Cymbals Eat Guitars 8/19/14 Bar

New York based hipster indie quartet had guitar/vocals, bass, keys, and drums. More Pavement with a touch of the Ramones, these guys had a lot of energy. Greeted by a large crew of returning students, CEG slashed through a set of original music, much from their soon-to-be released record. Lead singer had a good grasp on the Vedder/Morrison psycho front man vibe. I wish the vocals were more discernible.

GOTV 7/31-8/3/14 Seaside Park Bridgeport

Another year, another Vibes rolling through Seaside Park. Always a treat and a blur so its difficult to reblogcreate. Pulled in Thursday to the strains of White Denim, their recent record Corsicana Lemonade is a nice rocker. Wide-eyed Rusted Root on the small stage had some chops after some hiatus time. Soulful Ryan Montbleau is a regional mainstay of the Vibes, he reminds me of a hippie Jose Feliciano. Thursday night is the domain of Dark Star Orchestra. A freeform show gave the youth a good view of what they missed when Jerry was alive. Friday started nice with Keller William's Grateful Grass featuring Jeff Austin (of YMSB) and Reed Mathis on bass. Next up was Troy Andrew aka Trombone Shorty. Shorty had cameo appearances in HBO's Katrina Show Treme, his soulful singing and exuberant stage presence were straight-up Nawlins. Caught a little of the frenetic Nahko and Medicine for the People. Joe Russo's Almost Dead showcased drummer Russo and Duo pal Marco Benevento who has been hailed in this blog. Back to the main stage to see an unbelievable John Fogerty. The hits that have rolled from Creedence are amazing: Fortunate Son, Proud Mary, Grapevine, and a beautiful Long as I Can See the Light. Weekend highlight was Lotus doing "Talking Heads Deconstructed". Lotus has always struck me as trippy elevator music, but this Lotus brought the goods. Memories Can't Wait, Stay Hungry, Warning Sign, I Zimbra, and my personal fave Born Under Punches were all excellent, who knew that guy could sing?!Late night raging Dopapod hit the small stage. Saturday, caught a little of Tim Palmieri's Kung Fu with some guitar jamminess. Leftover Salmon with Bill Payne (of Little Feat) had some great jamgrass and a lengthy Dixie Chicken. Orgone's Cali latin funk was a sight with a fantastic female singer. Rodrigo y Gabriela brought some acoustic flamenco (Stairway to Heaven!) Dumstaphunk, with Ivan Neville were great, had a nod to Santana. Chicago jam veterans Umphrey's Mcgee have really gelled in recent years. I have never seen Widespread Panic, these veteran jamrockers usually stay to the south, but their catalog staple Tallboy was great. The Disco Biscuits with Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzman were the direct lineage offering of the weekend. Late night with Deep Banana Blackout, Eoto, then Karl Denson's Tiny Universe (as the sun was coming up) were all solid. Sunday started with Maceo Parker, then Donna the Buffalo, then Moe., and ended with a lackluster set from Ziggy Marley. Another great festival with some staples and surprises, good community and good vibes. Peace to all Pleasure Dome inhabitants, you rock.

Marissa Nadler 7/20/14 Outerspace

Moved from the ballroom to the more intimate Outerspace, Nadler on guitars and vocals accompanied by Helene Espvall on cello and keys. Massachusetts native Nadler is a quiet folkie with decent guitar skills, she even broke out an acoustic 12-string for good effect. Shy, with little inter-song banter about the songs detracted from the show. Nadler's vocals were indistinct and monotonous which left little upside to this show. A recent interview with Nadler in the magazine Wire explored her interest in traditional music which seemed absent on this evening.

Andrew Bird and Hands of Glory 7/8/14 Central Park Summerstage

I didn't get the memo that said hip indie acts that play for free on the CP Summerstage attract throngs of like-minded hipsters. In doing the math, seeing the entry line extend through mid-town should not have been a surprise. The good news is that finding a spot that is within listening (but not viewing) distance is easy. We found a bench and listened to Andrew Bird and band. AB's following has snowballed over time. Quirky lyrics, whistling, oddball brand of Americana has steadily grown steam over time. His original band, Bowl of Fire, has been replaced by the Hands of Glory. HOG sported Tift Merritt on vocals that added a nice flair to ABs eccentricity. While the throng got the cramped view, we enjoyed the sounds and the fireflies in Central Park on this nice summer evening.

Beck w/ Sean Lennon's Goastt 6/24/14 Massmoca

Massachusetts museum of contemporary art is nestled in the bucolic town of North Adams. The museum is in the 1900s factory that made gasmasks for WWII. Joe's field, the open space behind the museum, was the site for this performance. Sean Lennon's band Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger opened the show. Loud and fuzzy, Goastt sped through a slurry set. Sean's vocals, at times, bore a genetic resemblance to his icon father.
I haven't seen Beck since the Odelay slot at a Lollapalooza in Hartford.  Beck's recent album, Morning Phase boasts the same lineup as the fantastic release Sea Change. Beck rarely comes to our area, and this show made up for lost time. Culling hits from all points in his career, Beck put on a great show. Devil's Haircut, Black Tambourine, Novocaine, Modern Guilt, Think I'm In Love, Golden Age, Lost Cause, Blackbird Chain, Loser, Guero, New Pollution, Paper Tiger, Heart as a Drum, Girl, E-pro, Hell Yes, an awesome Debra, closed the show with Two Turntables and a Microphone. The venue was packed, the weather was perfect, and the concert was memorable.

Gringo Starr w/ Atrina 6/11/14 Bar

Hard rockers Atrina started the show. Strong female singer-shredder led the two guitar, bass, drums attack. Drummer could have been John Bonham's nephew, sounded as if he had cinder blocks tied to the drumsticks.
Atlanta natives Gringo Starr have been around for years. I'm pretty sure this is the third time i've seen them at Bar. Jangly garage pop is GS's style. Two guitars, (sometimes keys), bass and drums was the lineup. In previous shows, GS would wear southern civil war uniforms. They ditched the military garb but kept their dizzying ability to switch instruments on each song. True multi-instrumentalists, this quartet's ability to back each other up is admirable. Be proud you're not truly a Beatle, cuz the south just might do it again.

Brandon Ross w/ Stomu Takeishi 5/30/14 Firehouse 12

Underattended second set at the Firehouse had Ross/Takeishi's show "For Living Lovers". With Ross on banjo, acoustic, and guitarron and Takeishi on acoustic bass, this show had a slow deliberate delivery. These songs sounded like screwed down outtakes from Ry Cooder's soundtrack to the movie Paris/Texas. Ross is a true chameleon, able to shred with the Jazz Passengers, funk it up with Harriet Tubman, or sparingly pluck a banjo until it is almost unrecognizable. This sleepy sound probably scared off most first set attendees. Takeishi's sit down acoustic bass looked like an acoustic guitar with the hole in the body situated south of the strings so that it looked like a bass with a cup holder.