s Greatest Arena.”

[Photo via @phishfromtheroad]

You can watch this evening’s show live via a LivePhish.com webcast. For commentary from the Garden, we recommend following @bizarchive.

Setlist…

Set 1: Crowd Control, Mound, AC/DC Bag > Rock and Roll, Sugar Shack, Reba,Halley’s Comet > Limb By Limb^[1], Wading in the Velvet Sea, Bathtub Gin^[2]

Set 2: Golden Age > Waves > Prince Caspian^[3] > Boogie On Reggae Woman >Suzy Greenberg > Bug > Cavern > 46 Days

Encore: The Squirming Coil, Grind, First Tube

[1] Follow the Yellow Brick Road tease
[2] Susie Q quote from Fishman
[3] Unfinished.

[via Phish.net]

Here’s The Skinny from Night Two of Phish’s NYE Run 2012…

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My Morning Jacket returned to The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, New York last night for the second of three shows that kick off their NYE Run. The band promised no repeats throughout the three-show run which has meant the addition of lesser-played material to each setlist.

[Photo by @mymorningjacket]

Fan-favorites Dancefloors, The Bear and It Beats 4 U each got the call on Night Two, while guitarist Carl Bromel led the band through Carried Away from his solo album for only the third time this year. MMJ performed two of the best covers in their repertoire as part of the main set – Elton John’s Rocket Man and It Makes No Difference by The Band. After two performances of the rare Old September Blues during the month it references earlier this year, My Morning Jacket worked it into last night’s set. Antibalas opened the show and the Afrobeat band’s horn section returned during MMJ’s set for Dondante.

Here’s the setlist from My Morning Jacket at The Capitol Theatre on Dec. 28th…

The Louisville band’s Capitol Theatre run comes to a close tonight.

Tonight, HT faves Phish returned to Madison Square Garden in New York City for the first of four shows that comprise the quartet’s New Year’s Run. The band first performed at “The World’s Greatest Arena” on December 30, 1994 and will make their 24th appearance tonight.

Phish came out of the gates with a spirited romp through Stealing Time From The Faulty off Joy which believe it or not is still their most recent album. The first set focused on well played staples such as Moma Dance, Funky Bitch, Kill Devil Falls and Free. While Page McConnell’s Army of One was dusted off for its initial 2012 performance and Stash was its usual creepy and evil self, the clear highlight of the opening stanza was the Wolfman’s segment that closed the set. The Wolfman’s jam vacillated between funk and arena rock valleys and peaks before Trey led his mates through a wild instrumental version of Little Drummer Boy, marking the first time Phish had covered the holiday tune since April 16th, 2004. Jon Fishman kept a reggae beat going through the cover. After multiple runs through Little Drummer Boy’s verse and chorus, Fishman picked up the tempo and led a transition back into Wolfman’s. Trey wasn’t done yet as he drove the crowd wild with one fiery peak after another than brought the set to a close.

After that incredible end to the first set, Phish picked up where they left off with Tweezer. The second set opener receives high marks in both the quality and quantity department as it featured jaw-dropping interplay and clocked in at over 20 minutes. This must-hear version contained anthemic leads from Trey, powerful organ washes from keyboardist Page McConnell and dynamic lead bass action thanks to Mike Gordon. Maze kept the energy up, a trend that would continue throughout Set Two as there were no ballads included within. The band was feeling their oats on Night One as displayed in Twist when Trey once again threw Little Drummer Boy riffs in and his mates were only too happy to oblige for another quick turn through the holiday classic. Fluffhead showed Phish was also capable of nailing complex compositions despite a four-month layoff leading into the performance. The Bowie closer started with a brief but stellar McConnell solo before Anastasio took the reins and led the quarte to a furious and glorious peak. Surpringsly, Tweezer Reprise was left unplayed as a Bouncin’, Good Times Bad Times encore put a cap on the evening.

Setlist…

Set 1: Stealing Time From the Faulty Plan, The Moma Dance, Funky Bitch, Army of One, Tube >Stash, Nellie Kane, Kill Devil Falls, Free, Wolfman’s Brother -> The Little Drummer Boy -> Wolfman’s Brother

Set 2: Tweezer -> Maze, Twist^[1] > Theme From the Bottom -> Fluffhead, David Bowie

Encore: Bouncing Around the Room, Good Times Bad Times

[1] Little Drummer Boy teases and quotes

Notes: The Little Drummer Boy was played for the first time since April 16, 2004 (187 Shows).  Twist contained multiple Little Drummer Boy teases as well as quotes from Trey, referring to Fishman.

