Ned Rothenberg's Inner Diaspora 12/11/15 Firehouse 12

Downtown reed-man Rothenberg takes his current group to the Firehouse. Rothenberg played clarinet, bass clarinet, and Japanese skakuhachi flute. Mark Feldman on violin, Erik Friedlander on cello, Jerome Harris on acoustic guitar/bass, and Satoshi Takeishi on percussion.
The second set started with a mournful clarinet-centric tune. I am currently reading "New York Noise", Tamar Barzel's book chronicling John Zorn's radical Jewish music and the downtown scene of Knitting Factory fame. I can' help but relish the thought of Freidlander, Feldman, and Rothenberg as being instrumental ( no pun intended) in this movement of the mid-90s. With masterful command of their instruments, these guys veer from ethnic to avant grade and back. Tight compositions with airy spaces to improvise keep them moving. The textural elements of Takeishi colored and shaded these songs to a sharp delivery. Great end to the winter season.

Dawes w/ Hiss Golden Messenger 12/5/15 College St Music Hall

Opener HGM from North Carolina showed some good songwriting and guitar-centric rock. Lead singer had a Ryan Adams flair (even sported the tight denim jacket). Drums, bass, sax, and keys/slide guitar rounded out the group. Singer had just enough twang for an enjoyable lead-in for Dawes.
 The hall was packed to see Dawes, which seemed to surprise leader and singer Taylor Goldsmith. The crowd had an interesting demographic, mainly young couples aged 20-40. Dawes has a few records with minimal hit recognition but a seemingly fervent following. The plateau where jam, rock, and pop reside is a tiny space with slippery slopes on all sides. Dawes tried to maintain balance on this coveted real estate, but inevitably fell off. Comparisons to Jackson Browne and Counting Crows should have tipped me off. Thankfully they didn't try to recreate the Brown classic "Lawyers in Love" which is one of the tunes I seem to despise most. Tame songwriting and un inspirational musicianship flowed from Dawes. On one tune, the refrain was "I'll take some mashed potatoes and some chicken wings cause I'm a little bit of everything", I guess they have as much "everything" as a KFC value meal.

Nik Turner (Hawkwind), Hedersleben, MV and EE 11/24/15 Cafe 9

Opener MV and EE are a guitar psych duo. Matt Valentine played some blistering leads and his female cohort EE played lap rhythm guitar.  The songs meandered and the vocals were Flaming Lipsesque.
Bay Area psych group Hedersleben played a set and stayed on as Nik Turner's band. Guitar, bass, drums, and dueling young female keyboards/vocals had some decent originals. The main female singer donned a Muslim headscarf and took a backseat when Turner took the stage. Between sets, I chatted with Turner about hitch-hiking, our kids (his son just earned a law degree from Cambridge), drugs, traffic, and the kindness of strangers. Hawkwind released the Prog-metal-psych live opus Space Ritual in 1973. With Turner on sax, flute, and vocals Hawkwind owns a special place in the rock continuum. Their concerts were happenings that lasted hours, with light shows, go-go dancers and such. On this evening, Turner was in good form, chugging through old and new material.

Steal Your Funk w/ Charles Neville Pacific Standard Tavern 11/1715

One can gauge the "hippie-ness" of a show by the crowd. In pulling up to the Pacific Standard Tavern on Crown Street, I saw legendary New Haven hippie, Carrot Man entering the venue. Carrot Man, a 60-something, scraggly, gray, carrot suit wearing, grateful dead dancing, all around vegetable propagandist is plugged in to the jam scene. Steal Your Funk is a loose, local Dead/funk amalgam with Jen Durkin on vocals (Deep Banana Blackout fame), and various members of Legion of Jerry as the house band and a revolving case of sit-ins. On this particular evening, Carrot Man was definitely in the right because Charles Neville of The Neville Brothers came to funk. The set list included: The House That Jack Built, Muffin Man tease, Roll Away the Dew, Tippi Toes, a Sly Stone number, Iko Iko, Eyes of the World, and closed with Led Zep's Talk About Love. With Durkin's Joplinesque delivery (Janis, not Scott), and Neville on sax and vocals, this was more than local funketeers out for a stroll. Considering Neville is legitimate co-progenitor of Iko, this evening dripped with genuine Nawlins funk.

