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.
Friday, July 24, 2015
Tuesday, July 14, 2015
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.
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.
Sunday, July 5, 2015
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.
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.
Friday, July 3, 2015
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.
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