My Morning Jacket’s lengthy Circuital Tour rolled into Pittsburgh on Wednesday, where the group was joined by chanteuse Neko Case for a killer rendition of the Kenny Rogers / Dolly
Guitarist Larry Carlton’s mesmerizing work on Steely Dan’s The Royal Scam is one of the defining characteristics of the LP, so those attending the Dan’s September 23rd performance are in for a treat as
We keep our eyes peeled for new tour dates announcements each week and compile them on Tuesdays for this handy column… As live music junkies we get really excited when
Back in 2009 our staff put together a list of 10 Venues Phish Should Play (that they’ve never played at before) and number one on our list was the historic Hollywood Bowl. Tonight, Phish finally made their Hollywood Bowl debut as the second leg of Summer Tour 2011 continues.
For Phish’s first show at the Bowl they leaned on heavy-rotation staples throughout the night. The exception came in the middle of a fierce Weekapaug Groove during the second set, when drummer Jon Fishman made his way towards center stage where a mini-kit was set up. Fish led the band through a debut cover of Paul Simon’s 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover in which he simulated Steve Gadd’s signature drum part while singing the tune. The jam of the night came out of Piper and explored a number of different spaces quickly before melting into Mike’s Song.
READ ON for the setlist and The Skinny from Hollywood…
Words and Photos: Jason Gershuny
Phish kicked off the second leg of their 2011 summer tour at the picturesque Gorge Amphitheatre, which served as the backdrop to two terrific shows, each with their own share of highlights. This was Phish’s 6th trip to the Gorge in the last 14 years, and I for one have to say that there are few other places that I would rather see this band.
For those who have never been, imagine camping in a sprawling high desert landscape with a visible horizon for miles around. Thousands of travelers from all over the country create their own colorful worlds with whatever materials they happened to bring with them. Friends congregate to create sprawling tapestry villages to get out of the heat. During the day, the sun is merciless and shade is at a premium. But the incredible payoff lies in the beauty of the amphitheater itself.
As you finally find your way out of your makeshift shade structure to head to see the music, you get your ticket scanned and you are faced with a relatively steep hillside that blocks your view. In cresting the pinnacle of that hill, the world opens up before your eyes to an expansive view that covers miles and miles of the wandering deep blue Columbia River carving elegantly through the rock of the Gorge. All this is before your eyes with the stage in the foreground of your view.
- Previously on HT: The Skinny – Night One, The Skinny – Night Two
READ ON for more of Jason’s thoughts and photos from The Gorge…
On Friday night at The Gorge, Phish delivered an impressive tour opening show that featured an otherworldly Rock and Roll jam, a Roggae that contends for the “best version ever” and a pair of interesting segues. Tonight, the group finished the two-night stand on the banks of the Columbia River.
[Photo via CampRevival]
Possum has taken a lot of heat for its role as the most-played song since Hampton and it looks like the Jeff Holdsworth-penned won’t be giving up its title after showing up as the opener tonight. A parade of staples came next, namely Moma Dance, Sample In A Jar, Limb By Limb and Poor Heart. Allen Toussaint’s On Your Way Down was quite a rarity from 1990 until the breakup as Phish only covered the tune normally associated with Little Feat four times over those years. However, since making its return in Albany back in 2009, the group has lit into the keys-heavy tune five times including tonight.
Wolfman’s Brother gave the quartet their first chance to stretch their improvisational legs and they took advantage of the chance displaying impressive interplay. Just as the jam peaked, guitarist Trey Anastasio threw in a few teases of Led Zeppelin’s Heartbreaker which his bandmates were quite willing to play along with. Anastasio was feeling his oats as Wolfman’s segued into Maze with his solo standing out as a highlight of the set. Phish blew out Wilson back at Super Ball IX, would they do it again for the first version since? No. It was a straight forward take that led into a tight Fluffhead to close.
