After a 1 year hiatus Jerry Joseph and the Jackmormons return to Virginia City, MT. Breathing life (and fire) back into the former Banditos Bar (now known *again* as the Wells Fargo Bank Building). Preforming 11 out of the last 12 years at the close of summer at the end of the Earth…and every year we wonder too: yes….why aren’t you here????
Lucius
Gone Insane Halloween Party
With The Cactus Blossoms
October 31, 2016
Headliners Music Hall
Lousiville, KY
Photos and review by: Tony Vasquez of Vasquez Photography
Full gallery: Cactus Blossoms
Full Gallery: Lucius
October 31, 2016 Lucuis & Cactus Blossoms Halloween Party at Headliners Music Hall in Louisville, KY.
Halloween fell on a Monday night but that didn’t stop Louisville locals from coming out to the Headliners Music Hall for the Lucius Go Insane Halloween Party. The festive night included a costume party with the winning Beetlejuice costume taking home some merch from the band and a pair of tickets to next summer’s Forecastle Festival. The interior of the venue was appropriately decorated as well along with the screening of Stanley Kubrick’s movie The Shinning to set the mood.
October 31, 2016 Lucius & Cactus Blossoms Halloween Party at Headliners Music Hall in Louisville, KY.
At the center of the stage was a life-sized upright coffin, which we would find out the opening band The Cactus Blossoms had put together. The two singers made a fun entrance onto the stage through the coffin. The two brothers Page Burkum and Jack Torrey immediately jumped into playing their laid back style of old country. A few of my favorite moments from their performance included the beautifully harmonized songs Powder Blue and You’re Dreaming. This was the first time I caught their act but it hopefully it won’t be my last.
The Brooklyn, New York-based Lucius lead by singer’s Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig along with the rest of the band came out dressed in a Star Trek theme. Having caught the band earlier this summer at the WFPK Waterfront Wednesday concert I was extremely excited to hear an entire set from the band.
The band has been extremely busy the past year with touring, a recent lineup change, and an appearance on the Cameron Crowe’s show Roadies, and most recently an appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers in which they performed “Gone Insane” off the new album Good Grief.
October 31, 2016 Lucius & Cactus Blossoms Halloween Party at Headliners Music Hall in Louisville, KY.
The band’s brilliant blend of soulful harmonies, pop, acoustic, and electronic music was on full display as they played a great mix of both their albums Wildewoman and Good Grief.
They also performed a couple of covers including the Grateful Dead’s “Uncle John’s Band” from the complication album Day of the Dead, which was curated by Aaron and Bryce Dessner of The National. With the help from Cactus Blossoms Jess and Holly did a cover of The Drifters “Save The Last Dance For Me.”
October 31, 2016 Lucius & Cactus Blossoms Halloween Party at Headliners Music Hall in Louisville, KY.
The band is currently on tour in support of the latest release. So, if they are playing a city near you make sure to catch them out. For more info about the current tour follow the link: http://www.ilovelucius.com/tour/
Jason Isbell took Mobile by Storm
With a show at the Saenger Theater and then a late night appearance at our local bar Veet’s, Jason Isbell really treated Mobile, AL to a great evening.
Photos by Beth Childs
Setlist
Flying Over Water, Stockholm, 24 Frames, Something More Than Free, Palmetto Rose, Speed Trap Town, If It Takes a Lifetime, Traveling Alone, How to Forget, Codeine, (Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit cover), Elephant, Alabama Pines, (Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit cover), Cover Me Up, Relatively Easy, Outfit (Drive-By Truckers song), Never Gonna Change,(Drive-By Truckers song),
Encore: Storm Windows, (John Prine cover) (with Josh Ritter), Super 8, Children of Children
Here is Jason playing “Midnight Rider” at Veets [uploaded by Joe Anderson]
Rebelution with HIRIE – House of Blues
Dallas, TX – 10/26/2016
Words and photos by Bret Arata
Once again I made the trek down to House of Blues in Dallas, TX, but this time a very different crowd gathered to get their reggae fix. I was surrounded by dreadlocks and shirts emblazoned with pot leaves, and the air was thick with the stench of marijuana despite security’s best efforts to enforce the no smoking policy. We were in the large hall on the basement level which had both balcony seating and standing room in front of the stage. Luckily, the photo pit was in front of the stage instead of to the side like in the Cambridge Room, so I could get some great up-close shots.
