summer concert series

So now that the summer is nearing an end, the roof-decks at your local Boston watering holes begin to empty out, and the Green Line to Boston College begins to fill up with lazy college students refusing to walk from Boston University West to Boston University Central, I thought I would do a recap of some of the shows I was fortunate enough to catch this summer before going back to strictly album reviews.

The shows range in date from May to September and are rated as follows:
** - I want my money back.
*** - decent show.
**** - great show.
***** - amazing.


Pearl Jam – The Meadows Hartford, CT - 5/13/06

I believe the venue is now referred to as the New England Dodge Music Arena or some other new trite and capitalistic title. For me it has and will always be referred to as the meadows, ever since the first Phish show I saw there in the summer’ 00 that ended with an insane version of “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.”
It wouldn’t have been a PJ show without the rain and the mud, quickly turning the lawn into a would-be slip’n’slide Crocodile Mile style. They hit the ground running though, straight through the new self-entitled album Pearl Jam (2006) with “Severed Hand,” “World Wide Suicide,” “Life Wasted,” and “Marker In The Sand.” Overall it was a good show, sick version of “Better Man” in the first set with great crowd participation.
Betterman

Vedder also managed to make it through “Yellow Ledbetter” for an encore after downing a bottle of Merlot without falling off the stage, so that’s always good. Overall I give it *** ½ .


Tom Petty - The Tweeter Center Mansfield, MA - 6/21/06

Navigating to and from Mansfield and emerging from that labyrinth that is the Tweeter Center has always made me feel a bit like Lemmiwinks, and for some reason I never seem to be able to make it in from the parking lot to see the opener which was rather disappointing in this case since it happened to be Trey Anastasio. Tom Petty shows are always a good time but it’s just like listening to his greatest hits CD, going through everything from “Free Fallin’” to “Learning to Fly.” He did end with a nice version of “American Girl,” however the highlight of the show was definitely during “Last Dance With Mary Jane” when an altocumulus cloud of smoke rose from the crowd and almost blocked the view of the stage completely. Oh and I think Stevie Nicks was there. ***


WSP - Red Rocks Morrison, CO - 6/23/06 – 6/25/06

These three shows were the highlight of the summer hands down. Red Rocks is by far the best venue I’ve ever been to, the acoustics, the scenery, the overall atmosphere is really amazing. The trip out to Denver overall was great, my only gripe was that it happened to fall during the World Cup, and waking up at 7:00 am to watch England’s match at The British Bulldog made for a rather long day.
Panic wasted no time on Friday, ripping straight through “Pilgrims” with John Keane on guitar and a great version of “Junior” with the Dickinson brothers from The North Mississippi Allstars on guitar and percussion. They ended the first night with “Postcard” off of Everyday (1994), a great way to start to the weekend.
Saturday started off strong with “Thin Air” from Ball (2003), with a stellar version of “Aint Life Grand” to finish off the first set.
Aint Life Grand


Widespread opened the second set with an awesome version of the classic WAR tune, “Slipping in the Darkness” followed by an always popular “Chilly Water” and another excellent rendition of the timeless Talking Head’s “Life During Wartime.” I was actually lucky enough to be at the Garden in NY for Halloween 10/31/03 when they first covered this song. To this day that’s still the best show I’ve ever been to and there were actually a lot of first times that night, The Ramones “Beat on the Brat” and “I Wanna Be Sedated” just to name a few. Unfortunately they did end the second night with a bit of a buzzkill in “May Your Glass Be Filled” off the new album Earth to America (2006). The verdict is still out on their latest disc, I haven’t gotten a chance to really listen to it as much as I like but I plan to do a review shortly.
So I went into the show on Sunday thinking there was strong possibility that it may turn out to be a bit of a lay-up for them, however the powerhouse trio of “Bear’s Gone Fishing,” “Coconut,” and “Travelin’ Light” in the first set made it pretty clear that wouldn’t be the case. Highlights of the second set included “Thought Sausage,” “Barstools and Dreamers,” and “Porch Song,” before they pulled out all the strings in the final encore of the weekend throwing down with “Low Spark,” into “Blue Indian” into “All Time Low.” Blue Indian off ‘Til The Medicine Takes (1999) was the best of the weekend in my opinion, I hadn’t heard the song live in six years since the 12/30/00 New Year’s show in Atlanta, GA, and they definitely did it justice.
One last note, when the encore on Sunday ended and the weekend finally came to a close, there was no better song to choose for the PA music then “Burning Down the House.” No one left the show until the song had ended and I think this video illustrates just how much fun that 3 day weekend really was. *****
Burning Down the House