John Zorn's Simulacrum 11/14/15 Firehouse 12

The listing for Zorn at the Firehouse made me circle the date at the beginning of the season. Knowing that music is usually on Friday nights, I circled the wrong date, which made me show up on Friday for what was actually a Saturday show. I have followed Zorn's career from way back. The Albert Collins spoken word piece on Spillane, the obsession with Morricone and soundtracks, the bowing at the altar of Ornette on Spy vs. Spy, the many downtown incestual incarnations of Masada, the far reaching tentacles of his Tzadik label, but it was the metal-punk-jazz of the Naked City release that came to mind on this evening. Zorn has taken the composer or puppeteer stance for these happenings, giving up his Albert Ayler free jazz sax blowouts for behind the scenes architect of sound. The group was a trio: Matt Hollenberg on electric guitar, Kenny Grohowski on drums, and the venerable John Medeski on organ. Hollenberg careened through metal riffs that had one audience member assuming the headbang throb that rarely appears at the Firehouse. Grohowski, who I saw at the kit a few weeks back, appeared different. The drummer looked like Charles Manson, and played with frenetic abandon that drove the start/stop nature of this music. The back was off Medeski's organ laying bare a tangle of wires and amps that looked like an un-defusable car bomb. The music was jagged and assaulting. Some uninitiated squirmed and snuck out, I don't blame them, Zorn's output is so varied that it can take many forms. From the punk growl of  Faith No More's Mike Patton to the breezy cello of Erik Friedlander John Zorn is truly a jazz renaissance man. The prolific output makes it impossible to follow him completely, but his footprint is all over the Jazz world. An enjoyable set and the ability to shake the hand and thank one of my heroes......wow.

Mates of State w/ Alex Bleeker and the Freaks 11/11/15 Bar

Opening act Alex Bleeker and the Freaks had a serious case of the west coast 70s vibe. Two guitars, bass, drums and organ put out a full sound. Sounding a bit like Blitzen Trapper crossed with America,   AB and the F had some chops even stretching out a long blues tune. Good harmony vocals could have pulled off a cover of Horse With No Name.
Local duo Mates of State was sharpening their songs for a date later this month at Cafe 9. Pure pop and solid guy girl harmony vocals are their weapon of choice. Guy on drums and girl on keys with some help from Pencilgrass trumpet player made for an enjoyable set. Bar was packed with this popular local band's followers.

Refuse The Hour 11/7/15 William Kentridge Yale Drama School

Billed as an "experimental opera" by South African multimedia artist Kentridge, this was truly a sight to behold. Refuse The Hour was truly multimedia experience. Instead of trying to explain the opera, it might work better to list my observations.
1) A drum set suspended upside down from the ceiling, plays a computer controlled percussion sequence.
2) Narrator Kentridge tells the story of his father telling the story of Perseus inadvertently killing his grandfather.
3) African dancers with megaphones perform in front of super sized metronomes.
4) "Band" consisting of trumpet, trombone, tuba, and violin (which was made from a bicycle seat hooked to a mini-megaphone) accompanies the opera.
5) Opera singer in the balcony sings aria while singer on stage copies by singing same sequence backward.
6) Kentridge speaks on images traveling at the speed of light and that visions of his youth may just be passing Saturn by now.
I' m sure that I am missing or misconstruing some or all of the events in Refuse the Hour, but this Kentridge production was thoroughly enjoyable. With equal parts Laurie Anderson, Rube Goldberg, Alvin Ailey, Samuel Beckett,Audra Macdonald, and Carl Sagan....Refuse the Hour was all that.

David Wax Museum w/ Arc Iris 10/27/15 Cafe 9

Entered in time to view the last couple songs from opener AI.  I say view because this band was a sight to behold. Spandex, glam, girl singer with wings, this band seemed like a cross of the Planet Gong with Joanna Newsom. Arc Iris song structure was more performance art.
  DWM has been reviewed in this blog before. With a couple of releases since last viewing, DWM is always enjoyable. Confident guy/ girl vocals accompanied by lead guitar, bass, and drums. Singers are of Mexican descent which allow them to transition from English to Spanish sometimes within songs. Last time at c9 the female singer was "ill ", when I was chatting with the male singer post-show said she had morning sickness. I told him that he did well under those circumstances. DWM said they were off to Cincy then Cleveland to storm the Midwest. Unable to do their trademark hop off stage and gather the crowd around for the closer, DWM always puts on an enjoyable performance.

Andy Milne and Dapp Theory 11/6/15 Firehouse 12

Pianist and bandleader Milne came from Greg Osby's jazz and hip hop smash from the late 90s. The quintet had drums, bass (electric and standup), reeds (soprano sax, regular and bass clarinet, and some primitive wooden item that looked like a back scratcher fixed to a kazoo), and someone on "vocal poetics". The music was compelling with tight compositions, many with spoken word poetics that were often used as percussive add-ons. Milne told a funny story about being approached by the State Department to act as "cultural ambassadors ". The group spun an Azerbijan folk tune with their trademark jazziness as a tryout for the ambassador role. Needless to say, the State Department passed on their take on cultural ambassadoring. The song was good and made me think that the founding fathers had it right when they spoke of the separation between art and state.

The Dirty Nil w/ Meatwave 10/21/15 Bar

Opener Meatwave was the reason to come out for this free show. The Chicago-based punk trio was all snarl and energy. Standard setup of guitar,bass, and drums reminded me of Husker Du. As with most punk offerings, it was difficult to make out the lyrics. Chatted with drummer Ryan after the set. He said that they had some east coast dates before playing at a Bjork-curated festival in Iceland then off to storm Europe. Meatwave had a good sound and attitude, they will do well.
The Dirty Nil was from Ontario. The band configuration was the same as Meatwave, but the guitar player had a glammy element to him, maybe it was the ill-fitting polyester. The DN bass player displayed the vein-popping bark of metal/punk that is hard to listen to. Earplugs were essential at this show.

