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Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds

February 25, 2018

Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds

Stranded on Earth World Tour

Murat Theatre in Indianapolis, IN.

Photos by Tony Vasquez of Vasquez Photography

Setlist: Fort Knox, Holy Mountain, Keep on Reaching, It’s a Beautiful World, In the Heat of the Moment, Riverman, Ballad of the Mighty I, If I Had a Gun…, Dream On, Little by Little (Oasis cover,) The Importance of Being Idle (Oasis cover,) Dead in the Water, Be Careful What You Wish For, She Taught Me How to Fly, Half the World Away (Oasis cover,) Wonderwall (Oasis cover,) AKA…What a Life!

Encore: Let the Lord Shine a Light on Me, Go Let It Out (Oasis cover,) Don’t Look Back in Anger (Oasis cover,) All You Need Is Love (The Beatles cover)

 

Album Release Celebration: John Milham – Arden’s Garden

Album Release Celebration: John Milham – Arden’s Garden,
and Nick Branch – A Nickel After Midnight, Cedar Street Social Club – Mobile, AL – 02/02/2018

The Mobile Bay Area music scene has a lot to celebrate, and excitement abounds from the Eastern Shore to downtown!  The recent release of two new albums recorded at Dauphin Street Sound in Mobile was commemorated in style with a double-header concert performance at Cedar Street Social Club, an intimate room with great acoustics that truly has a special vibe.  Many music lovers arrived adorned with Mardi Gras beads acquired from the Order of Incas parade just up the street, and all were excited for the evening to come.

Nick Branch was first up to bat, performing tracks off his album A Nickel After Midnight.  With his guitar sounding sublime, Nick Branch offered us honest lyrics worth extra-attentive listening.  His album features an all-star lineup of Mobile Bay Area musicians and is a pleasure to hear.  From the soulful “Hardest Thing I’ve Ever Done”, to the groovin’ blues warning of “When The Devil Leaves The Porch Light On”, to the inspiration of “Let’s Get Busy (On His Side)”, there’s so much to love!  Find the album digitally at www.nickbranch.com and get an antidote to cure what ails ya!

Drummer extraordinaire John Milham has been on my radar for many years.  From my early college days in the mid ‘90s when he was with Haere Marue, I was instantly intrigued.  With the release of his first solo album Arden’s Garden, it’s as if the best ingredients of every era that John has played through are purified and concentrated into a dream come true.  The album boasts musicians of the highest caliber, both local and abroad, and both Jennifer Hartswick (trumpet, vocals) and Natalie Cressman (trombone, vocals) of Trey Anastasio Band fame came in town to celebrate in-person the vibes they provide on the recording.   When local favorite DJ Catt Sirten introduced this set, he emphasized the significance of this jazz-laden album coming forth from Mobile.  Thus ensued the live performance of Arden’s Garden, beginning with the funk-laden “Step On It”, and the band most certainly did!

John Milham is the consummate family man, and “JB’s Ride” was inspired by a field trip with his son, John Brooks; the live version featured homegrown greats including impressive work from guitarist Rick Hersch (Wet Willie, etc.), renowned keyboardist Chris Spies, trumpet player Leon Brown, and saxophonist Clarence JohnsonRyan Balthrop and Symone French stepped in for the album’s title track, named for John and Andrea Milham’s youngest daughter, and with Jennifer Hartswick singing from her soul, spectacular bass work from Kevin Scott, and Matt Slocum providing gorgeous keyboards, the joy visible on John’s face was priceless.

“The Brightness Suite” showed the jazz strengths of Milham and company, and is one of my favorite tracks off the album, in particular the third section which brings to fruition all that came before.  “Ana’s Daydream” is an ethereal wonder, featuring spoken word by John’s eldest daughter, and Chris Spies and violinist Molly Thomas helped bring the intense beauty to life.  “Donkey Strut” does exactly what you want it to, being totally danceable, giving a nod to a NOLA sound, and featured great guitar work from Mobile artist John Cochran.  “Kingston”, written by bassist Kevin Scott was so serene, giving a breath to appreciate a sublime horn crescendo.  “Zimple Street” featuring Leon Brown closed the album with an up-tempo joyous rhythm, with Symone French and Ryan Balthrop coming back to join the party.