The Roots / Pharcyde / Talib Kweli – The Avalon Boston, MA - 8/7/06

I was actually rather lucky to even get tickets to this show, it sold out over two weeks in advance which is unusual for the Avalon, so craig’s list came up big on this one. Unfortunately I missed Pharcyde, it took me almost an hour to get into the venue with the line stretching all the way down Lansdowne St.. Once inside it was the typical Roots show: high energy songs with guest MC appearances by Kweli and others, typical impromptu ?uestlove drum solo, Black Thought controlling the mic, and Captain Kirk Douglas shreading guitar solos on “The Seed 2.0” from Phrenology (2002). The Philly-based group promoted the new album Game Theory (2006) well, giving the crowd a taste of “False Media” and “Game Theory” before their official release 8/29/06. I highly recommend picking up this disc as well as checking out The Roots on their fall tour. ****


MMW / Soulive – Long Island Jazz Festival Oyster Bay, NY - 8/12/06

First of all I don’t want to take anything away from either groups, both performances were excellent, I just didn’t feel like this was the best setting/location for them to perform to their fullest potential. Bands like Soulive in particular, whose funky high energy jams really feed off crowd participation, seemed somewhat out of place with the Tanglewood-esque wine and cheese party that was going on out in the lawn. Just to paint a brief mental image of the venue setup, there was a large tent over the stage with about 40 rows of folding chairs underneath. This extended out to a cement walkway dividing the tent from the lawn where the remainder of the crowd was sprawled out with blankets/chairs, cheese&crackers, and bottles of Robert Mondavi. Soulive actually succeeded in getting most of the people under the tent to rise out of their seats for the encore, most of the lawn folks had cleared out by the end of the first set of MMW. Here’s a link to the medeski martin and wood podcast. Both shows were excellent musically, MMW always impresses me with their ability to take a relatively simple idea (18:10 on the podcast) and expand on it, developing layers of sound that effortlessly intertwine and flow from one movement to the next. Chris Wood’s versatility on the electric as well as standup bass coupled with Billy Martin’s endless box of percussive gadgets and John Medeski’s virtuosic slapping of the ivory keys always make each show worth while. *** (easily 4 at a better venue)


VH1 We Are The 80s: Rick Springfield, Eddie Money, Loverboy and more – Bank of America Pavilion Boston, MA - 8/10/06

I got tickets for this show from the Verizon $10 for Tuesday special where they had a limited number of tickets for sale for $10 to a few shows around New England, still not an excuse I know. All I really remember was that my white headband really came in handy during “Turn Me Loose” by Loverboy, and thinking that in the end of the world after a nuclear holocaust Rick Springfield and the cockroaches will be the only one’s that survive. I also remember there being more cougars at the Pavilion that night than at the San Diego Zoo. Pretty sure I rode a rickshaw home. **


Johnny Lang – Cape Cod Melody Tent The Cape, MA - 8/11/06

I’m not really a huge fan of Johnny’s studio work (although it is pretty impressive his first album Smokin (1996) was released at age 14), however I must say his live performance was pretty outstanding. He really has become an authority on the blues scene, playing with an unrivaled intensity and burning through numerous guitar solos with a striking falsetto voice. I was also very impressed with the opening act Reve Carney, whose eloquent playing is very reminiscent of Nick Drake, Paul Simon, and the late Elliot Smith. Overall this was a good show at a very interesting venue with a rotating stage, which is always a good time. ***