Tony Malaby's Tubacello Quartet 10/17/15 Firehouse 12

Sax player Malaby grew up in Tuscon and now resides in Jersey City ( home to WFMU, the best free form radio on the planet. Joined by Bob Stewart on tuba, Christopher Hoffman on cello, and John Hollenbeck drums and percussion. Malaby played tenor, alto, and soprano with the latter moving to pharaoh-sandersesque heights. Stewart's huge hands made the tuba look like a toy, the full brass sound can't help but evoke images of cartoon turtles loping. Hoffman plucked, and bowed the cello when in unison with the tuba fleshed out the low end. Hollenbeck got a wide array of sounds from the kit and various shakers, even doing a sequence with some Tibetan cloud bowls. Hollenbeck's uber-hipster appearance made me want to call him "the syncopated beat-nik ". Malaby's compositions waffled from compact song structures to wide open improv blowouts with Malaby sounding like a goose going through a woodchipper. All players were intensely focused on their instrument, Malaby found time to remove, shave, and shape a reed, Hoffman rosined the bow like an all-star, Stewart drained spit from many intestine-like turns of the tuba, and Hollenbeck kept his many contraptions in neat order like a librarian. As with many shows at the Firehouse, this was a collection of pros showcasing their chops before a European tour.

Gang of Four 10/2/15 Spaceland Ballroom

What to do if your band happens to release a near perfect punk-pop gem in 1979? If you are Andy Gill, the sole remaining member of England's Gang of Four, you ride the songs of Entertainment into retirement with a new cast of young guns. Playing some songs from the new What Happens Next release, Gill was clever to dot the entire show with songs from punk's infancy. Entertainment got a fancy 2 disc reissue a few years back, and is still a go to for punk snarl and expertly controlled feedback. New singer didn't miss on favorites At Home He's a Tourist, Damaged Goods, and the tribal Anthrax. How can you argue with lyrics like " love will get you like a case of anthrax.....and that's one thing I don't want to catch!"

Evan Parker 9/30/15 Cafe 9

British godfather of improv Parker makes his second stop in New Haven in two years. Parker on soprano and tenor, local guitar wizard Joe Morris, downtown reedman Ned Rothenberg, and young standup bass player. Parker, seated, looked like Burl Ives crossed with some atonal snake charmer, his soprano careening. Morris played a large hollow body, his arachno-fretology was fiery but restrained in tone. Rothenberg played tenor which he occasionally muted by blowing into his thigh. Rothenberg also played some bass clarinet  during the two song second set. The young bassist plucked, bowed, and scraped through the set, it's amazing how such a youngster can line up with such a stalwart cast.

Ozric Tentacles 9/27/15 Spaceland Ballroom

So, I'm driving to Spaceland to see British psychedelic troupe Ozric Tentacles, the B-52s Planet Claire comes on the box and the light of the eclipsing Super Moon is guiding me in. If only Sun Ra was chauffeuring me and my astronomical evening would have been complete. OT has been around since the jam Renaissance of the late 90s. Seemed like one or two original members. Noel Redding lookalike band leader on guitar and keyboards, mini Noel Redding on second keyboards, propulsive drummer (who I think was in Jamiroquai), and a stoned but talented Linda Hamilton on muscular bass. The Linda Hamilton character was a sight to behold, body builder arms that anchored the Brit-stoners through psychedelic Terminator territory. Thankfully wordless, (between their accent and dank haze, they could barely articulate the song titles), they were on autopilot on stage. Effortlessly careening from Prog to metal to dub to dance stylings.

Amir ElSaffar and the Two Rivers Ensemble 9/25/15 Firehouse 12

Amir ElSaffar's group was showcasing their new release Crisis. The ensemble is a mashup of middle eastern instrumentation and straight ahead jazz blowing. ElSaffar on trumpet, santur (an Iraqi hammered dulcimer), Ole Mathisen on saxes, Carlo Derosa on standup bass, new to the group drummer Dan, and Palestinian-American string players Tareq Abboushi on buzuq and Zafer Tawil on oud. I have seen this group before, but they seemed to have upped the ante on the eastern inflection, with ElSaffar even singing in the arabic microtonal maqam style. The seven part Crisis Suite with sections like "Flyover Iraq", "Tipping Point", and "From the Ashes" were all excellent. The ensemble also seemed tighter, with great sax-trumpet interplay even a few tease-nods to recently departed Ornette Coleman. In bringing the buzuq and oud to the fore, ElSaffar had an exotic backdrop for his modern jazz delivery. In an age when Iraq and the U.S. are unwanted bedfellows, this ensemble bridges the gap with music....the great equalizer.