The band came back for a rockin’ final set with more special guests.  Trombonist Jon-Grayson Kerr worked well with Natalie Cressman, Ben Jernigan played guitar along with John Cochran and Brooks Hubbard, and Mobile royalty vocalist Donna Hall joined voices with Jake Peavy and Ryan Balthrop.  It was fitting to close the evening with “I Shall Be Released”, as we concluded our celebration, thrilled for John Milham and the wonderful Arden’s Garden.  Visit www.johnmilham.com for a link to purchase the album on iTunes; it truly is something special!

 

Spafford visits Atlanta’s Terminal West

Photo Review by Roger Patteson (Type II Photography)

Setlist adapted from Spaffnerds

[ 1 ]: Unfinished
[ 2 ]: Second Jam and Ending Only

John Cochran Quartet – All Trane:  A Tribute to John Coltrane – The Listening Room

John Cochran Quartet – All Trane:  A Tribute to John Coltrane – The Listening Room – Mobile, AL – 1/25/2018 – Review by Rosemary A.W. Roberts

There’s a first time for everything, and last Thursday evening in downtown Mobile, I got to experience a few great firsts.  It was my first time to visit The Listening Room on St. Francis Street, a unique venue to immerse oneself in an intimate musical setting.  Tables and chairs are arranged for guests to grab a beverage, have a seat, and focus on the stage.  Owner Jim Pennington made sure the audience understood that this environment is all about enjoying the music, being respectful of the musicians and refraining from loud chatter that can detract from a performance; he even offered a refund to anyone not willing to abide by the venue rules.  No one made a mad dash for the door, so the All Trane Tribute to John Coltrane was set, and the listening began.

As much as I enjoy jazz, I admit my experience and knowledge of the genre is spotty and sparse.  I knew of John Coltrane, but had never listened much to his offerings, so this would be my first real intake of his music; as such, it did not faze me that none of the four musicians onstage were playing a saxophone.  Veterans of the Mobile music scene, drummer John Milham set the pace and Jojo Morris’s upright bass commanded a presence.  Keyboardist Chris Spies and guitarist John Cochran shared soloing space that presumably Coltrane’s sax would typically fill.  I cannot comment on how their interpretation compares to the original, but I can say the music I heard was incredible!

The setlist was comprised of pieces that I found easy to enjoy, like “Equinox” and “Lazy Bird”, full of melodic rhythms and fluid-flowing riffs.  John Cochran, who assembled this All Trane tribute show, is certainly accomplished in jazz, able to aptly provide either a flourishing depth of notes or stretches of space, as appropriate in each moment.  Chris Spies is highly respected for his craft, and though he excels at any style of music, I was deeply impressed watching his hands fly across his keyboards for these Coltrane songs.  Jojo Morris was a pleasure to watch and hear, with soft-thumping sounds to soothe the soul.  John Milham, one of my all-time favorite drummers, always seems at-home in a jazz setting, with an intricate ability to hold, and then vary, and then circle back to the underlying themes.

Between songs, Cochran would tell us a little about Coltrane and his music, so the audience got a nice dose of jazz history amongst the melodies.  At one point, he joked about the lack of saxophone before inviting his long-time friend, saxophonist Ryan Raziano, to join the band onstage.  Although they hadn’t played together in several years, the chemistry was definitely there, and Raziano’s sax skills were certainly up to the Coltrane challenge.  It was my first time hearing the musician from nearby Mississippi, and I enjoyed hearing him play.  Ryan Raziano is likely to bring his own band to Mobile in the near future, and I recommend keeping an eye out, as it will be a performance to make plans to attend.