Gathering of the Vibes - Mariaville, NY – 8/17/06-8/20/06

Well after weaving our way through the first field of the vibes and basically getting a body cavity search by the motor cycle gang that Terrapin hired as security detail, the tent was finally setup (in the dark nonetheless). The following three days of music saw headliners including: North Mississippi Allstars, Martin Sexton, Deep Banana Blackout, G-Love, Keller Williams, Bob Weir, Burning Spear, and Yonder Mountain String Band.
Friday began with a great show by set by The Scarecrow Collection, they actually covered a song called “Black Swan” by Thom Yorke off the The Eraser (2006). Next, North Mississippi kicked off the afternoon in style with a monster blues set. This is the fourth time I’ve seen them live and Luther’s swamp rock guitar licks coupled with Chris Chew’s dirty south bass continually make the bayou proud. The festival was off to a great start even in the mid-afternoon heat, as I began to sweat like Shack at the foul line. The evening brought some cooler weather and a solid set by Martin Sexton followed by the funkstravaganza that is Deep Banana Blackout.
My Saturday afternoon was introduced in style by G-Love and the Special Sauce, providing the only real “hip hop” entertainment for the weekend. Jimmy-Jazz’s jams on that upright bass together with G-Love’s soulful harmonica banter really generate a unique and distinguished sound.The highlight of the weekend for me came Saturday afternoon when Keller Williams took the stage under ominous storm clouds. Keller threw down with a sick version of “Rainy Day” into “Dudley Wah” followed by the always popular “Freaker by the Speaker.” I’m not really sure what happened after “Breathe” but somehow with the help of ribcage-shaking bass from two towers of 30ft speakers he managed to start a rave in one of his trancey-endless loops that started somewhere before a trippy version of “Ninja” in the first set. I really felt like I was part of the dance party in Zion after Morpheus gives the speech about the machines coming in the third Matrix movie. He topped that off with an encore saw fantastic versions of “Dark Hollow” and “On the Road Again” with the man the myth the legend Bob Weir himself. Bob headlined with Ratdog Saturday night, representing Jerry well with great versions of “Jack Straw,” “Bird Song,” and the “Mississippi Half-Step” with Donna Jean Godchaux-Mackay.
So after the ensuing torrential downpour and hurricane-like conditions we survived on Saturday night, I woke up on the air mattress (roughing it I know) which actually doubled as a raft that night, drained the water out of my tent, and headed to the main stage to see Burning Spear. After reciting all of the countries of the world and whishing for peace in each of them, Rodney and the gang finally took the stage and broke into a stellar version of “Door Peep.” Other highlights of the set included “Jah Is My Driver” and a great version of the timeless classic “Marcus Garvey.” They ended the show in style with a fantastic version of the always groovy “African Postman” off This World Should Know (1993). Long Live Dub.
After the spear we returned to the campsite and I made a game time decision to leave before Younder Mountain that afternoon. The road situation was quickly deteriorating and it just wouldn’t have been a festival if my car didn’t start so rather than risk it losing the charge again and getting trapped in there any worse, we took off mid day Sunday. Overall it was a great Vibes, again Terrapin could have been a bit more selective in there crew hiring process and not packed us into the site like sardines in a crushed tin box, but given the choice I would definitely do it again. ****


Steve Miller – Bank of America Pavilion - 8/25/06

The Steve Miller Band put on a decent run-of –the-mill greatest hits show with radio staples like "Take the Money and Run,” “Jet Airliner,” “Pompitous of Love,” etc… I was hoping for some deep cuts like “Quicksilver Girl” or something like that but Steve decided to go with the hits that night. Another $10 Tuesday special, decent show but not sure if I would return. ***


Allman Bros / Gov’t Mule Tweeter Center Mansfield, MA– 8/26/06

Warren Haynes, Derek Trucks, and Gregg Allman all on stage what more could a girl want? On a more serious note though, three gentlemen who absolutely slay the axe playing at the same time, you would think one would stand out more than the others and usually that would be Mr. Trucks, however on this fateful night Warren was not to be outdone. Haynes and Trucks dueled through stellar renditions of “It’s Not My Cross to Bear,” “Statesboro Blues,” “Midnight Rider,” “Melissa,” and “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed,” before finally calling a truce after an unbelievable “Whipping Post” encore. Seriously though Duane would be proud. ****