The opening act was HIRIE, a septet from Hawaii founded in 2013. HIRIE, a portmanteau of the Jamaican greeting “irie” and the “H” from Hawaii, is also the name of the lead singer. And I tell you, Hirie may be the most beautiful woman I have ever seen sing on stage. If you’re reading this Hirie, know that I am single and definitely ready to mingle. They started their performance with a reggae version of the Legend of Zelda theme which to say the least was quite incredible. Their music is very ska-influenced, with Chris Hampton and Andrew McKee belting away on their saxophone and trombone respectively. Highlights of the show were an excellent cover of Matisyahu’s “King Without a Crown” and a crowd pumping rendition of their own “Don’t Take My Ganja.” Maybe they were trying to send a message to the security staff. Compared to their recorded stuff, which sounds pretty light and chill, their live performance is upbeat and hard-hitting, with Hirie bouncing up and down the stage. Most definitely a band you have to see live.
This was one of the many stops on Rebelution’s fall tour with HIRIE. Formed in 2004 by five music students from UC Santa Barbara, Rebelution has been delivering both rocking and relaxing reggae to fans, initially doing local shows and eventually working up to their first studio album in 2007, Courage to Grow, which was a smashing success. I admit my admiration of this band has been brief (a friend told me about them a couple weeks ago), but I have quickly come to love this rocking reggae troupe. Their sound is reminiscent of Sublime, but it’s chiller and more rock influenced. “Pretty Lady,” “Safe and Sound,” and “So High” got the whole crowd up and singing along. My favorite part of the show was the battle between the trumpet and saxophone players right before “Feeling Alright.”
Overall, this was a pretty relaxing night of reggae beats and good vibes. If you get the chance to see these guys on this tour, don’t miss it.
Grouplove
with MUNA
Tuesday, October 25, 2016
Egyptian Room at the Old National Centre
Photographs by: Tony Vasquez of Vasquez Photography
Full Gallery:
Setlist:
I’m With You, Good Morning, Itchin’ on a Photograph, Traumatized, Heart of Mine, Tongue Tied, Spinning, Let Me In, Cannonball, Do You Love Someone, Shark Attack, Hippy Hill, Borderlines and Aliens, Sabotage (Beastie Boys cover), Welcome to Your Life
Encore:
Enlighten Me, Close Your Eyes and Count to Ten, Ways To Go, Colours
A photo recap by Lucas Armstrong
Phish Brings a Heater to Alpharetta
SET 1: A Song I Heard the Ocean Sing, AC/DC Bag > Back on the Train, Blaze On, Sugar Shack, Things People Do, Birds of a Feather, Mercury, Let’s Go, Alaska, More
SET 2: Down with Disease[1] > Carini > Winterqueen, Ghost > Possum, Slave to the Traffic Light
ENCORE: Loving Cup
PHISH 10/18/2016 & 10/19/2016
Photos and words by Roger Patteson
Yes, things got Weir’d in Nashville once the internet rumor mill got cranked up early Tuesday afternoon. The siting and sounds of Mr. Bob Weir sound-checking with Vermont’s finest quickly paved the way for a hopeful sit in. When doors opened and the rail riders lined up, it was easily noticed that the stage held an extra mic stand up front and center. The question became “When?”
Making their second stop in as many years to Nashville’s newest and greatest music destination, Phish rolled into the Music City for the third stop of their Fall tour at the beautiful Ascend Amphitheater. Prior to Nashville, North Charleston, SC served as the tour opener and Jacksonville, FL claimed its first experience. Both had already been treated well by the proverbial leader of the jam scene.
Kicking this tour off on the release of the brand new album, Big Boat, the set lists were expected to contain a lot of new material and disappoint, Phish has not so far. In addition to tried, tested, and perfected giants like Halley’s Comet, Sand, Twist, Caven, and Fuego, Trey and Co. showed the Big Boat goods with Breath and Burning, Tide Turns, and Miss You.