Barrence Whitfield and the Savages 9/10/15 Cafe 9

Regional R&B legend BW made a stop at C9 to sharpen some songs from his excellent new release "Under the Savage Sky". The Savages, drums, guitar, bass, and saxes are the perfect backdrop for BW. Barrence is a sight to behold, built like a papasan chair or a whoopie pie with a booming voice and a trademark yelp, he takes on songs like a lumberjack. These guys were a staple at Toads in the 80s and 90s, and have the chops of a seasoned bar band. Thankfully, BW didn't try to walk down the bar as is his usual at C9. The set was short but sweet, including a nice Smokestack Lightning tease at the encore.

Pencilgrass 8/28/15 Spaceland

Touted as a "save the Space" show, local glam funk legends PG funked  and rolled on a mini reunion tour. While I'm not sure what the Space needs saving from ( either bankruptcy, or its inability to properly price designer beers),  PG was there for the party. Frontman Pren sporting his best American Hustle Christian Bale attire reminded us that PG had three types of songs: disco, funk, and reggae. Playing some familiar oldies and a few new tunes, PG was obviously sticking their collective toe back in the local water. They still had some swagger, albeit with a receding hairline. The lineup was foggy but came back upon viewing. Pren on vocals and guitarro, wiry keyboardist, trumpet/rapper, Eric the Willoughby's former barista and BlueMoon member on sax, guitar, bass and drums. All local denizens that I see at shows or in Pren's case stickered on every flat surface in town. These guys are fun, and have fun playing their music, it would make sense that they have a loose association that allows them to throw an occasional funk party at a local watering hole.

Gathering Of The Vibes 7/30-8/2/15 Seaside Park Bridgeport

Where to start, so much music packed in a weekend.
Thursday:
Banooba roots rockers on the second stage
Ryan Montbleu, Vibes staple who sounds like Jose Felician
Bombino : desert blues man brought some Touareg sights and sounds
Dark Star Orchestra featuring Melvin Seals. Classic set with the big man on organ.
Karl Denson's Tiny Universe: Dapper,funky saxman and his cast of characters on the late night stage
Friday:
The Word: too early a time slot for this supergroup. Medeski on organ, Robert Randolph on pedal steel, Luther Dickinson on guitar with the North Mississippi Allstar rhythm section of Chris chew and Cody Dickinson. I braved the heat for these guys.
Tedeschi and Trucks with guest Doyle Bramhall II. Power couple of the jam world show the perfect mix of blues singing and guitar wailing.
Tea Leaf Green: Reed Mathis helmed jam outfit.
GreggAllman: chilling version of Midnight Rider
The String Cheese Incident with David Grisman and Peter Rowan: great but quiet bluegrassy set with Panama Red, and Midnight Moonlight (to the light of a blue moon)
Saturday:
Kung Fu: area rockers with Tim Palmieri on searing guitar fry early on the main stage
The Primate Fiasco: gypsy collective moving up from impromptu gathering to an actual time slot.
Deep Banana Blackout: standard set from local vibes pimps. Fuzz sounding good on guitar.
Billy and the Kids: Kreutzman 's band of merry pranksters was the only member of the original GD.
Turkuaz: NYC funk noise collective with impressive girl vocalists
Warren Haynes featuring RR Earth: decent set from their collaboration. Nice take on Fleetwood Mac's Gold Dust Woman.
Wilco: great set but under- appreciated by the hippies. If you can't get into Impossible Germany from Sky Blue Sky, there's something wrong with ya. Warren Haynes comes out for closer.
Warren Haynes and The Seaside Allstars: festival highlight from this super supergroup. Branford Marsalis, Jackie Greene, Marco Benevento, Joe Russo, and George Porter........wow. Walk on Gulded Splinters, Dreams, Low Spark, that Radiohead song that everyone thinks is great, some Floyd, just an unbelievable weave job by Haynes the master. Warren holds the jam crown and will take any and all songs to play with. Closed with Sly Stone's Thank You Falletin Me Be Myself....classic.
Lettuce: Krasno's funk outfit graced the late night stage.
Sunday:
Preservation Hall Jazz Band: Legendary Nawlins group.
Zappa Plays Zappa: Dweezil has some technical difficulties with his set, his father would not be proud.
Cabinet: Area bluegrass outfit.
Weezer : I had no idea how many power pop ballads came from Weezer over the years, I knew almost
every song.
John Brown's Body: Reggae offering from this aging local outfit.
Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals: Great festival closer. Ground on Down, Don't Take that Attitude to Your Grave mixed with Concrete Jungle, Glory and Consequence, Always have to Steal My Kisses. Perfect festival closer, Burn One Down.