Steely Dan – Tweeter Center Mansfield, MA - 8/27/06

This was simply an outstanding concert, Donald Fagan and Walter Becker are two of the best musicians I’ve ever had the privilege to see live, and they certainly put on a great show that evening. Notice how I didn’t mention Michael McDonald. We struggled through his uneventful set prior to seeing the Dan, but in case you missed it just walk into the electronics department of your local Circuit City and it’s just like you were there! I suppose his set was bearable once you got over the pretentious piano placement right in the front center of the stage, but Steely Dan really stole the show playing virtually everything off ShowBiz Kids (2000). ****


The Flaming Lips – Bank of America Pavilion Boston, MA - 9/10/06

Flaming Lips shows are always a great time, basically a giant party from start to finish. After questioning your sanity and deciding that yes, there are actually girls dressed in purple teddies with green alien masks dancing on one side of the stage opposite girls dressed as Santa Claus waiving flashlights on the other, and that yes, that really was a boxing nun that sang “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots,” you begin to realize that maybe the giant balloons and clouds of confetti bombarding you in the crowd really are necessary components of the show. Great versions of “The Spoonful Ways a Ton,” off The Soft Bulletin (1999), and “The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song,” “Free Radicals,” and “W.A.N.D,” off the new album At War with the Mystics (2006), at times seemed to be only side notes given the atmosphere and the energy Wayne Coyne and the gang were able to create. On a side note Wayne did say that Steven Drozd was the only musician he knew who actually had to pause the show for a few minutes to empty the confetti from his keyboard. This was the best show I’ve seen thus far at the Pavilion. *****
Do You Realize?

YouTube Review

So rather than do another straight album review, this time I thought I would rank some of the top 10 music videos I’ve come across on YouTube in the past few months, with a few honorable mentions. These aren’t music videos in the same sense that you would come across on VH1 or MTV2 (I think they still show videos from time to time). These are recordings of bands performing live where the audience is lucky enough to witness the conception of timeless classics, true music conceived in its most pure and almost vulnerable form. They are the result of ideas that progress from a disenchantment of anything commonplace and are always riding on the crest of a wave of change.


1 - Naima


This classic Coltrane track was recorded from a live European performance by the quartet including McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, and Elvin Jones, broadcast on the French TV station ARTE. Appearing on the studio recording Giant Steps, this somber dedication to Coltrane’s first wife Naima Grubb (whom he left through an addiction to drugs and his music) conveys the artist’s innate ability to affect the mood of the listener through sound. There is an undeniable tone of remorse, an expression of sorrow revealed in the quartet’s performance that almost conveys an air of repentance. For me this is the most powerful performance on the site I’ve seen thus far.


2 - Bitches Brew 1969 - Part. 1


This performance by Miles finished a close second in the top 10. Recorded on the album Bitches Brew track 3 off disc 2 entitled “Miles Runs the Voodoo Down” is executed flawlessly by the all-star combo of Davis, Shorter, Corea, Hammond, and De Johnette at this 1969 concert in Rome. Miles Davis always seemed to have an instinct for the course of jazz evolution and it’s largely through his innovations, particularly in fusion with the implementation of electric instrumentation, that this genre of music progressed the way it did. Listen to Shorter’s soprano solo at 3:57. The group’s modal approach to this album allows him to improvise vertically, and with an abandonment of the typical walking bassline and swing style rhythm, this form of sonic architecture facilitates a greater a far greater freedom of expression.


3 – Charlie Hunter If 6 Was 9


The Charlie Hunter Trio breathes life into this historic Hendrix jam, and through a traditional jazz perspective, revitalizes the classic Axis: Bold As Love (1967) track. Hunter (8 string guitar), Skerik (tenor sax), and Moore (drums) tear through this cover with an amazing knowledge of and sensitivity to the groundbreaking and fearless style that was Jimi Hendrix. In the original recording Mitch Mitchell’s Elvin Jones-esque drumming provides a tight framework for Jimi’s tale of staying true to yourself even if the world turned upside down, because after all “If the mountains fell in the sea, let it be, it ain't me.” I actually should have titled this “Skerik If 6 was 9” in lieu of the solo he plays. The first riff he wails at 4:20 really sets the tone for the whole show and you have to believe if Hendrix played sax instead of that lefty axe this is what he would have sounded like. Skerik uses everything; the growls, the pedal tones, the reverb to perfection, climaxing at 6:00 when he creates vocal distortion by yelling into the bell of his sax as Stanton Moore beats the drums like they owe him money in a truly rock fashion. I actually saw him with Galactic at Bonnaroo 2005 where they had to physically duct tape his ride cymbal and high hat to the platform he was playing on as they were about to shake off the side.