Bob Weir made his appearance in the second set after My Friend My Friend to crank off a nice Samson and Delilah. The buzz that was felt by every single person in attendance was electrifying, goose bump worthy, epicness. Everyone knew they were witnessing something special and legendary. Twist stretched out in usual fashion while Trey and Bob traded lead roles on the improv machine. The shining moments came during the Dead’s pride and funk joy, West L.A. Fadeaway, and into the Donna-less Playing in the Band. The only proper encore that could have happened did and it’s called Quinn the Eskimo.
Night 2, the crowd was still reeling from 23 hours earlier. “How do they top that? How do they complement that?” among other things could be heard in the crowd. And, almost as if Phish was hearing this thirst, they open with Theme, Camel Walk, and My Soul to get the phans quickly primed. Next came Petrichor. Yes, Sirius XM and their beloved show hosts are putting this new song through the test of constant play. And, yes, similarly to Time Turns Elastic, the reviews are coming in as a mixed bag. However, Nashville received a perfectly executed version in all of its complexity and glory that left many show goers with a completely different understanding and newfound appreciation for Trey’s latest heavily composed piece. When finished, Trey gave a mini bow that garnered a smile from one ear to the other. The pride and joy in his eyes could be noticed across the entire GA pit area. A Big Boat debut, Running Out of Time, surfaced and, again, pleased a skeptical crowd before an almost huge Tube fed its way into a set closing Rolling Stones favorite, Shine a Light.
Night 2 Set 2 would reveal the Phish that everyone has come to trust and confide in with a terrific version of Golden Age to open; a big type two Tweezer; and an even bigger, heavier, funkier No Man in No Man’s Land. A rare Plasma surfaced next having survived a 62 show gap before the glowstick heavy, sensual Harry Hood kept the crowd on level 10. Mrs. Greenburg would end the set 2 fire. Walls of the Cave and Tweeprise were the encore dessert.
Set on the Cumberland River and against one of the most beautiful skylines in the South, the Ascend Amphitheater was able to barely contain the Phish one more time leaving southern residents hopeful for another return. The Fall tour continues along to Alpharetta, GA; Grand Prairie, TX; and four nights in Las Vegas, NV before yet another year of Phish ends at the MSG in New York, NY.
TUESDAY 10/18
Soundcheck: Jam, Blues Jam, Tide Turns, Petrichor, Walking Blues
SET 1: Chalk Dust Torture, Blaze On, Ghost, Lawn Boy, Halley’s Comet > Sand, Tide Turns, 46 Days > Breath and Burning, Limb By Limb > Cavern >Also Sprach Zarathustra
SET 2: Julius > Fuego > My Friend, My Friend, Samson and Delilah[1], Twist[2] > Miss You[3], West L.A. Fadeaway[3] > Playing in the Band[4]
ENCORE: Quinn the Eskimo[2]
[1] Phish debut; Bob Weir on guitar and vocals.
[2] Bob Weir on guitar.
[3] Bob Weir on guitar and vocals.
[4] Phish debut; Bob Weir on guitar.
WEDNESDAY 10/19
Soundcheck: Home, Let’s Go. I Always Wanted It This Way, Plasma
SET 1: Theme From the Bottom, Camel Walk, My Soul, Petrichor, Stealing Time From the Faulty Plan > My Sweet One, Waking Up Dead, Halfway to the Moon, Running Out of Time[1], Tube > Shine a Light
SET 2: Golden Age > Tweezer > No Men In No Man’s Land > Plasma > Harry Hood > Suzy Greenberg
ENCORE: Walls of the Cave > Tweezer Reprise
[1] Debut.