Jason Isbell w/ Blake Mills 7/2215 College Street Music Hall

Arrived for most of opener Blake Mills. Known as a producer for Fiona Apple and the recent Alabama Shakes release, Mills is an eccentric guitarist. His use of vintage amps and reverb to the point of distortion made for a trying listen. With bass/keys and "excitable boy" drummer, Mills' songs seem to meander and noodle through some fuzzy tones that made you wonder if the tuning dial was just slightly off kilter.
Jason Isbell came with full twanginess. The former Drive-By Trucker, Isbell gave up the nightly Jack Daniels of his former band and probably saved his life. With a new record, wife and son, Isbell rocked the College Street Music Hall with his swampy southern rock. Playing some songs from his excellent Southeastern release, and the DBT song Decoration Day as well as cuts from the new record, Isbell was in good form. The band of guitar, bass, drums, keys and accordion was a solid backdrop for the Isbell songs. The cancer song Elephant made me cry.

Green River Festival 7/11/15 Greenfield MA

The Green River Fest is a new music destination that has been extolled in this blog before. The Saturday lineup was great.
Polaris: Pop punkers on the second stage.
Straybirds: Old timey Americana from PA
Milk Carton Kids: Dead pan humor duo sang quirky pop songs with close vocal harmony. Both kids wore suits and played acoustic guitars. Hysterical story about a sons birth, (medical emergency that took all my data!) that segueed into a song about death.
Langhorne  Slim and The Law: Smartass frenzied folk from this festival staple. LS routinely engages the audience even hopping off stage to frolic among the fans
Lydia Loveless: Sassy rocker was melting in the afternoon heat on the second stage.
J.Mascis: Local wizard and  Thurston  Moore pal guitarist from Dinosaur Jr. was a curious pick for the main stage. Skronked and feedbacked his set
Booker T. and the MGs: R&B hall of farmer had an organ instrumental hit in the 60s with Green Onions, played a good rendition of Purple Rain.
Red Baraat: Indian tinged Brooklyn collective had trombone,trumpet,keyboards, sousaphone,guitar,bass,drums,sax, and funky two sided drummer who sang and rapped his way through a high energy set.
Tune-yards: Odd time signature lo-fi quirkiness from Smith College grad Merrill Garbus's band. Two female backup singers, bass, and keys with Garbus on looped vocals and ukulele.
Wood Brothers: Chris on standup bass is the Wood in Medeski,Martin, and Wood. Oliver on guitar and vocals comprise this fascinating duo. Swampy, southern lyrics and excellent musicianship are the backdrop of the Wood Brothers sound.
Bella's Bartok: Frenzied gypsy swing from these face painted hipsters.
Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra: Closer for the day was this high energy keepers of the Afrobeat flame. Off a stint as the musicians for the Broadway musical Fela!, AAO scorched their set. Highlight of the day was a fantastic version of the Talking Heads classic Cross-eyed and Painless. I highly recommend this festival to anyone looking for new music to follow.

Trombone Shorty w/ Son Little 7/3/15 College Street Music Hall

Great crowd for the start of the Fourth of July weekend at the re-newed Palace Theater, now the College Street Music Hall. Soul voiced, but modern sounding Son Little was the opener. Drums, bass and Little on guitar and vocals played some southern inflected indie hits. CSMH retained the balcony and some floor seating but had a general admission dance floor in front of stage. Little, from Lake Charles, said he was proud to open for fellow Louisianian TS.
Trombone Shorty is a whirling dervish from Nawlins. I guess it helps when you start your career as a bandleader at 6 yrs old in the 9th Ward. Boundless energy from TS, guitar, drums, two saxes, and big fella on electric bass. Some originals, Let's Get it On, Get Down on It, Mardi Gras Day, a Green Day hit, BB King tribute, and encored with a rousing When The Saints Go Marching In. You just new the night was rockin when The Funky Dawgs Brass Band set up on College Street to play as concert goers entered the hall.

Las Cafeteras 7/1/15 Crowell Hall Middletown

Las Cafeteras is a seven person collective from East LA. Mexican,more specifically from Veracruz, their instrumentation was great. Guitarros for all in various shapes and sizes. Ukulele Bass from Hawaii and "box" drummer held up the low end. Two male and two female singers and rappers played a wide variety of percussion: wooden stomp board (like tap dancing on a pallet), donkey jawbone,shakers, a Barbie xylophone, all  amazing. Politically charged lyrics with the emphasis on idiotic US immigration system. They made a point of flexing their smarts, with one young member getting his PhD at UCLA. Songs included "This Land is Your Land (for Donald Trump)", Ring of Fire, closed with a traditional take on La Bamba. Las Cafeteras had some great guy/girl rap exchanges, one song had the refrains "I'm Trayvon Martin I didn't DO nothing wrong, I'm Michael Brown i didn't DO nothing wrong, I'm Eric Garner I didn't DO nothing wrong" got me sad to think that the lyrics could go on forever unless some humanity hits our society.