So that’s how a night of firsts became a night to remember.  The Listening Room will be high on my list of places to hang out, as it’s a very special venue.  And any time that any of these accomplished musicians are playing in the Mobile area, I would make an effort to take advantage of the talents they’re so gracious to share with us.  Up next will be a CD release party on February 2nd for John Milham at Cedar Street Social Club, celebrating his new album Arden’s Garden; and if tickets are still available at https://ardensgardenreleaseparty.brownpapertickets.com/ by the time you read this, don’t hesitate, and be part of what will be another amazing first!

 

Dead & Company 2018 Summer Tour

January 18, 2018

Dead & Company has announced the dates for their upcoming summer tour which will start off May 30 at Mansfield, Massachusetts. The tour will run through July and end in Folsom Field in Boulder, Colorado.

Tickets go on sale Friday, January 26th. Verified Fan Registration will be available for all tour dates starting today and will end Friday, January 19th at 6 pm. Pre-sale tickets will begin Monday, January 22 at 10 am. For more details head to the band’s website

Dead & Company Tour Dates

Forecastle Festival Reveal 2018 Lineup

January 17, 2018

 

Forecastle Festival in Louisville, KY will be returning for its 16th year this July 13-15, 2018. The headliners of the three-day festival will include Kentucky native Chris Stapleton, indie rockers Arcade Fire, alt-rock icons and Modest Mouse.

Some other acts include Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, The War on Drugs, Kurt Vile and the Violators, Father John misty, Courtney Barnett, Jenny Lewis, T-Pain, Margo Price, Punch Brothers, Houndmouth, Hiss Golden Messenger, and several more. GA weekend and daily passes go on sale this Friday on the Forecastle website.

 

 

2nd Annual Winter Jam from The 8×10 in Baltimore, Md.

Mothers Restaurant, 1113 S Charles St, Baltimore, MD 21230, presents the 2nd Annual Winter Jam with Cris Jacobs and special guests Amy Helm (night 1)

It may have been only 8 degrees outside but it was HOT as could be inside The 8×10 in Baltimore, Md.

If you don’t know the Cris Jacobs band I highly recommend that you pay attention now. The Cris Jacobs band featuring Cris Jacobs on guitar and vocals, Dusty Ray Simmons on drums, Todd Herrington on the base, and Jonathan Sloan on guitar & vocals, are absolutely winning their way into the hearts of music lovers everywhere and across many genres as well. In 2011 Cris Jacobs went off on his own from the Baltimore based band “The Bridge” to begin an entirely new venture. In October of 2016 Cris released the solo album “Dust to Gold” which almost immediately took off and led to Rolling Stone Country magazine saying that Cris Jacobs was one of the top 10 musicians to watch in 2017. Over the years I have heard and  photograph Cris Jacobs many times and I feel like each time that I see the band it is better than the last. Winter Jam was two nights at the 8×10 Club in Baltimore Maryland. The first night the band welcomed Amy Helm, Levon Helm’s daughter, to share the stage. The night started off with an acoustic set beginning with Tom Petty’s “Time to Move On” with Amy’s beautiful voice and some awesome harmonies. Next, without any real introduction other than; “I think that you know this one”, they moved into The Band’s “Ophelia” and we in the audience knew immediately that this was going to be a very special night! Next up was Prince’s “Nothing Compares 2 You” (which was made popular by Sinead O’Conner) and performed perfectly by Cris, Amy, and Jonathan!  Just when you thought you knew the direction that they were heading … in comes a curve ball as they reach back to a gospel blues song recorded by Blind Willie Johnson in 1930 called “The Soul of a Man”. At this point the audience was near silent and LOVING every note. Next was the first Cris Jacobs original titled “Be My Stars” from the 2012 release “Songs for Cats and Dogs” which was followed by an Amy Helm original called “Deep Water”. Deep water is a really pretty, slow, and quite song and the audience was just mesmerized! After this it seem perfectly appropriate to bring up Dusty Ray Simmons on drums and Todd Herrington on bass to play Bob Dylan’s “When I Paint My Masterpiece”. This was followed by “The Band’s” version of Bruce Springsteen’s “Atlantic City” and then the acoustic set ended with “Ain’t That Good News” by Sam Cooke!