The Mowgli’s/Colony House/DREAMERS – House of Blues – Dallas, TX – 10/16/2016
Written by: Bret Arata – Photos by: Ben Mohler
It was a school night, and a throng of mostly Dallas high school students eagerly gathered in the Cambridge Room of the House of Blues, a sharp contrast to my last experience there at a Bad Company show, where the average age was 45. If you’ve never been to the House of Blues in Dallas, it’s a venue you just can’t miss when you’re in the area. The exterior looks as purposely gritty and bluesy as any House of Blues, but the inside reminded me of some Spanish mansion in the colonial Southwest. Additionally, I was baffled by how much space is actually in the establishment; it’s like stepping into Scooby-Doo’s dog house. There was even another big show at the same time which only figured out from the large number of Bad Religion t-shirts around. Still don’t know where they put that crowd.
This was the second to last stop on the Mowgli’s Where’d Your Weekend Go Tour promoting their most recent album of the same name. Formed in 2010 by high school friends, this “quintessential California band” has been uplifting and invigorating audiences all over with their sunny and upbeat indie rock. You may know them by their incredibly popular “San Francisco,” but you should get to know them better because their entire catalog is phenomenal. This was the second time I’ve seen the Mowgli’s, the first right after fellow Jams Plus contributor Caspian Roberts and I had narrowly escaped the clutches of the Gulf Shores Police Department (our friend was not so lucky).
The opening act was DREAMERS, a band whom I had yet to hear of but was pleasantly surprised by. Their music is energetic and at once both hard-hitting garage rock and modern indie rock. One song that really got this teenage crowd going was “DRUGS” which, as you may have guessed, is a song about the consumption of illegal materials. Other highlights of the performance were their renditions of “Sweet Disaster” and “Wolves,” all of which can be found on their debut album, This Album Does Not Exist.
Next up was Colony House, formed in Franklin, TN in 2009 by two brothers and their friends. Their music is upbeat, Southern-influenced but not folksy. Although I was not very familiar with the band before the show, I recognized a few songs like “Silhouettes” and “You Know it.” The band was very interactive and energetic, jumping on top of speakers while playing and engaging the crowd often.
Finally, our most anticipated act arrived on stage. Giant red balloons were placed behind the stage before they came on (Where’d Your Weekend Go features a little girl with a big red balloon on its cover). And for the next hour or so, the Cambridge Room might as well have been Santa Monica beach. The set was a groovy mix of both songs from their new album and some of their old standby’s. My favorite part of a Mowgli’s performance is how personal they make it. Both Colin Dieden and Katie Earl speak to the crowd as if they were old friends invited to a private performance in their living room. A particularly soulful rendition of “Love is Easy” was a highlight of the show. As the show was drawing to close, Earl told the crowd that their goal is that everybody leaves feeling better than they did, which was followed by a rocking performance of “I’m Good.” The band subsequently left the stage, a move which was followed by chants of “One more song! One more song!” After a moving solo performance by Dieden, the band brought both DREAMERS and Colony House back onstage to do a phenomenal ensemble performance of “San Francisco.”
Overall, this was a fantastic show at a fantastic venue. The last show of the tour is October 18th in Tucson, AZ, so you may have missed your opportunity to see these three bands together. However, if you get a chance to see any individually, take it. Trust me, you won’t regret it.
Pepe Aguilar
October 13, 2016
Indiana Farmers Coliseum
Indianapolis, IN
Photos by: Tony Vasquez of Vasquez Photography
Full gallery: Pepe Aguilar
Ticket info can found at: Pepe Aguilar Tour
THE MOWGLI’S
(pronounced: MOE, GLEES)
Frequently called “the quintessential California band,” THE MOWGLI’S are known for their laid-back mix of garage rock with a 60’s Laurel Canyon folk sound. The group’s uplifting, indie-rock as well as their universal message of positivity and love resonates with audiences all over the world.
The six piece Los Angeles based-group is currently in the studio with producer Mike Green (All Time Low, Paramore) putting the finishing touches on their as-yet-untitled third album which is due outSeptember 2016 on Photo Finish Records. The first single off the new album “Freakin’ Me Out” is available in iTunes now here:http://smarturl.it/FreakinMeOuti.
THE MOWGLI’S are: Katie Jayne Earl [vocals, percussion], Josh Hogan [guitar, vocals], Colin Dieden [vocals, guitar], David Appelbaum [keyboards], Matthew Di Panni [bass], Andy Warren [drums]
PHOTO CREDIT: MORGAN DEMETER