Lucinda Williams 6/26/15 Arts and Ideas Fest

Nice weather for Lucinda on the New Haven green. Good crowd supported some classics, Joy, Car Wheels, Passionate Kisses. Solid backing band could rock these tunes from legendary songwriter. Lucinda was in good form, she is a temperamental artist and feeds off good karma. I saw her at Toads once and a Sox-yanks game was showing on the back bar TV eliciting some untimely (with the music) cheers. "What the fuck is goin on back there?" She blurted before quickly ending her set. Tonight's  show ended with two classic encores, "Should I Stay or Should I Go" by The Clash and "Rockin in the Free World" the Neil Young classic that was recently wrongfully pinched to serve as the theme song for Donald Trump's candidacy for president.

Cibo Matto w/ Invisible Feathers 6/25/15 Spaceland

Caught the last tune from opener Invisible Feathers, a psych-rock trio. Capable guitar, bass, and female drummer showed some blue collar psych.

Asian, female, hip hop duo CM are always a sight. Preparing for their stint at Wilco's solid sound festival, CM made a stop at Spaceland. "So wha you chew do in dis Ham den?" Says vocalist, rapper Miho Hatori. I notice that Hatori has bad teeth that leave her face in a permanent state of sly chuckle. Her NyQuil induced dance moves added flavor to hits Birthday Cake and Sci-fiWasabi. Beatmaster and knob twiddler Yuka Honda had Yoko Ono shades and was able to coax many sounds from her laptop/keyboard setup. Male drummer and bassist, both dressed in white looked like a stud rhythm section brought along for their self-titled Banana Split tour. CM played some songs from their recent Hotel Valentine release, including the catchy environmental song MFN (ease da mutha fucking nay cha!) 

Mono 6/11/15 Spaceland

Tokyo noise quartet Mono swooped into Hamden to shatter some eardrums. Two guitars, female bassist, and monster drummer comprised Mono. Songs had the same formula, quiet intro that swelled to a raucous caterwaul. Japanese rock bands ooze hipness, and Mono is no exception. The guitarists, both seated, dressed in black, flailed their shoulder length hair at crescendo time. They looked like twin Buckingham Palace guards keeping watch over skronk-town. Female bass player in black dress with red pumps seemed like a stewardess guiding the listener to jump off the cliff of noise. The drummer came with gong and tympani to punctuate the sound. My ears are still ringing.

Ringo Deathstarr 6/10/15 Bar

Austin Texas based trio RD brought the noise for this show at Bar. Guitar/vocals, bass/vocals, and drums were all that was required to deliver ear-splitting squall. Guitarist reminded me of the spazz version of Yo La Tengo's Ira Kaplan. Lanky female bassist and motorik drummer provided the perfect backdrop for the fuzz and reverb drenched songs. Barely audible vocals were almost unnecessary in the Deathstarr attack. At one point, the singer asked if anyone in attendance was in the Skull and Bones, they said they would accept any and all grant money. It's curious why the proboscis-oriented drummer for the Beatles has spawned so many band names. Obla-Dee, oblin-deed.

Dark Star Orchestra 5/30/15 Capitol Theater Portchester NY

What is the definition of Deadhead? Do you....
1) go to a DSO show at the Cap to celebrate a friend's birthday?
2) remember the actual 3/29/90 GD show at the Nassau Coliseum (Bertha, Jack Straw, The Wheel, Throwing Stones, Estimated Prophet, One More Saturday Night, Goin Down the Road, Knocking on Heaven's Door, Eyes of the World et.al.)
3) after 20 minutes of Eyes of the World, you feel like the song is just starting?
4) know the actual Mayor of Hippie-town?
5) start your parking lot dance/swagger in mid-May in advance of festival season.

 If you answered yes to any of the above, it is very likely you are a deadhead.

Kayo Dot w/ Shilpa Ray 5/20/15 Bar

Opener Shilpa Ray and her Happy Hookers from Brooklyn with a recent release on Knitting Factory records gave off a lot of sound. Ray played harmonium, which I learned is a tabletop pump organ. It  looked like she was opening and closing a dresser drawer, part accordion, part furniture. Her vocals swelled from somber melancholy to stub-your-toe level scrawl. Capable backing band were all solid. I can see why she is a favorite of Nick Cave, even opening some shows on the Grinderman tours. I asked her about the harmonium, which I confused with a euphonium ( which is actually a large tuba).
  Kayo Dot were billed as "avant-metal". They were sinister, wore black, and played metal-ish tunes with proggy lyrics. Five string bass player and singer seemed like the leader. Guitar, keys/synths, and propulsive drummer rounded out the group.

Agent Orange 5/15/15 Cafe 9

California punk outfit Agent Orange had been on my radar for a couple of months. Judging from iTunes, AO had a few hits in the 80s surfing the punk snarl oozing from LA. Dormant for a decade, they decided to lure out punk fans with a tour. Being a Friday night, it was poor planning to not have an advance ticket and dawdle before entry as the show was sold out on our arrival at 10pm. (One needs a little room to mosh, isn't that a constitutional right?). After hanging out in miniskirt land, we decided to swing back and were allowed entry to view the last two songs. Typical, sweaty, high energy punkness was the genre. I hope they have a Posture-pedic in that van, these guys aren't as young as they used to be.