[via Phish.net]

Here’s The Skinny from the Phish NYE Run 2012 opener…

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In April of 2011 My Morning Jacket released an instrumental track called Octoplasm through their Self-Hypnosis series that caught our attention for its jammy attributes. We referred to Octoplasm as “a noodle-heavy jam that sounds like it could segue into Dark Star or China Cat Sunflower at any point within the six-minute track.” Ever since MMJ dropped the studio version, we’ve been waiting for them to debut the live edition. That finally happened last night at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, New York where My Morning Jacket kicked off their New Year’s Run.

[Photo by @tweedycat]

Coming into the run, MMJ promised they wouldn’t repeat anything during the three shows at The Cap. Jim James and Co. dug deep for the first performance, treating fans to such rarities as Tyrone, Strangulation, Cobra and the Octoplasm debut. We came across a clip that shows off the awesomeness that is Octoplasm, so watch it right after Evelyn Is Not Real. Octoplasm starts at the 2:50 mark…

My Morning Jacket – Evelyn Is Not Real > Octoplasm

And here’s a look at the complete setlist from last night’s show…

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Mayan Holidaze came to a close early this morning in Tulum, Mexico after four days of performances from Umphrey’s McGee, the Disco Biscuits, STS9 and more. Each of the headlining acts played at three out of the event’s four days with all three bands performing yesterday. Umphrey’s McGee premiered two brand new covers within their five Mayan Holidaze sets.

[Photo via SoundCaresser]

On Tuesday, the Chicago-based sextet ended their first of two sets with the debut of Two Tickets To Paradise – a fitting cover considering the gorgeous venue on the Mayan Riviera. The second set saw the band split Puppet String with a Mulche’s Odyssey that contained a Carol Of The Bells jam and Resolution. Wednesday’s sets saw UM dust off their The Way You Rule The World mashup and bookend the first set with Bridgeless after opening with the instrumental There’s No Crying In Mexico. For their lone encore of the fest, Umphrey’s worked Hangover into the middle of August. Then, last night, at their Mayan Holidaze finale, Umphrey’s referenced the predicted apocalypse by ending their set with the debut cover of It’s The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine) by R.E.M. They also played a few other songs that referenced the end – The Police’s When The World Is Running Down You Make The Best of What’s Still Around and their own Andy’s Last Beer.

Here’s all three Umphrey’s @ Mayan Holidaze setlists via All Things Umphreys…

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After nearly a year of speculation, warmup gigs and the shows themselves, The Rolling Stones’ 50 and Counting Tour came to a close tonight at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The guest-laden performance was broadcast live as Pay-Per-View special both on television and over the internet.

The Stones started off the show with the old school pairing of Get Off My Cloud and The Last Time before moving on to a Bill Wyman-less It’s Only Rock and Roll (But I Like It) and repertoire staple Paint It Black. Lady Gaga was the first guest of the night as she emerged for a shriek-fueled Gimme Shelter. Following Wild Horses, the Stones brought out Gary Clark Jr. and John Mayer to create a four-guitar attack on I’m Going Down. Over the past few days the band has been soliciting votes for a song to play tonight via their new app. Dead Flowers was the top vote-getter, so Mick Jagger and Co. dusted off the Sticky Fingers classic for its 50 and Counting debut. Next, Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney, aka The Black Keys, came out to help the Stones on a debut of Bo Diddley’s Who Do You Love.

Setlist:

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The Rolling Stones‘ 50 and Counting Tour pulled in to Newark, New Jersey tonight for the first of two shows at the Prudential Center that will bring the run to a close. The band shook up the setlist a bit from the London and Brooklyn shows and gave the fans a handful of surprises.

[via @polidorable]

Once again the Stones started off with an old school pairing as they kicked off the set with Get Off of My Cloud and The Last Time. It’s Only Rock and Roll was played towards the back half of the set at the first three 50 and Counting shows but tonight it came much earlier. Longtime Stones backing vocalist Lisa Fischer has sat back as Mary J. Blige and Florence Welsh were spotlighted on Gimme Shelter in London and Brooklyn. This evening Fischer finally got her chance to sing the Let It Bleed classic.

John Mayer came out for what was presumed to be a blues cover like The Stones had done with Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton and Gary Clark Jr. at earlier 2012 shows. Instead they teamed up for a run through Respectable from 1978′s Some Girls. Respectable hadn’t been performed since the band’s last tour in 2007. Following Wild Horses came the biggest surprise of the night. In their recently released app the Stones had let fans vote on a song to be played at Saturday night’s One More Shot Pay-Per-View. Mick Jagger told the crowd that they would take a request on this night leading the Stones to dust off a cover of Chuck Berry’s Around and Around for the first time since March 5, 1977. Around and Around was a staple of the group’s early live repertoire. It was performed at both “secret” El Mocambo shows in 1977, one version of which made the Love You Live double album.