4 – Fela Kuti & Jethro PART 2 of 2; LIVE in Munich 1983.


Fela and Jethro straight rip this show in Munich, the body of sound these two are able to create is really astounding. Tull’s lyrical flute is driven forward by a surging Tony Allen Afrobeat drum rhythm, soon to be joined by Kuti’s angry blistering soprano solo. The result is an intense hypnotic groove seemingly defiant in nature to any form of oppressive pigeonholing, the Kuti Tull combo is far too mercurial for that.


5 - Charles Mingus - Flowers For A Lady (1974)


Ellington aside, Charles Mingus has been the single greatest jazz composer hands down for the last 50 years. That being said this performance is somewhat depressing as Mingus nears the end of his career, shortly before Lou Gehrig's disease takes his life January 5, 1979. By this point the health of “the angry man in jazz” was clearly deteriorating as he appears overweight and heavily medicated. In this performance of “Flowers for a Lady” Mingus is almost a side note, seemingly distant from the other musicians and not soloing in his typical fashion. I do however like the faster tempo and more avant guarde rhythm of this performance versus the slower bossonova feel to the 1973 studio album Mingus Moves. It is still a bit disheartening to see Mingus past his prime, touring and recording albums not only because he feels underappreciated but also due to a dire financial situation. Not to take anything away from Pullen and Adams, this performance certainly illustrated their versatility and ability to embrace dissonance and push the band in a different direction than previously recorded, however in my humble opinion, they really can’t hold a candle to Dolphy and Byard on Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus (1963).


6 - Joshua Redman - Jazz Crimes (Live)


The first time I saw Joshua Redman with his Elastic Band I was a bit taken back by the logistics of having dual Hammond B5s facing each other across the stage. I must say after Redman and Sam Yahel went to work with the lyrical rhythms of Brian Blade, any theories I had as to the creation of chaotic sound were quickly dispelled. “Jazz Crimes,” the second track off the studio album Elastic 2002, is one of many perpetually grooving pieces where Redman expands on a relatively simple idea, continually striving for a balance between improvisation and composition. When the necessary elements are there with simplicity comes innovation, and Joshua Redman remains one of the few contemporary artists continually reinventing himself and bringing an individuality to a musical scene in dire need of it.


7 – Giant Steps


Willy Dalton and the gang tear through this big band arrangement of the John Coltrane classic Giant Steps. Originally recorded in 1959 with Coltrane, Tommy Flanagan, Paul Chambers, and Art Taylor, the changes in this piece are so intensely obscure when the title track “Giant Steps” was first laid Flanagan asked for a retake after he went through a couple rough choruses, only to achieve redemption by re-recording the track in the mid 80’s. From this show Chris Hunter clearly needed no such retake as he “burns” his tenor solo according to Dalton in his youtube post.


8 - Medeski Martin and Wood. Santiago Chile, Epílogo Acústico


John Medeski (melodica), Chris Wood (bass), Billy Martin (drums) play a nice little encore here in Santiago, Chile. I’ve seen this group about 7 or 8 times and they tend to end sets this way, in a funky jam walking around with handheld instruments. At the Sommerville Theatre outside Boston they actually started a conga line at the end of the show walking up and down the isles for half an hour. Listen to the riff John plays at 4:28, more of this is on the way with the new album to be released 9/26/06 with the legendary John Scofield on guitar.


9 - Jimi Hendrix - Red House



There isn’t much you can say about this besides Jimi being Jimi. Again he shreds “Red House,” the blues standard he made famous on his Blues (1994) album.


10 - A Love Supreme


I decided to post this performance of Acknowledgement from the greatest album of all time, John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme, even though an interpretation of this track by anyone other than Trane himself nears sacrilege.