Low Cut Connie w/ The Silks 5/6/15 Bar

.  Providence- based The Silks were a 70s sounding rock trio. Guitarist looked and played like Jeff "Skunk" Baxter. Frenetic drummer and Slade t-shirt wearing bassist comprised the group.
    Low Cut Connie hails from Philadelphia although drummer and sometimes guitarist had a decidedly British accent (a touch more vocals in the monitor mate). Two guitars, drums, bass, and charismatic leader on a beat up piano named Shandra. Straight up rock and roll with the pianist doing his best Jerry Lee Lewis acrobatics in,on, and around Shandra. "Shake it Little Tina" from their recent record was a highlight. Closed the show with a rousing version of Harry Nilsson's "Jump Into The Fire" complete with Ray Liotta, Goodfellas reference. This song is playing during the crazy cocaine-fueled helicopter scene at the end of that movie.

Lydia Lunch w/ Retrovirus 4/30/15 Cafe 9

I assumed Retrovirus was a punky opener for Lydia Lunch, but was in fact her backing band. I am not familiar with Lunch's catalog, but realize she is discussed in the same breath as NYC seminal punk figures like The Ramones and Blondie. A few years ago, Lunch released a fractured blues record that showcased her post, post punk pushing 70 cackle. Tonight's show was all about punk snarl. Lunch's stage banter made concert goers of all ages blush. With longtime affiliate Bob Berg on drums, Retrovirus was filled out with younger bass and the inimitable Weasel Walter on ear sizzling guitar. WW looked like Will Ferrell but played like Nels Cline crossed with Buckethead. He wore gestapo pants tucked into jackboots, with a haircut that can only be described as a weasel draped over his forehead to enhance the spasmodic guitar renderings. Walter spat at the audience and pushed Lunch around in his psychotic frenzy. One might assume that he would have a certain "respect" for an obvious elder, but not so in the punk realm. This show was a curious sight, an aged punker being piloted through the Straits of Atonalville by Captain Weasel Walter.

"What Happened Miss Simone?" Yale School of Architecture

. Screening of the new documentary about the "high priestess of soul", Nina Simone.  Jammed into a classroom with other NS fans and the filmmaker, Liz Garbus, we saw a fascinating and sad tale of this iconic singer. Born in South Carolina,  Eunice Waymon showed an aptitude for piano at an early age. Trying to become the first female black pianist to play at Carnegie Hall, Eunice and family moved to Philadelphia to further her classical training. For money, Eunice changed her name to NS and played joints in Atlantic City. Eunice changed her name so her mother would not know of her night job playing the " devil's music". A club owner said she could keep the job if she played and sang.  She moved to NYC and married a tough ex-cop who managed the beginnings of success. The husband turned out to be abusive. Nina found refuge in the blossoming civil rights movement. They moved to Mount Vernon next to MalcolmX ( probably some awesome block parties!), and had a child. NS's music became more socially conscious and her fame and marriage suffered. A true artist, NS was difficult onstage. Her longtime friend and guitarist became wary of her ability to perform. In the 90s, we had tickets to a Newport Jazz festival with NS as top billing only to have her cancel for health reasons. Moving to Liberia, Switzerland, Paris, finally Holland, NS was an ex-pat of the "United Snakes of America". Ultimately diagnosed and treated for bipolar disease, drug therapy compromised her art. The arc of her career was fascinating and sad. This film opened this years Sundance festival and will soon be available on Netflix,  a worthwhile documentary.

Swervedriver w/ Gateway Drugs 3/26/15 Spaceland

 Caught the last two songs from Gateway Drugs. The final tune was a snarling cover of the 60s psych-pop nugget Psychotic Reaction.
  I had some Swervedriver on vinyl, which gives you an idea of the timing of this British band. They took a ten year hiatus and re-emerged with the same dual guitar, bass and drums sonic attack. Sludge and fuzz guitars are central to the SD sound. Without any true hits, SD marched through some old and new songs. The regular SD bass player was absent, with the bassist from Supergrass as a fill in. The drummer was a big fella who played in perpetual motion and anchored the sonic assault.

Perfume Genius w/ Jenny Hval 3/23/15 Spaceland

Opener Hval hails from Oslo. Scandic freaktronica  from Hval on voice and video and an accomplice on keys and synths. An odd mirror/ video screen  showed images of Hval and some mildly erotic footage of people's mouths and chains. Hval had long red hair and a track suit to "make her feel more American". She gave off a woozy Charlotte Gainsbourg aura. Her voice was beautiful at times and screechy at others. She even chirped her way through a Simon and Garfunkel song. Her final song, in true performance art fashion, had her remove her red hair (wig) and faux strangle herself.
  Perfume Genius from San Francisco is set to appear at many international festivals this summer. A quartet of synths, drums, guitar/bass/electronics with PG on vocals and keys. An extremely "out" artist, PG's songs speak to the trials of being openly gay in 2015. The music seemed to have two gears: soft piano ballads, and full on clubby ragers. Excellent voice and good stage presence bode well for PG's success. I had to laugh when he lispily launched in to the encore without leaving the stage because he "was not wearing pants".