Sets II & III were high energy rockers with a wonderful mix of originals and covers. Set II started of with The Cris Jacobs Band playing “Shine Your Weary Light” from their most recent album “Dust to Gold”! The band then jammed through a myriad of songs, mostly originals with a few covers thrown in. They were tight and on time with each note that they played and the crowd was just groovin’ along! After a short break Amy Helm returned to the stage and quickly got everyones attention with a soulful version of Sister Rosetta Tharpe’s “Didn’t it Rain” only to be followed by Dave Mason’s “Only You Know & I Know”!!!! What a fun night! The set continued like a roller coaster ride… up and down, twist and turn, through all kinds of fabulous music culminating with a fantastic encore of The Grateful Dead’s “Brokedown Palace” and ending with Allen Toussaint’s oh so appropriate “Yes We Can”!

Now is the time for all good men

To get together with one another

Iron out the problems

And iron out the quarrels

And try to live as brothers

And try to find a piece within

Without stepping on one another

And do respect the women of the world

Just remember we all had mothers

Make this land a better land

In the world in which we live

And help each man be a better man

With the kindness that you give!

 

“With the kindness that you give” I would like to say a BIG THANK YOU to Dave Rather from Mothers Federal Hill for putting this show together and a huge thank you to Abigail Janssens and the entire 8×10 staff for making this night so wonderful!

piece by Stuart Dahne

PHISH – MSG – 17 in 17 – Photos 12-28

This show was webcast via Live Phish and featured the Phish debut of Soul Planet. During Soul Planet, the stage was transformed into a massive pirate ship with sails blown by fans, cannons blowing confetti, and a Phish ‘Jolly Roger’ flag. Fans were given bracelets that illuminated different colors depending on where seated during pirate ship sequence. All of the songs after Auld Lang Syne centered around a water theme. A Song I Heard the Ocean Sing contained Shipwreck quotes. Moma included an Auld Lang Syne tease.
This show was webcast via Live Phish. Brother was last played June 17, 2012 (216 shows). Down With Disease was unfinished. Trey teased No Woman, No Cry in Farmhouse.
This show was webcast via Live Phish. Chalk Dust Torture was unfinished.
This show was webcast via Live Phish.

 

Widespread Panic takes over the Fabulous Fox in Atlanta: 12/29/17

photos by:  Roger Patteson/Type 2 Photography

setlist adapted from:  Panic Stream

Widespread Panic
Fabulous Fox Theatre
Atlanta, Georgia
12/29/2017

1st Set

01 JB Greeting
02 Heaven
03 Climb To Safety
04 The Take Out >
05 Rock
06 Walkin
07 I’m Not Alone >
08 Jaded Tourist >
09 Ride Me High >
10 Love Tractor

2nd Set

01 Holden Oversoul
02 Good Morning Little Schoolgirl >
03 Radio Child >
04 Barstools And Dreamers >
05 Col. Bruce Jam >
06 Impossible >
07 Sell Sell >
08 Good People >
09 Drum Solo >
10 Drums And Bass >
11 Blight >
12 Blackout Blues

Encore:

01 Dream Song >
02 North

 

The War on Drugs

December 21, 2017

WTTS Christmas Can Concert

 The War on Drugs

Lo Moon

The Vogue Theatre

Indianapolis, Indiana

Photos by: Tony Vasquez of Vasquez Photography

Photo gallery: The War on Drugs

Setlist: Brothers, Baby Missiles, Pain, An Ocean in Between the Waves, Strangest Thing, Accidentally Like a Martyr ( Warren Zevon cover), Nothing to Find, Knocked Down, Buenos Aires Beach, Red Eyes, Thinking of a Place, Holding On, Under the Pressure, In Reverse

Encore: In Chains, Eyes to the Wind

 

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