Set: [Marching Band Walks Through Arena Playing Sympathy For The Devil] Get Off of My Cloud, The Last Time, It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll (But I Like It), Paint It Black, Gimme Shelter, Respectable (w/ John Mayer on guitar), Wild Horses, Around & Around (Last Time Played – March 5, 1977), Doom and Gloom, One More Shot, Miss You, Honky Tonk Women, Before They Make Me Run, Happy, Midnight Rambler (w/ Mick Taylor), Start Me Up, Tumbling Dice, Brown Sugar, Sympathy For The Devil

Encore: You Can’t Always Get What You Want (w/ The Choir of Trinity Wall Street), Jumpin’ Jack Flash, (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction

[via @RollingStones]

Both new songs off GRRR!, Doom and Gloom and One More Shot, followed the bust out. Later, Keith Richards took a turn out front for Before They Make Me Run and Happy. Then, former Rolling Stones guitarist Mick Taylor emerged for Midnight Rambler just as he did for the London shows. While the beginning of the show did see the band switch up the setlist a little, the end of the evening followed the same order as previous 2012 performances. For the first song of the encore, The Stones were joined by The Choir of Trinity Wall Street for You Can’t Always Get What You Want, another trademark of these 50 and Counting shows. Two of the band’s biggest hits, Jumpin’ Jack Flash and (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction, were the evening’s finales.

The Rolling Stones finish the 50 and Counting Tour on Saturday in Newark.

The months in the planning 12-12-12: The Concert For Sandy Relief benefit concert is finally here. We’ll update this post with a setlist, photos, videos and our thoughts as the night goes along. The expected order of performances is Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band > Roger Waters > Bon Jovi > Eric Clapton > Rolling Stones > Alicia Keys > The Who > Kanye West > Billy Joel > Chris Martin > Paul McCartnirvana.

Setlist:

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band – Land of Hope and Dreams, Wrecking Ball, My City of Ruins, Born To Run (w/ Jon Bon Jovi), Living On A Prayer

Roger Waters: In The Flesh, The Happiest Days of Our Lives, Another Brick In The Wall Pt. 2, The Ballad Of Jean Charles de Menezes, Money, Us and Them, Comfortably Numb (w/ Eddie Vedder)

Adam Sandler: Hallelujah (w/ Paul Shaffer)

Bon Jovi: It’s My Life, Wanted: Dead or Alive, Who Says You Can’t Go Home (w/ Bruce Springsteen), Living On A Prayer

Eric Clapton: Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out, Got To Get Better In A Little While, Crossroads

Rolling Stones: You Get Me Rocking, Jumping Jack Flash

Alicia Keys: Brand New Me, No One

The Who: Who Are You, Bell Boy, Pinball Wizard, See Me Feel Me/Listening To You, Baba O’Riley, Love Reign O’er Me, Tea and Theatre

Kanye West: Clique > Mercy > Power > Jesus Walks > All Of The Lights > Run This Town > Diamonds From Sierra Leone > Diamonds > Touch The Sky, Gold Digger, Good Life, Runaway, Stronger

Billy Joel: Miami 2017 (Seen The Lights Go Out On Broadway), Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song), Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas > New York State Of Mind, River Of Dreams, You May Be Right, Only The Good Die Young

Chris Martin: Viva La Vida, Losing My Religion (w/ Michael Stipe), Us Against The World

Paul McCartney: Helter Skelter, Let Me Roll It, 1985, My Valentine (w/ Diana Krall), Blackbird, Cut Me Some Slack (w/ Dave Grohl, Pat Smear and Krist Novoselic), I’ve Got A Feeling, Live and Let Die

Alicia Keys: Empire State of Mind Pt. 2

All proceeds from tonight’s concert benefit the Robin Hood Relief Fund and will be used to help the victims of Hurricane Sandy. Please head to the organization’s website to donate to the cause.

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Last night marked the 32nd anniversary of John Lennon’s tragic death, so the Phil Lesh Quintet, aka The “Q”, paid tribute to the fallen Beatle at the end of the group’s third of four shows at Terrapin Crossroads. Phil Lesh, Warren Haynes, Jimmy Herring, Rob Barraco and John Molo treated fans to an interesting arrangement of The Beatles’ Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds as the lone encore.

The band also tipped their hat to Lennon’s Beatle band mate George Harrison by covering Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth) in the middle of the second set. The second set was a massive Help > Slip > Frank’s sandwich as Help On The Way > Slipknot! opened the closing stanza while Slipknot! > Franklin’s Tower finished it. In between was the band’s “single” Night of a Thousand Stars as well as the Harrison cover, the highly technical King Solomon’s Marbles and GD classics The Other One and Uncle John’s Band. For the first set, The “Q” stuck to Dead tunes with the exception of the Warren-sung Into The Mystic (Van Morrison).

Watch The “Q” cover Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds…

Here’s the full setlist for Night Three of the PLQ Run…

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