California X 2/25/15 Bar

Crowded house to hear California X whose recent recording is catching a buzz. Always interesting for me to try to pick which peck of pizza munching freak show denizens grab instruments and play. The CalX quartet was not readily apparent. The music was decidedly indie-metal with two indie guitarists and a metal bass and drums rhythm section. Loud and sludgy, CalX had a good handle on the music but lacked a decent vocal delivery.

Funky Dawgs Brass Band 2/1815 Bar

  What better continuation of Mardi Gras than a healthy dose of FDB. The back room at Bar was rocking with two trombones, two trumpets, two saxes, a drummer, and a tuba player. FDB is a spin off from the Uconn marching band (they even channel Jonathan the mascot in their logo). Like the JB horns on spring break, FDB honked through numbers like "soul power", and " shake your booty".  All I'm sayin is the Dawgs is awn.

Steve Earle 2/7/15 MassMoca North Adams MA

The hardcore troubadour travels to the large scale contemporary art Mecca that is MassMoca. Nestled in the Berkshires, MassMoca just received some funding that will make it the largest contemporary art museum in the world. We were able to spend the afternoon in the museum. Exhibits of drizzled India ink, plastics, and an awesome ceiling film depicting passenger pigeon (now extinct) flock movements were the highlights.

  Earle played a solo set. The first few tunes were blues numbers from the soon to be released Terraplane. On to some valentines-oriented love songs. Earle just turned 60, and had some hard years early in his career. A protege of Townes Van Zandt, Earle chose heroin instead of alcohol (the addiction that killed the mentor). Perhaps 20 yrs sober, Earle has two distinct periods: the early "outlaw country" period that owes success to hits like Copperhead Road, and the liberal-thinking songwriter who penned hits like Can't Remember if We Said Goodbye, and Jerusalem. Joking that he was a socialist, not Obama, Earle told an Affordable Care Act success story about the artist that has decorated his past 10  or so albums. "Before the ACA, this guy would have lost everything." Closed the show with "Christmas in Washington."

Lotus 1/29/15 Toads

Must be the start of winter. Hundreds of hippies descend on Toads Place for Groove-hogs day hosted by Philly groove-merchants Lotus. I find it hard to believe that this troupe has existed for this long sans any vocalist. The awesome Talking Heads deconstruction at the 2014 Vibes made use of a cast of extras that fleshed out the normally instrumental sound. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the sound, but I do think Lotus is one snarky vocalist away from LCD Soundsystem popularity. No matter, Lotus' extendo-jams with Moby-on-Molly samples puffed life into the grinding ragers. Two full sets with Cross-eyed and Painless anchoring set two made for a full evening.

Tijuana Panthers w/ The Garden 1/7/15 Bar

Entered Bar to catch full ( I think) set from androgynous punk duo The Garden. Both ears with dangly earrings, ill fitting 70s sometimes female clothing was the backdrop for a bucket full of angst. Jagged song structure started and stopped abruptly. Songs were interspersed with bizarre, slammy poetry like " I'm gonna burn a pig on your front lawn and see how YOU like it", or " I have a rainbow pasted to my face". Things got weird when some old guy (yes, my age), approached the singer to ask him to play something more "lyrical". The singer looked and sneered at the guy and pushed the microphone at him saying " you do it, you sing it". Seemed like the altercation ended until the singer's snarling lead guitar started in on a song with the lyrics " we don't need him.....and we don't want him" all the while glaring at the hapless oldster. The frenetic pace from the drummer with soap opera hair, whipped the crowd. The song turned to pagan chant, with the pretty drummer hopping from behind the kit to circle the old man and try to crawl through his legs. The old guy escaped to come back a few minutes later with a cadre of bouncers. The set ended and the Tijuana Panthers packed up their gear, evening over.

!!! with Darren Keane 1/6/15 Spaceland

Unfortunately only caught the last tune from opener Keane. Quite a sight, Keane is an imposing figure. Like a shirtless Hagarid, or Hurley (from TV's Lost), Keane coaxed dance music from some small keyboards.

   !!! (Pronounced chk-chk-chk)  has been reviewed in this blog several years ago.  Dancetronica quintet from California has matured since the last posting. Drums, guitar, bass, keys/electronics, with Jagger-esque vocalist and front man. Much of the show was a preview of songs from a soon to be recorded new effort. Front man was using his internal "applause-ometer" to help prioritize the song list. Front man frequently hopped off stage to dance (gyrate) with the crowd. Songs and lyrics focus below the belt, often with phrases like "oh yeah", "push it", and "c'mon" entering the mix which are perfect for the sashaying, vogueing singer. Trolling their back catalog is hysterical, with songs like "bend over Beethoven" giving me a chuckle.