Honorable mentions

Actually these should all be in the Top 10 I just didn’t want this post to be any longer given the length of pages necessary for dedications to So What, Whipping Post, Since I've Been Loving You (my favorite Zep song), Josie, or this take by the Chico Hamilton Quintet, all excellent performances which you should definitely check out.

Antibalas Afrobeat - Liberation Afro Beat, Vol. 1

Afrobeat certainly didn’t die with Fela Kuti, if it did no one told the Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra. The Brooklyn based group has brought this form of music back to the forefront of the contemporary scene by summoning New York's rich musical heritage of jazz, funk, and latin groove laid out over Afrobeat polyrhythms. (Polyrhythms are simply polyphony viewed in its rhythmic dimension, meaning multiple cyclically recurring rhythms, commonplace among African music.)

Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, is clearly the father of Afrobeat, the musical offspring of American jazz and West African “Highlife,” a musical genre originating in Ghana and Sierra Leone in the 1920’s which spread to other West African countries. It stereotypically commands a large horn contingency with multiple guitars that lead the band and push a surging beat. Antibalas however is not merely imitating the works of Kuti, they’re breaking down afrobeat rhythms and harmonies and landscaping new foundations for improvisation along the same African sound structures.

Rollin’ 6 deep in the percussion section with a 4 piece horn ensemble and 3 guitarists enables them to generate such non-stop full bodied grooving pieces as “El Macheto” and “N.E.S.T.A. (Never Ever Submit To Authority). El Machete is a perfect example of the afrobeat polyrhythms where a network of guitar patterns and swelling drum beats provide the background for a powerful trumpet solo by Jordan McLean (formally of the MMW horn section on Uninvisible 2002). Band leader Martin Antibalas’s growling yet surprisingly lyrical baritone work on N.E.S.T.A engenders a chilling almost indifferent sound, which still hints to a distant air of oppression.

My favorite track on Liberation Afro Beat, Vol. 1is definitely the live version of Musicawi Silt. A strolling drum cadence introduces the overture of this piece, soon to be joined by a sprawling rubato flute solo, which then surges forward from powerful hits of an energetic horn section. Dude what? It’s a good song toe tappin’ for sure, you can’t manufacture inspirado like this. This disc is 4 stars for sure, go check it out. ****


Here are some pictures I took of Antibalas at Bonnaroo 2002. Good times.

soulive - Doin Something

The next album in the collection is one of my personal favorites, “Doin’ Something” by a group called Soulive, who made a name for themselves years ago by touring as an opening act for the Dave Mathews Band summer concert series. This power trio features Eric Krasno on guitar, Neil Evans on the Hammond B-3, and his brother Alan Evans on drums. The sound this group is able to create live is unbelievable. They straight rip through jazz grooves, as the Evans brother rhythm section lays perfectly timed hits behind Kransno’s soulfully constructed guitar melodies.

More often than not bands that hold it down live seem to create studio albums that leave something to be desired. After listening to “Doin’ Something” it becomes immediately apparent that Soulive is not one of those bands. The first track on this album, Hurry Up…And Wait sets the tone with one of Krasno’s signature gripping guitar melodies, a tope-tappin’ riff to say the least. I actually had the privilege of hearing Soulive perform this song with the legendary Sam Kinninger on alto sax numerous times, the most memorable being their performance at the inaugural Bonnaroo festival in Manchester, TN. Sam played an extended unaccompanied cadenza, using the signature keys on his saxophone to create a percussive sound that echoed through the crowd, demonstrating his as well as the instrument’s versatility.

Some hardcore fans would argue that the deviation from a power trio on this album to include a horn section comprised of Sam Kininger, Fred Wesley and Jacques Schwartz-Bart creates somewhat of a watered down sound on certain tracks such as Cannonball. These people have absolutely no idea what they’re talking about. This horn section couldn’t be tighter, moving flawlessly through these riffs creating a layered sound that seamlessly contributes to the wholesome full-bodied character of the piece.

Bottom line is the jazz funk trio has done it again, crafting another incredible album that needs to be added to your collection. ****