READ ON for the setlist, tweets, The Skinny and much more…
Phish kicked off the second leg of their summer tour tonight at the iconic Gorge Amphitheatre in George, WA for the first of two shows. The quartet first performed at The Gorge in 1997 and has played a total of five two-night stands (’97, ’98, ’99, ’03 & ’09) leading up to this year. We’ll have a full review and photo set from Friday night’s show later this weekend, but in the meantime we’ve shared some facts, thoughts and images from the show.
The first set of the tour was heavy on the songs with 12 tunes performed in total and somewhat light on improv with Bathtub Gin, David Bowie and surprisingly Roggae standing out. Roggae was described by YEMblogger/HT staffer Andy Kahn as “the best Roggae ever” featuring a “minimal/blues/funk jam.” Phish stuck to heavy rotation favorites for the most part with Walk Away, a song they’ve already played this year, being the biggest bustout of the set with a 21-song gap since last played. According to Kahn it didn’t take long for the group to warm up having noted “no rust” and “patient jam(s)” in both Bathtub and Bowie. He felt guitarist Trey Anastasio was in fine form, “cocky in the best possible way.”
For the second set, Phish came out of the gates with another song from Joy to open and this time it was Backwards Down The Number Line. A 20-minute take on Velvet Underground’s Rock and Roll displayed some of the lessons the band learned during the Super Ball IX Storage Jam as Page McConnell took to the theremin leading the group to settle on what Kahn described as a “Moma Dance-esque groove.” All in all this most exploratory part of tonight’s show to Kahn was “ambient, dark [and] groovy” and showed that “patient jamming continues.” Eventually the ensemble landed in a jam space that was equal parts spacey, funky with disco overtones out of which Meatstick commenced.
This wasn’t a typical Meatstick as it was extended and showcased bassist Mike Gordon. Page returned to the clav, Mike kicked in his Akai Deep Impact bass synth and soon Phish completed a “great segue” into Boogie On Reggae Woman. The closing stanza had so much potential as Phish toyed and extended Boogie On. Rock and Roll -> Meatstick -> Boogie On Reggae Woman was clearly the biggest take-away sequence from the show and should be the first listen for fans who download/stream recordings of the tour opener. Two ballads followed (Farmhouse and Show of Life) before the group ended the set with two high-energy crowd pleasers (Julius and Character Zero). Phish went with a Stones cover in the encore slot – the sixth Loving Cup of 2011. Leg two of Summer Tour 2011 continues tomorrow night at The Gorge.
READ ON for the setlist, The Skinny and much more…
Northwest String Summit @ Horning’s Hideout – July 21-24
In 2002 the Horning Family of North Plains, Oregon welcomed roughly 1,000 guests to their breath-taking Horning’s Hideout for the inaugural Northwest String Summit (NWSS), hosted by Yonder Mountain String Band (YMSB). Now, 10 festivals later the NWSS has become the Pacific Northwest’s go-to acoustic music festival.
The 10th annual “Strummit” ran July 21-24, 2011 featuring over 15 bands on one stage, including three three-hour headlining sets by YMSB. This year marked the largest Strummit yet welcoming: the first official Thursday opening, the Cascadia Coffee House, a new forest hollow acoustic stage, free late night sets and an official Kinfolk Hall of Fame induction. Between the rolling green trails, sky-scraping trees, peacocks and endless acoustic jams the NWSS was truly a picker’s paradise that can only be summed up as “You had to be there.”
The gates to bluegrass Eden opened on Thursday, July 21 to the tune of Pete Kartsounes and Benny “Burle” Galloway. At dusk the evening turned into a Midwestern jamgrass haven featuring Chicago’s Cornmeal followed by Greensky Bluegrass from Kalamazoo, Michigan.
READ ON for more from Northwest String Summit…
Over the last couple of years, West London’s folk scene has been churning out a number of much buzzed about bands, with Mumford & Sons leading the charge. The other
While we certainly don’t pretend to be experts on the world of hip-hop around these part, we undoubtedly had to sit up and take notice when two of the biggest
